Buying Zippers in NYC's Garment District

SIL Thread at 257 W. 38th Street in the Garment District offers zippers in all types of teeth and colors

When I need a separating zipper or closed zipper cut to size, I usually head to SIL Thread. This is for those cases where I don't need my zipper to be a star, just functional; for stunning Riri or Lampro zippers I go to Pacific Trim (Riri) or Botani Buttons (Lampro).

Here are the steps to buying a zipper to-size at SIL:

1. Decide on what kind of teeth you want: Brass? Nickel? Molded plastic?
2. Factor in your application: If you're making outerwear you'd probably want a zipper with a wider tape and larger teeth, but something more delicate if you wanted an exposed zipper on a dress. SIL has many choices for tape width, weight and zipper teeth size.
3. Find the right color zipper for your garment
4. Take your zipper to the counter: Tell your cashier what size zipper you want out of the one you've selected, and whether you want it to separate (like for a jacket application) or closed (like in a dress or skirt). Pay for your zipper and then wait while an employee cuts it to size for you.

Today at SIL I bought a separating zipper with molded plastic teeth that I'll use on a spring jacket I'm making. It cost me just $4 and I only had to wait a few minutes while it was sized to 12 inches.

Even though Coats & Clark has expanded its zipper offerings to keep up with the styles, and they served me well for many years, I love being able to buy zippers that look more RTW. What about you, readers? Where do you buy your zippers?

SIL offers a large selection of colors and zipper teeth styles.

When you've chosen the right zipper for your application, take it to the counter to buy it and then have it cut to size

NYC Trim Store Review: East Coast Trimming

Address: 142 W. 38th Street (between Seventh and Broadway), New York City
Phone: 212-221-0050
Hours: "Flexible." Monday - Friday 9:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sunday 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Best for: Too soon to tell as the store only just opened

Good news, readers! A brand-new trim store just opened in the Garment District and I think you're gonna like it. East Coast Trimming, on W. 38th Street between Seventh and Broadway, is an attractive trim and notions store that should please shoppers who are looking for a thoughtfully curated store. Its well-designed interiors and ample lighting (good lighting is so rare in the Garment District) put it in the same company as fellow trim stores M&J Trimming and Botani Buttons.

According to owner Donna Teves, a former Pacific Trimming employee, customer service is what will set East Coast Trimming apart from its competitors. I did like the fact that when I told her I had been searching the Garment District high and low for these Clover Wonder Clips, she promptly tracked down the information and said she'd stock them for the store. The two times I visited the store staff was always on hand to assist customers.

I don't think it's fair to do a full review on this store, seeing as how the inventory is clearly evolving. (It's surprisingly heavy on things like cotton twill and webbing, for example, and the only zippers I saw were Coats & Clark in packages like a Jo-Ann's store.) So I plan on checking back regularly and will update this post in six months or so. In the meantime, stop by and welcome Donna and her team to the Garment District. I'm sure she'd be happy to hear what kinds of things you'd like her to stock.

I love the black shelves and the cute boxes.

Look at this! Track lighting! So you can actually see the colors of the items you're looking at. You have no idea how many times I've asked Garment District store employees if I can have a swatch to examine outside before buying, just because their lighting is so damn bad and I can't tell if I'm looking at navy or black.

I adore how these covered jumbo snaps are stored in little pill bottles.

  

If you need webbing at reasonable prices, this is the place.

Thank you, Tricia, for tipping me off to East Coast Trimming!

Wanna come on a Speakeasy Tour?  Check out the link, to see what's coming up soon!

Update on Paron Fabrics' Relocation, Plus Moving Sale

Note: Paron has since closed.

Paron Fabrics is leaving its W. 40th Street location for a spot on W. 39th.

[Note: As of 2/7/12 Paron's is still at its 40th Street location. A person who answered the phone at Paron's said they will be there for another two weeks.] 

Paron's is getting ready to pack up and move to their new location at 257 W. 39th Street (across from Dakota Braids & Trims), and all fabric has been reduced. Everything in the main room is 30 percent off, and everything in the Annex is 60 percent off. You can tell they haven't added any new inventory in awhile, and the pickings in the Annex are really slim, but I was able to grab the last 2.5 yards of a patterned wool I first coveted months ago, now 30 percent cheaper. Store employees tell me Paron's will open in its new location around the beginning of February, and that this week is the last week they'll be open at W. 40th. I'm looking forward to visiting the new location, and fingers crossed that they keep the Annex.

