It’s fitting that Zachary’s Smile sounds like the name for an uppity children’s boutique; that $98 is a ludicrous amount to pay for old, scuffed boots should be obvious to even the most elementary of thrifters. It’s simply a stupid purchase. Unfortunately, Manhattan folk frequently associate cost with quality; if Zachary’s Smile’s abundance of brandless boots cost what they should (i.e. $20 bucks a pair MAX, based on gnarled heelage and extensive bruising) those who could afford to recoil in disgust undoubtedly would.
I’m puzzled as to why Yelpers Split Hairs over this store, but at least one gal knew what she was talking about. Aunt T. wrote:
Stained vintage dresses from the 80′s for $180? Clearly these prices cater only to NYC millionaires/hipsters who don’t know any better. They don’t specialize in designer vintage, or good quality vintage, or vintage not made of faded polyester, but they do pretty well charging exorbitant amounts for stuff that you could also purchase at, you know, Savers or something. Just because it’s from 20 years ago and 80′s secretary dresses are “in” doesn’t mean it’s also worth lots of money.Amen to that. (And what is this Savers of which Aunt T. speaks? I’m intrigued).
Zachary’s Smile’s in-house line re-makes and remodels new clothing from old material; not an altogether awful idea, environmentally-speaking. Alas, the $55 Disney Disaster of a Sweatshirt pictured suggests they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing.
What, exactly, makes this study in purple poo worth $55? Because they slapped together some old material and threw on some buttons? Bitch please. I could do that shit with fabric glue.
Stores like Zachary’s Smile use the term Vintage as an excuse to ignore this cold, hard fact: Previously worn clothes are worth less than their shiny, new and tagged counterparts. Even if an item looks new to the naked eye, the fact that its gone through a dryer cycle or two devalues its initial cost. NBD, because you’re getting it for a hell of a lot less than its retail price – that’s the trade-off.
Vintage is, heretofore, an unnatural affront to the laws of secondhand shopping. You want to look like you stepped out of a time machine, fine. You want to envelop yourself in a sea of printed polyester and scratchy wool, that’s your journey. You want to pay upwards of $200 per piece to do so? Get the EFF OFF MY BLOG. You probably bought that funky dress to wear to a party where another chick in another funky dress will inevitably fake-compliment you and ask Who makes that? so you could reply, with feigned nonchalance, This? Oh, it’s Vintage. What you’re wearing might be one of a kind, but it doesn’t make you original. It just makes you a floozy who got ripped off buying old clothes.
Let’s play soccer, and call this one a Red Card. Game Off.
Up Next: Andy’s Chee-Pees, who’s already advertising for Halloween. I feel a Boo coming on.
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I feel like this store should be called “Zachary’s Shit-Eating Grin” instead..
Cheap Jap, thanks for calling out the overpriced fugliness that is Zachary’s Smile. While visting NYC this summer, I paid a visit to the store as my friend raved about it and was appalled to find reconstructed vintage clothes at such exorbitant prices.
P.S. Your MJ top is amazing!
Savers, as far as I know, only locally exists on Long Island. It’s a huge thrift store, complete with more than just clothes&shoes. My friends used to go there to enhance their collection of ‘yes, I really did get this in a thrift store’ t-shirts back when they were emo kids.
Savers is a chain of thrift stores; similar to Goodwill. I’ve only seen it when I visit family in Orlando though.
I LOVE Savers! I live in Texas, and there are 2 Savers here in Austin, and a few more splashed around the state. Their website looks like they are erratically strewn all over…
The quality of items is hit-or-miss, like Goodwill, but items are better organized, smell nicer, and less likely to have holes/stains. The harsh fluorescent lights allow you to catch any flaws better than dimly lit GWs, too.
The best part? CHEAP. Almost as cheap as Salvation Army, but the aforementioned bonuses make trips to Savers much more pleasant. One thing, though, is that whomever does the pricing doesn’t know the difference from Target and boutique labels. Ie, low-end stuff is overpriced, and high-end items are steals. It’s only worth it if you dig (which everyone on here does, right?)
Just found your blog- I love it!
I am also based in NYC and am a thrifting fool – do you hit up the housingworks warehouse sale ever? $20 paper bags you fill with heaps of designer clothes?