NYC Trim Store Review: Joyce Trimming

Address: 109 W. 38th Street (close to Sixth Avenue), New York, NYC
Phone: 212-719-3110
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 6:30 pm; Saturday 10 am - 5 pm
Online store: ejoyce
Best for: Sparkly trims and rhinestones

Like M&J Trimmings, Joyce Trimming has a brick-and-mortar store in the garment district area and an online store (eJoyce.com).

Between M&J Trimmings and Pacific Trims, I can usually find everything I need when it comes to embellishments. But I always welcome more choices, so I was happy to recently check out Joyce Trimming on W. 38th, a small but well-stocked and brightly lit store. They carry buttons, buckles, crystals, appliques, ribbons, nailheads and loads more at competitive prices. The store is close to M&J Trimmings, so if you don't find what you're looking for there, or are overwhelmed by M&J's size, you can always pop into Joyce's.

Joyce Trimming seems to carry a small smattering of everything embellishment-wise.

Lots of jewels.

Lots of trim.

NYC Fabric Store Review: Chic Fabrics

Address: 225 W. 39th Street, New York, NYC
Phone: 212-398-9451
Hours: Monday - Friday 9:30 am - 6:30 pm; Saturday 10 am - 6 pm; Sunday 11 am - 5 pm
Online store: none available
Best for: One of the few stores in the district open on Sunday

Of the many small fabric stores that populate W. 39th Street between 7th and 8th, Chic Fabric is one of the better ones. And it's open on Saturday and Sunday.

Ever been shopping in one of Mexico's border towns? There's lots of little shops that tantalize you with bright colors and shiny objects, and you think oooh, I'm gonna get some bargains here. But then you get a little closer and you see that while there may be some hidden gems, there's a lot of cheap and tacky stuff for sale.

That's what shopping on W. 39th Street in the Garment Center NYC is like to me. There are undoubtedly some fantastic bargains to be had on top-notch fabrics but you'll have to wade through tons of polyester and other man-made fibers to get to them. Because I usually don't have a lot of time to spend when I'm in the Garment District, I prefer to head straight for my favorite stores where I know and trust the quality.

That being said, some sewists may only have the chance to shop for fabrics and trims in the Garment District on a Sunday, when very few stores are open. If this were my situation, I'd try Chic Fabric. Here I think you'll have a better chance of finding decent fabric. I bought some cotton-with-lycra there for $4 a yard, and other sewists have reported being pleased with their cotton shirtings. Knowing your fabrics and your fiber contents helps when shopping on W. 39th because few stores label their fabrics.

NYC Fabric Store Review: B&J Fabrics

Address: 525 7th Avenue, 2nd floor, New York, NYC
Phone: 212-354-8150
Hours: Monday - Friday: 8:00 a.m. -5:45 p.m.; Saturday: 9:00 a.m. -4:45 p.m.
Online store: B&J Fabrics
Best for: Luxury fabrics for those who don't need to check the price per yard

11/02/10: Read my fresh take on B&J here

B&J Fabrics on Seventh Avenue is the place to go when you need to make a drop-dead, one-of-a-kind, red carpet gown.

I like to visit a Chanel boutique at least once a year. Not to buy (as if I can afford Chanel!) but to observe the styles, the fabrics, the garments' interior finishes and exterior touches. It's the big girl's equivalent of a field trip.

Unless you've got a Chanel-sized budget, B&J Fabrics on Seventh Avenue in the Garment District belongs in the field trip category of fabric stores. Many of the stunning fabrics you'll find here are well over $200USD a yard. I gasped at the $810 per yard price tag attached to a piece of feather-trimmed embroidered organza, but others report they've seen fabrics at B&J's going for $1,200 a yard. That's over $33 an inch!

I asked Scot of B&J for a definition of a typical B&J customer. "I'm not certain there is one," he replied, listing Seventh Avenue fashion houses, theater and movie costumers, stylists, boutiques, and couturiers and dressmakers as groups who frequent the store. He named home sewing enthusiasts as well, but I think that should be qualified as home sewing enthusiasts with Park Avenue budgets.

To be fair, I saw lovely Liberty of London cotton lawns that, if I remember correctly, were around $45 a yard, and I even found a family wool tartan for $10 a yard. Some of the basic materials were similarly priced to fabrics at Rosen & Chadick, Mood Fabrics and New York Elegant Fabrics. But most of what you'll find at B&J is well over $85 a yard and aimed at those in the market for red-carpet gown material.

Bottom line: Go at least once for the gawk factor.

How about some feather-trimmed organza? It's just $510 per yard.

Looking for luscious velvets in spectacular colors?

Or how about embossed leathers?

Here's the beaded and feather-trimmed organza that's a steal at $810 per yard.

At the lower end of the spectrum, how about pailettes on silk chiffon for $155 per yard?

A customer checking out the Liberty of London prints.

I liked the inspiration boards located throughout the store.

Some cotton prints artfully displayed.

NYC Fabric Store Review: A.K. Fabrics

Address: 257 W. 39th Street, New York, NYC
Phone: 212-944-5693
Hours: Mon-Fri: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Sat: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Online store: A.K Fabrics; akfabricscorp@yahoo.com
Student discount with ID? Yes
Best for: Basic fabrics at affordable prices

A.K. Fabrics is the Gap of the garment district: When you want the fabric equivalent of a plain white t-shirt or a pair of khakis, this is the place. Stocking the basics in mostly natural fibers, A.K. Fabrics carries cottons, denims, wool, silk and velvet.

