Rosen and Chadick - Off the beaten path

Update:  Sad to say, Rosen and Chadick closed for good this weekend.

THIS.

AND THIS.

What can I say that hasn't already been said about Rosen & Chadick? What I can say for certain, is that quality and beauty still rule here.  You've gotta know what you like, be willing to pay an appropriate amount for it, take your time, appreciate quality, and understand the PROFOUND difference between this store and many of the (remaining) others in the district. It is absolutely one of the best kept secrets in the district.  For good reason.

Once housed in a HUGE space on West 40th Street, they have since moved twice in recent years.  The business has changed.  The customer has changed. Their eye for gorgeous stuff has not.

My heart skips a beat when I look through their offerings.  The shirtings, the woolens (which work in all seasons, you know), the denims that least forever and wash like a dream, beautiful silks and specialty silks for ties... all sigh worthy.  Long enduring relationships with suppliers from around the world make their unusual inventory possible.

Big broadway musicals, movies, plays - the wardrobe and costume people come here. The people who want to make to make luxurious clothing for themselves, for clients, for museums, with archival reasons in mind.  They have been working with the best suppliers FOREVER.  When is "forever"? 1952.  Nowadays, that's forever...

It is quiet in this space, which is perfect for the peace-seeking creative.  Do they have EVERYTHING?  No.  But that is why they are perfect in their selection of what they do have.  There are no endless piles of ANYTHING in the store.  Just the diamonds.  

Go. You won't be sorry.

Rosen and Chadick

108 W 39th St #13

New York, NY 10018

M-F open 9-5:30 

Off the Beaten Path... Mendel Goldberg

If you want to make a Chanel-inspired jacket, this is the place!

A New Yorker all my life, I had never actually ventured all the way down to Hester Street to see Mendel Goldberg Fabrics for myself. 

That is, until yesterday...  

Yes, I've heard it is a great place, highly praised by such quality sewing professionals as Susan Khalje and Claire Shaeffer, but, until now, I simply hadn't explored why.

While inside this delightful, quiet store, I had a wonderful conversation with Alice, the host, great-granddaughter of Mendel Goldberg, and personality of the shop, who greeted me warmly and explained what sets her family business apart from the garment district fabric stores.  

Now, I understand.

In business since 1890, this small boutique fabric shop is a carefully and beautifully curated collection of exquisite fabrics hand selected by Alice (Goldberg) from the finest mills in Europe.  A New York Times article written about the store gives a beautiful impression of its history.  I saw wool guipure, brocades to die for, and colors and prints that are absolutely swoon-worthy. No kidding.

Pictures of the fabrics don't do them justice.  Visit, see, and touch to learn for yourself!

They do not sell notions or trims of any kind, so plan accordingly, as you will only be shopping for your "star of the show" fabric here, and will need to purchase your other supplies elsewhere.

I was fortunate enough to accidentally eavesdrop on an appointment with a shopper (yes, they do allow appointments) during my visit, and was truly impressed by the level of customer service the client received. Advice like, "I would not suggest that fabric for you.", and "You'll need more yardage to create that." was offered with a firm and patient tone, and she even went the extra mile to give more suggestions, which included products inspired by the client's requests during the appointment, which were then happily retrieved from the downstairs inventory.

Where they win: Quality, Curation of goods, Shipping options and Customer Service.  If you are the right type of client for this shop, this is a unique and fabulous resource.  I must have touched just about everything they have to offer during my visit, and was truly thrilled with the experience.

This is a place to go for fabric to create special-occasion wear or high-end pieces. Before visiting, be sure to note the prices of the fabrics on the website, because that is the ballpark range you should be expecting to see when shopping there.

Mendel Goldberg Fabrics

72 Hester Street

New York, NY 

Tel 212-925-9110

Worth noting - this business has been in the same location since 1890.  That means, in addition to all of the changes our city has faced since then, it has survived BOTH 9/11 and Hurricane Sandy.  Now, that's resilience!

Ancient inspiration

Note: The brick and mortar City Quilter has since closed...

I'm creating a garment that has no closures.  No buttons, no zips, and no fiddly mechanisms to manipulate. A garment designed and decorated with an appreciation for the people who will see it. Simple in structure, that can be passed down through generations. A garment that can be disassembled and reassembled for special laundering or repair, if desired, that can conform to a variety of body shapes. That can be equally elegant in "thin" or "fat" times... A garment that respects the body movements of the wearer, and offers some versatility regarding how it may be worn...

Oh wait, that already exists.  It is called the kimono. Incredibly practical.  Timeless in its beauty.  Insanely forgiving.

We are in a kimono phase right now in fashion, if you haven't noticed.  Google it, and you will see, fashion is all about the kimono right now. To make one, you need to know how to do it, but you do not need to know how to fit or alter, since the kimono requires neither.

If an American equivalent of the kimono were to exist, what would it look like?

Well, the fabric has to last.  Both the color(s) and the fabric itself need to endure.

My latest appreciation is for "yukata" cotton.  I was gifted this lovely piece of fabric by a friend of mine, who attended a Okan Arts trunk show at City Quilter.

To use it, I thought... I'll need to know what the characters mean, and which way is right side up and what is upside down...

So I asked my best friend to ask her dad to tell me what the fabric said.  And in his extremely thorough, wonderful way, he shared this...

