Carousel Diary: Best of Brooklyn Vintage Clothing

Needless to say us Carousel girls are vintage enthusiasts. Some might even call us vintage freaks! We love finding a one of a kind bargain in our hometown of Dublin, but we also hunt for finds wherever we find ourselves. Far and away one of the best places to find classic vintage pieces is Brooklyn, NYC. We know all the good spots to shop for Brooklyn vintage clothing and you’ll be sure to be the envy of all your friends when you arrive home. First piece of advice? Bring an extra suitcase on your way to the Big Apple!

1. First stop: Beacon’s Closet

The one and only Beacon’s Closet! Beacon’s Closet opened in Williamsburg, Brooklyn back in 1997 and is located right in the heart of hipster heaven on North 11th Street between Berry and Wythe. This vintage warehouse buys, sells and trades second-hand clothing and is where you’ll discover some crazy bargains. Most items sell between $10-$50 and you’ll find brands like A.P.C., Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs and more. Grab a coffee at Blue Bottle (Berry between North 4th and 5th) and expect to be searching through rails for hours. This place is huge and takes time to sift through. Another piece of advice: Avoid Saturday or Sunday afternoons. The best time to hit up Beacon’s is definitely a mid-week morning. After your done and your weighed down with your incredible new threads head over to Cafe Colette (Berry between North 9th and 10th) for some fish tacos and a gorgeous Bloody Mary.

http://www.beaconscloset.com/ 

http://www.bluebottlecoffee.com/locations/berry-st-brooklyn/

http://cafe-colette.com/

2. 2nd stop: Fox and Fawn

You’ll be heading over to Greenpoint (otherwise known as where Hannah from Girls lives) to check out Fox and Fawn (Manhattan Avenue between Driggs and Bedford.) Although Fox and Fawn also buys, sells and trades vintage, it’s quite different than Beacon’s Closet. The smaller boutique style vintage shop carries a lot of dresses, many incredibly standout pieces from the 70s and 80s. The shop also carries  a lot of of one of our favourite brands: Built By Wendy. You’ll also find Helmut Lang, Acne and more in Fox and Fawn as well as a nice range of worn in jeans and a very decent collection of vintage shoes. It won’t take long to make your way around Fox and Fawn but after you do make sure and stop in next door to Enid’s for buttermilk biscuits and sausage gravy.

http://foxandfawn.blogspot.ie/

http://enids.net/

3. Next up: 10 ft. Single By Stella Dallas

You may not think you’d find a gem practically underneath the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, but this is New York so you’ve got to leave no grimy city stone unturned. Sitting on North 6th near Metropolitan Avenue, 10 ft. Single is just a few blocks from the Bedford Avenue subway stop. Don’t let its weird Western exterior vibe throw you off, inside you’re about to go back in time. Decorated with hundreds of authentic band t-shirts (think: Sabbath, Kiss, Slayer, etc…) 10 ft. Single is where you are going to find some genuine vintage items. The clothes are far more loved (you’re gonna find rips, stains, and more), but this is far and away the best place to find boots, authentic party dresses from the 50’s on as well as cute 70s summer frocks. 10 ft. Single also has a huge men’s selection so don’t be afraid to bring your man along for the excursion. When you’re done walk a couple of blocks up to for cocktails at Hotel Delmano. This old-timey bar is so charming and delightfully vintage in every way. Do not expect to leave sober.

http://nymag.com/listings/stores/ten-ft-single/

http://www.hoteldelmano.com/

4. And we’re off to: Malin Landaeus Vintage

This Swedish owned store sits on North 6th street, just off the incredibly busy Bedford Avenue. You might wanna bring your extra cash with you when visiting Malin Landaeus, or expect to practice some serious self control. Their prices are much higher than most of the second-hand shops you will find in Brooklyn, but the owner buys some of the most beautiful pieces you will ever find. If you’re in the market for some genuine leather boots and shoes from around the world then Malin Landaeus is the place to be. You’ll find brogues and ankle boots galore from Italy and Scandinavia. This is also a great spot for jumpsuits, clutch bags and some rare 80s getups. You’ll likely have maxed out you credit card after leaving so we’ll say grab some grub from Polish diner S&B on Bedford Avenue. Perogies and kielbasa for under a tenner.

http://www.malinlandaeus.com/

5. Finally: Atlantis Attic

You’ll be walking over to the Italian section of Williamsburg to check out Atlantis Attic. Stuck between a White Castle drive through and the Irish pub Harefield Road, Atlantis Attic is what you imagine a Brooklyn secondhand shop would look like before everyone got hip and cool. Like Beacons, Atlantis is a huge space and is home to millions of vintage items, but once again these are properly worn in authentic vintage. The prices are amazing- with almost everything in the $10-$20 range, but you will have to spend some time digging to find the good stuff. They’re great for fur coats, men’s clothing, as well as jumpers and summer dresses. You’ll be picking up some great deals at Atlantis Attic so you’ll be able to splash out on some Jalapeno Margaritas and tacos at Mesa Coyoacan just down the road on Graham Avenue and then on for some dancing in Daddy’s bar the block over.

http://atlantisattic.blogspot.ie/ 

http://mesacoyoacan.com/

http://www.facebook.com/daddys.brooklyn