Rally to Save the Garment Center: "Let's Not Lose This Area"

More than 300 people* gathered at the button on Seventh Avenue today to show their support for keeping jobs and businesses in the Garment District. The rally was organized by Save the Garment Center, an organization dedicated to saving NYC's fashion center. Robert Savage, president of Nanette Lepore, moderated the event. "Let's not lose this area," he pleaded, before turning the podium over to speakers that included Ariana Huffington and designers Nanette Lepore, Yeohlee Teng and Malia Mills. Read more about the event here and here. The following are some sound bites I caught. (I love it when are events are scheduled so I can attend them on my lunch hour; I would have hated missing this today.) 

Garment District Dressmaking Supply Store Closes Doors

This is the kind of thing I absolutely hate writing about: another Garment District establishment files for bankruptcy. Greenberg & Hammer, the 91-year-old dress-supply company on Eighth Avenue and West 37th Street, closed its doors late last month. Signs the store was faltering were there when I visited it for the last time in the summer: supplies were low and no one was available to help me. Read more about G&H's bankruptcy here. If you're looking for dressmaking supplies there's still Steinlauf & Stoller (W. 39th) and SIL Thread (W. 38th).

NYC Fabric Store Review: Elliott Berman Textiles

Address: 225 W. 35th Street, 7th floor, New York, NYC (Go left when you get off the elevator; the showroom is opposite Nanette Lepore's retail administration office)
Phone: 212-764-0180 • 800-609-6072
Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 am - 5 pm
Online store: Elliott Berman Textiles
Best for: Designer fabrics from Europe at lower-than-you'd-expect prices

You know how when you take a friend for the first time to a store or place you love, and you're always a bit nervous that they might think it's awful and you're off your rocker? That's how it was when I brought AllisonC, Elizabeth and Carolyn to Elliott Berman Textiles today. I visited this fabric showroom in the garment district about two weeks ago, on the recommendation from Cathy whom I met at PR Weekend in May. Well, I loved it. What's not to love?: designer fabrics at better-than-retail prices. But what would my three friends—who all have excellent taste when it comes to fabric—think about it?

Dear readers, I am pleased to report they are as thrilled with Elliott Berman Textiles as I am. They all bought some fabulous pieces which I know they're dying to share with you on their respective blogs (give Allison some time to return to Hong Kong though).

Here's what you need to know about Elliott Berman Textiles: First of all, they are primarily a fabric wholesaler, supplying fabrics to many of the finer fabric stores in the garment district and elsewhere. They also have an online business, and their sales and promotions are very popular among sewists in-the-know. And they'll sell to walk-in customers like you and me—the four of us thought their retail prices were very agreeable. Not to boast, but we know our fabric prices so we can tell when we're getting a good deal. Join their website mailing list and Eugenia says they'll honor any online promotions when you visit the showroom.

And the customer service is exceptional! Matthew, Eugenia and Harvey are friendly and helpful but not smothering. They clearly love what they do.

Did I mention the designer names? Elliott Berman Textiles features Yves Saint-Laurent, Chloe, Gianfranco Ferre, Gucci, Prada, Versace, Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana, Roberto Cavalli, Missoni, Fendi, Laura Biagiotti, Loro Piana, Escada, Chanel, Calvin Klein and too many others to list here. Eugenia was more than happy to let me fondle a Chanel matelassé she saw me drooling over. I love to pet designer fabrics.

Here's Eugenia with a DKNY lightweight brocade that we all agreed would make a stunning trench coat.

These are some of the gernerously-sized swatches Elliott Berman Textiles has on hand to send to its customers. Eugenia says they are more than happy to send swatches to customers who call and describe what they're looking for.

A Marc Jacobs silk charmeuse.

I can't remember which designer this was from; I just know I loved it.

NYC Fabric Store Review: Lace Star

Address: 215 West 40th Street (opposite Paron's Fabrics), NYC, NY
Phone: 212-840-0555
Hours: Monday - Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; closed weekends
Online store: n/a
Best for: "Exclusive, one-of-a-kind, hand-beaded French laces, and embroidered fabrics," but they actually have a lot more of ladies-who-lunch type of fabrics, like bouclés, silks and brocades.

Lace Star on W. 40th in NYC is the place to go for special occasion fabrics. Or if you just want to make something drop-dead spectacular.

I've known for awhile that Lace Star is the go-to store in the Garment District if you need fabulous lace for special occasions. But it wasn't until Susan Khalje took me and my sewing classmates there on a field trip that I discovered Lace Star has much more beyond exquisite lace. There are bolts and bolts of wool bouclés, brocades, jacquards, silks and more. And it is all the most splendid stuff. Really top-rate, to-die-for designer fabrics.

I should warn you that this store is pricey. (And I've gotten reports that the sales staff is a little on the snooty side, although the woman who assisted us couldn't have been more helpful.) Most of the fabrics sell for more than $50 a yard, but I did see abundant bolts of silk charmeuse priced at $18 per yard. Keep in mind, however, that anything you make out of fabrics from Lace Star will look five times as expensive as what you actually paid.

NYC Trim Store Review: So-Good Ribbons

[03/12: CLOSED. I'm sad. Leaving this review up as a memorial to a fine old store.]

Address: 28 W. 38th St., between 5th and 6th Avenues, New York, NYC
Phone: 212-398-0236
Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 am - 5 pm
Online store: n/a
Best for: Grosgrain ribbons, satin ribbons, velvet ribbons and lots more ribbons and trims in a store that's been around since "Mad Men" days and looks it

So-Good Ribbons has been at this W. 38th Street location for 44 years.

I admittedly contradict myself when it comes to retail: I want my Jo-Ann Fabric stores to be brand-spanking new and big, but I want my garment district stores to look like venerable institutions, just like So-Good Ribbons' shop in the garment district area. Who cares about a little dust when the prices are as good as these? There are rows and rows of grosgrain, satin, velvet and embroidered ribbons in every color and design imaginable. (No petersham though, drat.) I've been shopping for ribbon at So-Good since 1990 and it's always the first place I think of when I need lots of ribbon or a ribbon in special colors.

I popped in there last week to buy some 3-inch striped ribbon in the colors of the university my niece will be attending; I'm going to use it to decorate a fleece throw I'm contributing to her dorm room. I happened to have some other ribbon in my hand when I went to pay, but I told the person at the register I only wanted the 3-inch ribbon. "What the heck, I'll give you some of this other one anyway," he said cheerfully, and he cut off two yards of it for me. Free! It was really nice ribbon too. And I didn't even identify myself as someone who blogs about the garment district. Can you imagine this kind of generosity happening at a fabric chain store?



Don't be put off by So-Good's small size or disorganized appearance when searching for ribbon. The staff is very helpful at finding what you need and accommodating special orders. They have binders filled with swatches of ribbons in every shade.

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.