Trash & Vaudeville

Great atmosphere– my last stop in I got to talking with Jimmy for a bit, but I also saw the big boss and his wife in. They seemed very disconnected. Jimmy, on the other hand, was completely in tune… I hope they treat him well. He GETS what this store and this lifestyle are all about.

I love this place and Jimmy is the absolute best! He is so sweet, easy to talk with and always helpful. It’s a breath of fresh air compared to most uptight boutiques in the city. It is mildly pricey but not outrageous, especially compared to most retail stores in New York. I always enjoy my experience as a customer at this awesome NYC landmark

Boutique punk et trash extra ! Extra car de super fringues (pour ceux qui aiment ce style !!) et l’accueil a été très chaleureux !! On aime les Français dans cette boutique !! Allez y !!

One of the sales people tried to persuade me that my genuine Vivienne Westwood orb (which was identical to the one they were selling for 800 dollars) was fake. The one I bought was 200 and was from Hervia when they still sold VW items.
She had no idea what she was talking about, but it was really insulting to hear her persistently just keep guessing the reason why the VW was so expensive rather than just admitting she didn’t know. In the end, she tried to say that the VW items they were selling were gold label, but they weren’t! VW is my favorite brand, I’d know if it was gold label!
Overall the store is just full of overpriced boring items. The only thing good about it was its oddities. It was a great place to bring out of towners, but that’s it.

Visited right before shuttering and it’s a damn shame, because even though I’m not the shopping type, this place is/​was dangerous.

I love this store so much! Yes the prices are too high but they’ve had a lot of good sales so I guess it makes up for it. I just stay away from the overly priced items haha I love the patches they have too.
However, the reason why I rated it four stars is because of the workers.
Jimmy is great but I had some bad encounters with some of them. I went in with my boyfriend to the top floor. Two of the workers were having a conversation about us. It was obvious because they looked at us and laughed amongst themselves.
Then we started going buying items from the top and bottom floors and I believe only one of the workers knew how to use complete a debit card transaction or maybe she was the only cashier. She seemed pretty annoyed. why would you be if we are buying from your store…
Then, while my boyfriend was trying something one I was looking at some shoes. When I wasn’t looking and he got out of the changing room, one of the employees winked at him. Really dude?

