urban vintage jungle

i have now had the pleasure of going to urban vintage jungle in bushwick twice. last time i went, a pack of very excited hipsters entered shortly after i did. as one of the girls looked around dumbstruck, her friend asked her what she wanted to look at first. she replied: “i don’t know; i’m totally overwhelmed.” this is an appropriate response. the first time i went, max and i were running late (as always), and we only had half an hour before the store closed. i looked through two and a half racks of dresses (out of at least five) before grabbing a handful of items and heading to the dressing rooms. the staff were very friendly, and kept the store open an extra ten minutes so that i could finish trying on my clothes and pay for my selections.

the store is huge. it is in a big warehouse building, and the racks of clothes seem to go on forever. it is mostly clothing - both men’s and women’s - but there is also a large collection of shoes, bags, and hats as well as a modest array of other accessories (jewelry, sunglasses) and knicknacks. i could easily spend an entire day inside, from opening until closing, and still feel like i needed to come back again the next day. the clothes are very well priced (dresses range from seven to fifteen dollars, with ten being the average). there is a pretty equal mix of true vintage (60s through 80s, mostly)  and more current resale items. you can even find some designer and big-name brands if you dig around hard enough (i bought a lacoste sweater in perfect condition for ten dollars).

i like the atmosphere of the place, too. every time i have been there, the clientele has been a diverse mix of neighborhood families and…shall we say, people like me. last time i was there, i almost got knocked down by a six-year-old zooming around the store on a razor scooter as his mom tried on boots in the back of the store.

PROS:

-enormous and diverse selection

-CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP (seriously, you can’t beat these prices)

-convenient location (for me at least, as the store is a ten minute walk from my apartment)

-friendly employees

CONS:

-children (i suppose this could be a pro or a con, and i’m sure they’re not there all the time, but crying and/or loud children do pop up from time to time)

-the dressing rooms. first of all, there are only two of them, so when the store is crowded it can be tough to get in there. also, no one is really in charge of moderating the dressing rooms, so i have def been cut in line while waiting for my turn. secondly, there’s a limit of five items in a dressing room at a time. this is particularly a problem for the way i shop, since i tend to go through the racks and pull things out until my arms are literally full, then i make my way to the dressing rooms.it helps to have a shopping buddy or a very patient significant other who will hold all of your extra clothes for you. finally, there aren’t mirrors inside the dressing rooms, so you have to come out of the room and scrutinize your appearance in front of all the other shoppers.

-while most of the items are in good condition, some of there are ripped, frayed, or stained. examine closely before buying if this is a problem for you.

OVERALL:

this is definitely the best vintage store i have found in new york so far (taking into account quality and price), and i highly recommend it.

my finds:

lacoste sweater, $10

vintage dress (60s or 70s), $10

“Native Texan/Sexy Woman” dress, $10

skirt, $5