This week, an old sign popped out as workers rehabilitated a building at 376 Amsterdam Avenue, between 77th and 78th streets. Rue St. Denis is a funky clothing store that opened on the Upper West Side in 1990, but left for Alphabet City just three years later.
Named for Paris’ old red-light district, it sells vintage clothes, including men’s suits from the 60’s and 70’s. Says New York magazine:
“The shop’s no-nonsense, floor-to-ceiling collection of mostly unworn clothing, shoes, and accessories from the forties to the eighties—culled from “dead stock” storage warehouses around the world—offers laundered (and often refurbished) merchandise for men and women. The shop is known for its wide assortment of polyester shirts, cocktail dresses, leather motorcycle jackets, and women’s coats, but the hottest ticket is their back-room collection of men’s suits—sixties skinny suits, polyester leisure suits, three-piece classics—all unworn, and made even more attractive with in-store alteration services.”
Check out what was revealed when H&H Bagels was torn down last year.
Thanks to Terry Rosen for the photo.
Thanks for this! I just walked by there this morning and was wondering what it was!
rue st. denis!! I love that this sign was discovered. I shopped there in high school — great pair of brown bell bottoms for pretty cheap. it was definitely on the uws as late as 1997, although I thought it was located where ‘More and More Antiques’ is now.