I have to preface this by saying I was absolutely stoked to go here from word of mouth and reviews and maybe because I built it up so high, I expected too much. I really, really wanted to like this place.
Ambiance: ³⁄₅ A bit more «sparse urban boutique» inside than I guessed from the outside, at least in the front rooms — not much really set it apart from any other clothing shop I’ve been to in Boston, TO, etc. The dressing room doors were pretty fun (colorful and patterned doors with a DIY aesthetic) and they had a few cool touches — the shoe room in Trash was particularly neat with a giant wire triangle shelf full of «lost soles» (shoes with no mate).
Customer Service: ³⁄₅ — not the friendliest place I’ve been in that area, not the least friendly. What I found most disconcerting was that one of the staff in Trash felt the need — or is possibly required? — to follow you into the shoe room and just stand there… awkwardly watching you while you look at things. Now, if the person said something like «I’m hanging out to see if you need me to get you anything from the back, just let me know» or was actually, you know, doing something (she occasionally made a half-​hearted effort to straighten a shoe that didn’t need straightening) it would have been fine. If she even flat out said «hey, sorry, I just have to hang out if there are people back here,» okay, fine. But she sort of just… lingered in a corner. Like I was going to jam a whole pair of boots down my bra.
The younger dude who worked there was friendly and «The Watcher» was nice enough when I eventually asked for some things from the back (though I got a bit of an eyeroll from both of them when I didn’t immediately realize the Docs were only in UK sizes — none of mine are strictly in UK sizes nor are they at other shoe stores I go to, so I guess kudos to them for having made in UK ones?).
The girl upstairs in Vaudeville was very «I’m too cool to even speak to you but I need to make a paycheck so I’ll do it begrudgingly.» I suppose some people like that in their alt shop. I find it sad and cliché, particularly when she was probably around 30. Yes, you look like a tattooed Betty Page. Like a million other girls on Tumblr. Moving on…
They also have signs everywhere that say don’t take pictures, but there are literally thousands of pictures of this place online, including some in articles where the owners clearly collaborated with the writer… The cat is out of the bag, folks.
Clothes & Accessories: ³⁄₅ If you’ve never heard of the internet and aren’t familiar with a lot of common alternative brands, I’m sure this place would rate a little higher. But honestly, after all the hype about this being a famous alternative store that has been around for 30+ years in Manhattan of all places I was nonplussed about the wares. I expected a bit more unique of an experience than the same old Tripp clothes, the same Kreepsville 666 hair clips and rings, the same couple of styles of bracelets. It is mostly brands that I know wholesale cheaply, several of whom I can buy from a brick’n’mortar in little old Buffalo. They did have a few more unique and expensive pieces of jewelry in a case but I kept asking myself, between those and the «pre sleeves-​cut off obligatory punk tshirts» in Vaudeville, is this what alternative/​punk fashion is now? Overpriced, ready made «cool»? Meh. I’m old I guess.
Shoes: ⁵⁄₅ I felt this was the area Trash really succeeded. They had a *wide* selection of shoes from classic alt, newer and higher quality brands, similar to what I would find at Shoe Fly (Buffalo) but with a more punk leaning. What set them apart is unlike 99% of the places that sell Docs, including every actual Doc Martens store I’ve been in, they actually had sales. Loads of Docs for a fraction of the original price in all styles and colors, as well as a variety of other brands on sale like Underground and TUK. While I sadly left empty handed as I wear a very common shoe size, anyone around a 5 – 6 or 9+ could easily score a fantastic pair of really quality boots cheaply. They even had New Rocks on sale!!! *swoon*
Overall: I expected local brands, vintage punk stuff (a few hipster-​chic vintage looking dresses in a middle rack all had modern clothing tags), maybe some DIY’ed things *not* from a factory in Singapore, just an overall wider variety of merchandise. Instead I got basically a much fancier circa 1990’s Hot Topic along with the listless early 20somethings to match. I guess I’d say good for a visit, especially if you are from an area like me that doesn’t have anything like this anymore (since Second Skin and Psychostatic are well out of business) and of course it is always better to buy from a local, brick’n’mortar that keeps more money in the community and «keeps the scene alive» (cheesy I know) than off the internet but… meh…just meh.
I would *not* try to park here, but that’s just me. It’s an easy subway ride from points north.

This place is preeeeetty cool, especially if you’re into that goth/​punk rocker/​grunge look. They have a good selection of Docs and also stripper shoes… and cat shoes. There is an upstairs and a downstairs and the prices are pretty reasonable. I always like to stop by here when I’m down at St. Mark’s Place just to take a peek at what they have. Good place to stop in during a shopping trip!

The real deal! Take a vintage punk/​metal store and flash forward to 2015. It’s still the same. Prices are great and staff loves what they do and are super helpful! If you’re not into punk at least drop by for a trip back to the late 70’s/early 80s.

I’ve been going to this place since I was a young teenager. It’s the premier spot for punk clothing in New York City. The guy that runs it is suuuuuper nice and awesome and punk! It’s a bit overpriced though. Tripp clothes are low quality to me but it’s a great brand for beginners.

Great selection of really cool clothes. Rock and roll vibe with friendly staff. Jimmy is great. Prices are a little higher then what you would pay online, but no shipping or tax and then you have the luxury to try it on. Every time I go in trash n vaudeville I get time warped back my punk rock teenage years. Lol.

Loved this place– since I am a «Rockstar» I was able to find amazing clothes at surprising prices… Can’t wait to go back!

I have been coming to Trash and Vaudeville since i was in high school in the mid nineties. It is so amazing to be able to go to the same store for 20 years, and know that they will have just what you need.
I almost always just buy shoes from T&V. They always have a great selection of Doc Martens, authentic creepers, and heels that I love to look at but would never wear. The first pair of Docs that I ever bought with my own money came from T&V in 1994; I just bought two more pairs today.
My only problem with them is that their sales aren’t always consistent, and with the exception of Jimmy, the employees are a bit too cool for school for me (but that just be the Midwesterner in me talking).