And the customer service is first-rate. Sali Raddani, whose father opened A.K. Fabrics thirty years ago, helped me with the fabric I bought, and her cuts were generous. (Love a store with generous cuts, don't you? Paron's is also good this way.) As I browsed the store, her two brothers Azam and Khan asked if I needed any help but then didn't hover when I told them I was just looking. A couple of times, people walked in off the street asking for fabrics and if they didn't have what they were looking for, Sali, Azam or Khan pleasantly directed them to other stores in the area.

A.K. Fabrics has an online site, though it really represents only a fraction of what the store on W. 39th has to offer. Sali says you can call and describe what you're looking for and they'll be happy to send swatches or fabric to any state or country. Daytona Braids & Trims is just a couple of doors down from A.K. Fabrics, so you can get your fabric and trim in one fell swoop. If you don't need to be wowed by designer fabrics and want quality basics at affordable prices, check out A.K. Fabrics the next time you're in the area.

That's Sali Raddani in the corner. Her father opened A.K. Fabrics 30 years ago.

A.K. has an ample selection of cotton prints, many with stretch. Some of the prints look a little dated.

I also saw wool suitings, gabardine and cotton shirtings at A.K. Fabrics. Fabric prices range from $1 to $35 per yard, according to Sali Raddani.

Jonathan Embroidery: Buttonholes While You Wait

Address: 256 W. 38th Street, New York, NYC
Phone: 212-398-3538
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.; Saturday 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Online site: Jonathan Embroidery
Best for: Saving you from making dreaded buttonholes

Just like the sign says, Jonathan Embroidery in the garment district sews professional-grade buttonholes while you wait.

How fabulous is it that you can get professional buttonholes made in NYC's garment center—while you wait—for $1-$2 per buttonhole. I really don't like making buttonholes. Does anybody? I mean, by the time I put my buttonhole foot on, make a test sample or two, the technicians at Jonathan will have sewn 10 perfect buttonholes.

So yes, I am a complete Jonathan Embroidery buttonhole convert, letting them sew all my buttonholes for me, keyhole and regular. You usually don't have to wait long to get your buttonholes made—I'm typically outta there in twenty minutes or less. Do have your buttonholes marked in advance, either with pins, chalk or marker. The only thing left for you to do will be to snip some threads. Now if they could just sew the buttons on for us….

Note: Jonathan's takes cash only; no credit or debit cards accepted.

A buttonhole technician preparing to sew buttonholes on a coat I made in 2008.

A view of the buttonhole area.

Sewing a keyhole buttonhole.

Hundreds of thread color options.

Jonathan Embroidery has a decent selection of buttons.

NYC Button Store Review: LouLou Buttons

Address: 69 W. 38th Street (near Sixth Avenue), New York, NYC
Phone: 212-398-5498

Hours:  Monday - Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Online store: n/a

Best for: the wide assortment of buttons of all materials

I am a button fanatic. I frequently replace the buttons on the clothes I buy because I feel that buttons are a detail many RTW manufacturers think they can skimp on. I cringe when I see fellow sewists create a stunning jacket and then ruin it with cheap-looking buttons. There's no need to limit ourselves to the meager selection at Jo-Ann's when places like M&J Trimming sell beautiful buttons online. And if you're visiting NYC's garment center there are several excellent button stores, including LouLou Buttons on W. 38th Street.

LouLou Buttons is small and more manageable. When costumers for stage and screen need buttons they turn to LouLou Buttons. I've chosen LouLou Buttons for several jackets and tops I've sewn and will continue to shop there.

LouLou Buttons is just one long room of buttons. But what buttons they are.

NYC Trim Store Review: Pacific Trimming

Address: 218 W. 38th Street, New York, NYC
Phone: 212-279-9310
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 7:00 pm; Saturday 10:00 am - 6 pm
Online store: Pacific Trimming
Best for: Hard-to-find hardware, like jumbo covered snaps, Riri zippers, covered hooks-and-eyes, etc.

Pacific Trimming, with its crowded aisles of bric-a-brac, reminds me of the five-and-dime stores of my childhood, where you could always find something to make you happy. I dare you to walk out of this store without buying anything.

Pacific Trimming is on my list of Garment District trim stores I regularly go to. Need hardware for that handbag you're making? Belt buckles for your safari jacket? Rings for your bikini? This is the place. It's cramped, though recent changes in store layout helped, and it's often crowded with designers' assistants and FIT and Parsons students, but there is usually enough sales staff around to answer questions and help you find things.

This post would go on and on if I included all the photos I took at Pacific Trimming. There's such a variety of stuff. Even if you don't have any trim or hardware on your shopping list, do yourself a favor and stop in here anyway just to experience that kid-in-a-candy-store feeling that you never get at Jo-Ann's or Hancock's.  Or, just come along on a Speakeasy tour!

Pacific Trimming has loads of buttons.

Loads of handbag hardware.

There's belt buckles galore.

Visit Pacific Trimming for sportswear zippers of all colors and sizes. They'll also cut zippers to your exact measurement.

Need a chain for your Chanel jacket?