Current Kwik Sew and Burda patterns are not on sale, but you can find out-of-print Vogue, Butterick and Burda patterns for $2 each in the Annex.

Shopping Online for Fabric at Garment District Stores

B&J Fabrics' new online store says Navajo prints are hot.

It will probably take forever, but one by one the stores of the Garment District are catching up with the rest of the world by adding online shops. B&J Fabrics recently beefed up its online shopping site about a month ago, and while you can tell that tweaking still needs to be done (there's no way to judge the size of a print motif or the drape of a fabric, for example), I think they're clearly heading in the right direction. The fabrics B&J has on its online site are a decent representation of what's available in the store. What's really attractive about shopping online at B&J is the "free ground shipping on all domestic orders, and $50 Priority FedEx shipping on all international orders." Nice!

Other NYC Garment District fabric stores with online retail sites include Mood Fabrics, Elliott Berman Textiles and Paron Fabrics (Manhattan Fabrics online). I wish NY Elegant and Rosen & Chadick would join the others and venture online too.

My online fabric buying experience is very limited, because why shop online when I can walk a block and buy fabric in real life, right? But do tell me about your online fabric shopping. Have you ever bought fabric from a Garment District store's online site? How would you rate the experience?

Why Go Elsewhere When It's All Here

Edit: The future of City Source events is in doubt, as the interest and enthusiasm have waned a bit... (4/16/17)

The City Source event at FIT on Tuesday, Jan. 10

On Tuesday FIT, the Garment Industry Development Corporation and the Fashion Center hosted the first annual City Source, a Garment District supplier showcase. I checked it out on my lunch hour and was glad I came: The resources available in NYC's Garment District are just amazing. If you are an emerging designer and you missed this event, well, shame on you and don't miss it next year. It was a great opportunity to research and build contacts with sample and patternmakers, embroiderers, pleating companies, digital printers and more. About fifty vendors filled FIT's Great Hall.

Digital printing and CAD studio LTS Design. That pink-and-green print in the back just screams Beach Tunic 2012 to me.

Gorgeous beading and embroidery by New York Embroidery Studio. The way to make a simple sheath dress look like a million bucks.

Why Not Sew a Winter Coat for Your Dog?

McCalls 6455

If you read this blog with any regularity, you know I'm a big proponent of sewing your own winter coat. Why not make one for your beloved pet too? My dog has a Lands End fleece coat but it's just not heavy enough for the bitter cold we experienced in NYC this week. So I ordered this pattern yesterday from McCalls and am thinking about what fabrics to use to get the right amount of warmth for my Ralph. Probably some quilted nylon from A.K. Fabrics, possibly some neoprene fleece I bought two years ago from Mood Fabrics, maybe a little tweed for British style? (When I put Ralph's coat on him for a walk my husband always tells him the other dogs will beat him up for looking less than macho, but we just ignore him.) Pacific Trimming has loads of reflective trim in all sizes and colors, which is especially important for walks after dark.

Have you ever made a dog coat before? Any suggestions for me and other dog-loving STGD readers are greatly appreciated. Stay warm!

My colleague Marianne's dog Duchess wearing the fabulous coat that talented New Zealand sewer Christine Thompson custom made out of red leather and a sporty plaid lining. Christine is Marianne's aunt and this coat was a wedding gift for Marianne and her new husband. When Duchess wears this coat all the other fashionista dogs in NYC are so jealous of her!

Cool Event: City Source Supplier Showcase, Jan. 10

The 1st Annual City Source Local Supplier Showcase

Tuesday, January 10, 2012, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Fashion Institute of Technology's Great Hall

FIT and the Garment Industry Development Corporation are proud to host 50 locally based factories and suppliers who will showcase their work, including pleating, embroidery, sample and pattern making, printers, production, marking and grading, wovens, accessories, knits, small lots, tailoring, and quick turns. Click here to register for the event, which is open to "designers, retailers, students and fashionistas."

This sounds like a great way to experience all the fabulous resources the Garment District has to offer—meaning the ones that aren't readily apparent to those of us who tend to dwell on the street level. I have this event on my calendar. Hope to see you there!