Although I was a child in the late 1970s, the ethos of that era in the city is alive and well at this 2-​story clothing and accessory extravaganza. A huge selection of fun, rock-​n-​roll stuff, and the prices are fair. I got a cool t-​shirt on sale for $ 14.
The appropriately attired guy working there (Jimmy, as I learned from reading other posts here) was super cool and friendly, stooping down to hand my 2 ½ year old son a couple of complementary dinosaur and robot pins. It was a touching scene that I will always remember.
The coolest store I have been to in New York.

This place serves the inner punk rock goddess that lives deep down in me. While I’m not completely bold enough to wear some of these items, I do feel there are some great finds for someone who is into fashion.
While everyone is exclaiming that this store is overpriced, to me, it really is the same price point of most other apparel stores.
I got a pair of black and white pokadot jeans here. They were on sale, maybe $ 20. I will admit, they aren’t the best quality. One wash faded the black dye considerably and the seams started to rip pretty quickly.
I’d say check this spot out in the area — if anything — for some cool punk inspiration or something new.

I was (wrongly) under the impression that this was a punk clothing shop — what it should be called is the Daang Goodman TRIPP store, because that’s virtually all they sell! Every pair of pants. Every skirt. Every dress. Every jacket. TRIPP brand, and at full retail price. Even the «sale» rack didn’t bring down the prices much.
They did have a few fairly priced punk t-​shirts, and one of the employees was very friendly.

John Varvatos cries himself to sleep every night because he’ll never be as cool as Jimmy at Trash and Vaudeville.
You can easily drop a few hundred on some wicked rags, but the sale rack is always stocked and good deals can always be found. My favorite featured label is Tripp NYC, but I’ve bought everything from an adorable Bettie-​Page-​esque dress with tiny skulls, to ripped up jeans that get better with every wear — 3 years in and it’s like they were made for me — to a skull tote bag, skull umbrella, and rad stompy boots.
But they’re not just into the «rock & roll lifestyle». They’re actually into equipping real bands — when I bring a flyer for one of my band’s upcoming gigs, I get 20% off! Bless.

I have a pair of zipper suspenders from Trash & Vaudeville; I got them so long ago I need to repair the elastic now.
I went in yesterday and browsed around the lower level – read «basement” – and yeah, although things here are pretty spendy, I got a $ 3.00 pair of fishnet thigh-​his here. Normally I get most of my hosiery from The Sock Man down the block, but I was excited to find something so cheap here.
Okay, so they’re overpriced here, but they’re self-​conscious about it; even have their own label. Yeah, they’re overblown, but there’s something satisfying about telling people, «I got it at Trash & Vaudeville.»

Cool shop to score some quality vintage and punk gear but be prepared to pay!
Along with Search & Destroy this is the other shop on St Marks Place to peruse the racks for vintage and unique clothing, punk and otherwise. As with that other store the racks and shelves are crammed full with all types of merchandise from leather jackets, to graphic t’s, to footwear among others. Items range from brand new, gently used, to beaten up, to «ewwww, I don’t even want that touching my skin».
They do have a big selection of Doc Martins if the boot style is to your liking. Lots of footwear actually. Good amount of stuff here for the pseudo-​punker-​rocker to accessorize. Situated over two levels one can find vintage and used clothing on the bottom and newer brands on the top. When in here recently I saw some leather jackets I wanted but with the warm weather coming up I declined to buy. Check out their online store too as it seems to carry a lot along with an «items on sale» page.
There are plenty of ways here to pull off the look you are aiming for whether it be goth, metal or punk. Just be prepared to hand over some decent cash as prices are a bit on the cray side!

Tight leather pants — Check
Camouflage canvas pants — Check
Tons of leather jackets (hope they are faux) — Check
Corsets of all kinds — Check
Hello Kitty bags — Check
Ballet tutu skirts — Check
Colourful everything — Check
Definitely not your run-​of-​the-​mill clothing store. Very cool, unique pieces. Pull off your Mad Max look. Pull off your NIN look. Pull off your Hello Kitty look. All here, babes!

Overpriced. SEVERELY overpriced for punk clothing. Feels like a trick against the affluent; wasn’t punk clothing originally affordable?
However, I do remember going here years back & seeing a gentleman who might be the owner or just a high ranking employee not give a hoot about some woman who claimed she worked at Vogue (I believe this is what she said) trying to get a discount b/​c of it. That rocked & I remember being happy that this guy wasn’t having it. I like seeing that kind of integrity.