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March 23, 2006
The Garment District is a Store
And it’s a way of life
by: Angela Gaimari
“You’re never going to get the job,” I was reality-checked by my sometimes-cynical best friend. After all, the kids who work at the Garment District were always the coolest – with wild, daring style, and a radiating vibe of camaraderie. They were this super-cool posse – the clique you wish existed at your suburban high school, but didn’t.
I thought my interview went pretty well. My carefully-planned job interview outfit consisted of a florescent pink Cramps t-shirt, a leopard-print mini, and a pound-and-a-half of accessories. I worked at a dumpy Salvation Army in Wilmington the summer before college so that the GD would hire me when I moved to Boston for school. I got a call later that afternoon that they wanted me to work at the store and I let out a shriek of excitement.
I always worked Saturdays and was usually tired from the night before. Once I got to work, I would wake right up. There was great music playing (Johnny Thunders, Etta James, B52’s), lots of Boston rock gossip to catch up on, new clothes to be searched through and tried on, and always great people watching.
Another great thing about working (and shopping) there was that you could show up looking and feeling one way, and leave a completely different person. There are endless ways to reinvent yourself while retaining your own personal sense of style. The store has always been a safe and supportive environment to try on new personae and get creative. There are no rules: a box full of weird hats, a bin of billowy Technicolor silky scarves that can be tied into turbans, belts, skirts, or headbands, the costume section where children’s cowboy and fairy Halloween getups are often appropriated to inventive outerwear, and of course, racks and racks of clothes from eras bygone and revered, some gorgeous and some gorgeously ridiculous. I’ve taken that carefree and eccentric fashion aesthetic and carried it with me everywhere I go.
I work in fashion now, as a journalist in New York, and while people in the fashion industry muse over big designers’ DIY looks with “retro,” “rock ‘n’ roll” and “punk” influences – leather jackets pre-adorned with studs and pins going for thousands of dollars, silk-screened rock tee shirts on Olsen twins, fishnet stockings and skulls on heiresses, I always have to laugh. For those of us who’ve been picking that stuff off the GD’s racks and putting together on our own since our early teens, and sometimes getting flack for it from the outside world, seeing it now in magazine spreads seems rather surreal. And let’s not even dip into the 80’s new wave revival, the mod 60’s look that made Marc Jacobs a household name, the Almost Famous boho resurgence that
gave Sienna Miller her fashion-icon status or the rockabilly cherries and gingham thing that comes back every summer – the GD has been there and done that, and mainstream fashion always seems to follow suit months or years later.
And for those who refute the significance of fashion, see how it draws people together: cultures and subcultures often identify themselves with similar clothing, strangers stop one another on the street to compliment each other on it, people pore over issues of fashion magazines for inspiration and beauty, and we shop together as a form of quality-time with each other. The Garment District represents all of that in it’s purest form. It’s a place where people come together to find themselves and to have a good time with their friends all the while.
The world – of fashion and otherwise – needs more welcoming environments and innovative places where trends are born like the Garment District. Of course it’s lasted 20 years – and for the sake of young, vibrant fashion – here’s to 20 more.
March 15, 2006
20th Birthday Party
Dear Customers and Friends,
Please join us on Saturday to celebrate The Garment District's 20th birthday!
Believe it or not, 20 years ago, in March 1986, The Garment District opened on the second floor of 200 Broadway in Cambridge. We are celebrating with a birthday party this Saturday, March 18th. Starting at 9 a.m. we will have FREE bagels and coffee for everyone who drops by (while supplies last). We will also a gift card raffle and in the early afternoon we will have birthday cake.
It may be cheesy to say - but we wouldn't have been here for the last 20 years if it wasn't for you - so please join us so that we can share our gratitude and snacks, and prizes.
Of course, there is no obligation to shop - but you might not be able to resist the temptation. We are just back from two major buying trips and some of the new merchandise is already here, and it's great stuff. Just in this week are new t-shirts, hats, bags and much more for spring, which is hopefully just around the corner. We have used cowboy boots just in from Texas. And, our 60s, 70s and vintage stock is particularly good right now -- especially an incredible lot of 60s clothing, some with the original tags still attached.
This year is particularly special to us -- in addition to our 20th birthday, we were able to purchase our home at 200 Broadway. This will enable us to continue providing you with the best new and used clothing, shoes, accessories and more for at least another 20 years. Thank you so much for being part of our success.
So, please, come celebrate with us on Saturday, March 18th. It won't be a party without you!
-chris