From dad:

It is read "dai-naru-to" or "oh-naruto" in Japanese.   It means "great tidal whirl pool".大, dai = big.       ( 鳴, naru = ringing     戸, to = door. )鳴戶, naruto = 1. The eddy or whirlpool and its sound caused by the strong low tide and high                            tide hitting each other.                        2. (Not in this case)  The semicircular fish past on a wooden plate, kamaboko,                             which is rolled up white fish past and red fish past. When it is cross cut, the                             Intersection will show white and red whirl pool like a roll cake.                         3. A city at the north-east corner of Shikoku Island, facing Kobe and Osaka.                             A big bridge, "Oh-naruto bridge" connects it with the main island of Japan via                             an Island named Awaji-shima in between.Hence, Dainaruto or Oh-naruto may refer to the famous noisy great tidal eddy.Many tourists just go to the Oh-naruto Bridge, get off their vehicles, wait and watch the great tidal while pool.
Please note that the printed words on the top is looked from front, while the lower one is looked from back side.
By the way, do you know "yukata" means "bathing wear", by its words?However, in real life, it is evening wear, for both staying at home, or for out-going, or visiting, especially it is very comfortable during hot and muggy summer evening.
Is she going to make a yukata for herself?  If so, please remind her when she wears kimono, the right piece must be under the right piece.  Men and women wear kimono in the same way.Only the shrouds are worn left piece under right piece, men or women.  Some movies made in Taiwan once caused big laughter in Japan years ago, just because the female star was wearing kimono with the left piece close to her body under the right side, just like she wore Western style dress.

What a wonderful guy.  I love when people take this kind of time to explain.

Not quantity. QUALITY

While there are lots of bargains and good deals to be found in the fabric and notions stores, not everyone is looking to haggle, dig through disorganized piles of goods, or question fiber content.  

If quality and effective time management is your goal, there is a new map I've made especially for you.  While three of the eighteen stores listed on the map are located outside of the district's borders, all are still within a painless Manhattan cab ride.

I have named it the "Best of the Best", and it lists the best stores and resources for quality-oriented shoppers, with descriptions of the strengths of each entry.

NYC Fabric Store Review: C&J Textiles

C&J Textiles
230 West 38th Street 7th Floor
New York, NY 10018

If you walk in wearing a t-shirt and shorts, you might feel underdressed.  This place is very much a bustling New York City office, with tidy professional "Account Executives" ready to help you.  When you enter, a cheery receptionist greets you, and asks you to state your business.

A beautiful showroom, with walls lined with gorgeous novelty fabrics, and an efficient layout of swatches and colors showing their VAST range awaits.  While a photo-worthy environment, I'm a terrible photographer, and probably couldn't get a good picture in there to convey its fabulousness.

But wait, don't leave - you're not in the wrong place ... psssst... lean in closely....

They have no minimums, the selection of fabrics is beautiful, and the prices are wonderfully reasonable compared to the street-level retail stores.

How would I have ever known this place ever existed, if my own friend hadn't mentioned that this is the best place to get silk solids?  I really don't know.  It seems no web search reveals them. Their website is a real yawner, and doesn't convey the level of quality that is so blatantly apparent when you go directly to the showroom. And, oh, they have so much more to offer than silk solids! See the sample index on the web.

They give you a full price list.  An honest, clear, straightforward price list.  This is eye-to-eye, hand-to-hand business, where they don't care if you are Chanel or Sally Ann - you'll be treated well.  They speak to you as if you matter.  And your business matters.

They also sell high-end novelty fabrics, suitable for one-of-a-kind, very special creations.  The prices of those goods reflect their quality and uniqueness, but if you need it, you will find it there.

Oh, and 81 colors on their color card, okay?  Not for everything, of course... but man, 81 colors????!!! C'mon!

And stuff I've never considered.  Water repellent silk poplin?  They've got lots of stuff. I used to be amazed when I would go to a street level fabric store, ask for something they didn't have, and then thought I was getting special treatment when I'd be asked to wait while an employee would run out for 15 minutes, and come back with some just for me from a "special" local supplier.  But now, I think I'm on to something here...

Now, this isn't really a retail experience like you would get at street level, and it can be intimidating and pressure-filled for people who aren't used to having to clearly articulate their purpose when they enter.  But if you already know what you need, this is a great way to get your fabric online or in person.  And they seem to be wildly efficient.  My friend who gave me the tip is fiercely loyal to this place!

Reader Question: Quality Silk Fabric

A reader asks:

I read much of your blog regarding fabric stores in NYC, but I wasn't sure exactly where to start. I am looking for a good/best quality heavy silk fabric to make a dress to wear to the office—like a slubby shantung. Where would be the best place to start of something of that ilk?  —Christa

Dear Christa,

Silk is one fiber that's easy to find in NYC's Garment District. Mood Fabrics, B&J Fabrics, NY Elegant Fabrics and Rosen & Chadick Fabrics all have decent selections of silks, including slubby shantungs. Prices will typically start in the $20/yard range and go up to $50/yard or more, depending on the weight of the fabric. However, on W. 39th Street you can usually find silk shantung and other silks for prices far lower than those at the bigger stores. These days I am loving the beautiful silk prints and solids at Chic Fabrics, including charmeuses by Tahari and Nanette Lepore that I believe are around $12.95 a yard. (If I can find the right blouse or tunic pattern I am definitely going back for a couple of yards of these.) Other stores on W. 39th carry silks as well, so you may want to start on W. 39th first—look for bargains—before you proceed to Mood and the others I mentioned.