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march 9, 2005

the garment district, or you can take two three-year olds vintage shopping after all

Remember how I said I couldn't take the boys into a vintage store? Well, I was wrong. I can if it's the Garment District in Cambridge. On the first floor they have a pile (I'm talking a literal pile here) of clothes on the floor. You climb in and crawl through the pile, pulling out sweaters and blankets and god knows what, bag what you like and pay $1.50 a pound. The boys liked the pile.


can you find the boy in the pile?

And upstairs they have a huge vintage/used clothing store, complete with fun retro decorations. Happy is the three-year old boy who finds a train in the middle of mommy's clothing store.

What'd we get? Upstairs I found a lovely cashmere twinset. And out of the pile (for a total of $3!) I got a huge, soft (and blue!) cardigan that I can probably recycle the yarn from and my favorite find a fun little sweater that reminds me of Jenn's blog.

The boys got ice cream.

posted by alison at 9:00 am | in just blogging 05
Comments

Wow - that looks like a whole lot of fun!

Posted by: kerrie at March 9, 2005 9:26 AM

I have fond memories of the Garment District. In my day, we just called it "Dollar a Pound," because that's what it cost. I still have the antique wool tuxedo jacket I found there! So glad your boys are learning the joys of thrifting.

Posted by: Jennifer at March 9, 2005 9:28 AM

oh, those kids get all the fun!

Posted by: Dava at March 9, 2005 9:29 AM

Wow, that is QUITE a pile! And maybe I'm blind (or it's my monitor), but I only spot one boy in the pile!

And just one random question . . . are the clothes in the pile clean? 'Cause if not, it doesn't seem very . . . hygenic. :)

Posted by: chris at March 9, 2005 9:47 AM

Ah the Garment District. I don't think of going there enough.

Just as an aside, are your boys becoming red heads?

Posted by: Colleen at March 9, 2005 9:50 AM

I used to love that store. And, no. I couldn't find the boy in the pile. :)

Posted by: claudia at March 9, 2005 9:50 AM

I'm glad you had fun.

The pile...it makes me itchy just looking at it.

Posted by: Christy at March 9, 2005 9:51 AM

ice cream? I call that bribery *grin* looks like a great place,I'm going to value village today to see if I can score something nice! wish me luck

Posted by: cara at March 9, 2005 9:56 AM

I only made it to Dollar a Pound once while living in Boston, but I always thought it was such a neat place. I'll be interested to see what comes of your "recycleables". :)

Posted by: Cathy at March 9, 2005 9:58 AM

Ah, I remember when there used to be places like that in Manhattan. I miss them.

Posted by: mindy at March 9, 2005 10:14 AM

*eeep!*

It's like Where's Waldo all over again. I spot one boy in the pile.

Oh, nice sweater. Are you going to rip out the stripey thing to make something else, or keep it as is?

Posted by: Seanna Lea at March 9, 2005 10:20 AM

Fun! I hope you took them to Emma's for pizza too - it's right around the corner (I work near there).

Posted by: Katie at March 9, 2005 10:50 AM

That looks like fun- but I cannot, for the life of me, find a boy in the pile!

Posted by: Mary-Heather at March 9, 2005 11:21 AM

That is the coolest thing ever. I'm so want to come to Cambridge to check that out and go buck wild!

Posted by: Christie at March 9, 2005 12:00 PM

That's a great sweater, lady. It even cuter than I expected it to be. You know I love those stripes!

Posted by: Jenn at March 9, 2005 12:00 PM

I see the boy- I always love I spy! But that pile, I think I would have an anxiety attack in there! It would remind me too much of my sister's or the places they show on that discovery channel show, where they have the keep/sell/toss piles (can't think of the show). Really, Even the crowded racks at goodwill make me nervous. Show me a nice little store with plenty of space and not too much to look at! Of course, those are the places where you pay $50 for a t-shirt! So, maybe that's why I like making my own clothes?

Posted by: patti at March 9, 2005 1:32 PM

Wow, that place looks really fun! Much better than a pile o' leaves.

Posted by: Emily at March 9, 2005 1:52 PM

Oh, I miss that store! I used to live right nearby in the late 90s and spent so much time and money up on the upper (not-by-the-pound) floor. I still have many favorite vintage clothes from there and occassionally toy with the idea of flying to Boston for a weekend just to go shopping there. Hasn't happened yet but maybe if I ever get a raise...
My favorite thing I ever found there, though, was in the book section-- a library book checked out from the Harvard library and not even overdue yet. For a quarter! As an act of good karma I bought it and returned it.

Posted by: the other Emily at March 9, 2005 2:15 PM

Hint: There is only one boy to search for in the pile. You might be able to make out what sweater he's wearing in the pop-up picture of both of them standing in the pile.

Chris, I read on the website that the clothes are cleaned and things are put in the pile that don't quite make the quality cut for the vintage store upstairs. I washed mine first thing when I got them home, though. :)

I love the two sweaters I pulled out of the pile! I'm definitely not ripping the little striped one. It's soooooo small on me (totally not my size), but I love wearing it. Super tight is the style now, right? And after trying on the big, blue sweater again, I think I may keep it too. It'll be perfect for wearing over my pj's on a chilly morning.

Posted by: alison at March 9, 2005 2:47 PM

I think I'd have fun digging through the pile/playing in the pile too! You got some great deals :)

Posted by: Vicki at March 9, 2005 4:04 PM

Wow! That pile is so inviting!

Posted by: Gina at March 10, 2005 9:50 AM




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