Shopboy is now open in the West Village at 102 Christopher Street in partnership with Rag & Bone!
Our West Village location will be an extension of Shopboy Tribeca, bringing the best alterations and repairs to more men and women in New York City. While we are located in Rag & Bone, we are open for services on garments from any and all brands.
Shopboy West Village is appointment only. Book here.
With our growing reputation as the best tailor shop in NYC, as well as our long list of clients who have temporarily left the city, we bring you exciting news…
You can now ship us garments in need of alterations and repairs from anywhere! Basically, you mark your garments, ship them to us, we work our magic and then ship them back! Sounds simple enough, right? Well, yes, it is!
Scroll down for the best way to mark your garments, and when you’re ready to ship, email us at ciao@shopboyny.com for shipping and payment details. Happy marking!
Hem / Shorten Your Garment
Simply take a safety pin, fold the garment to the length you’d like, and pin the length with a safety pin. This can be done with anything you want shortened; denim, pants, dresses, sleeves, etc.
If it is a denim hem, please let us know if you would like to keep the original hem.
Take the Waist In
With the pants on, pinch the amount you would like to take in. Give a partner two safety pins, and have them place one pin on each side of the amount you have pinched. If the pants have a lot of fabric that needs to be taken in at the waist, refer to the next picture for instructions.
Take the Waist and the Seat
Give your partner three safety pins if the pants are extra big in the waist. Have them pinch the fabric up until the pants are fitted at your seat. Place one safety pin horizontally at the base.
Repairs
For anything in need of repairs, simply let us know what you’re sending in your email and we’ll know what to do!
A Note from our Founder, Desmond Brooks, on Celebrating Black History Month
As I take the time to reflect on black history, what it means to me, to my family, to my community, I am overwhelmed by a sense of pride.
Pride in my ancestors, who endured pain and suffering with the hope of creating a better society for the next generations.
Pride in myself, for believing I could do what I dreamed of. It's not lost on me how privileged I am as a person of color to call myself an entrepreneur, while also being able to spend my days doing something I love.
Pride in other black entrepreneurs, who are also carrying the responsibility of inspiring the next generation of black entrepreneurs.
And pride in what we have built at Shopboy.
Thank you to all of the people who have inspired us to start this business, to those who believed in our vision and to the community of clients who have helped turn it into what it is today. May we all continue to work toward a brighter future for all.
Sincerely,
Desmond
An Interview With Desmond
What black figures in your life inspired you to create Shopboy?
You often hear Pharrell Williams say, "You can do it too," and I took those words to heart growing up. The way he moves effortlessly between fashion, art, music and design resonated with me from a young age. It helped me remove those boundaries you create for yourself, often brought on by society's expectations of you. Pharrell's confidence inspired me to believe that I could start a company in the most competitive market in the world because I was staying true to myself and what I believed in.
Carl Louisville, my first manager at Prada, now runs a successful boutique in LA called Carl's Atelier. Carl inspired me by carrying himself in a way that commanded respect. He was the only black general manager on Rodeo Drive at the time, and he took tremendous pride in representing the best version of himself everyday and treating each customer as if they were the most important person in the world.
Carl gave me my first job in luxury and taught me that a luxury good is nothing without a luxury experience. Under his tutelage, I developed a great sense of pride in what I do and how I treat people, no matter if it's the client spending $100,000 or $10. It's this philosophy that we have applied with our own clients at Shopboy.
We are so excited to announce that we will be opening Shopboy West Village on March 3, 2021 at 102 Christopher Street!
In partnership with Rag & Bone, our second location will serve to offer the best alterations and repairs for all of NYC, including both Rag & Bone’s customers as well as our own clients.
Help us spread the word to all your friends in the West Village and around NYC. We can’t wait to see you all there!
We all know that alterations can change an entire look. But what if the look is supposed to be oversized? What if, like the utility jumpsuit we're seeing constantly at Shopboy, the garment is meant to be full through the legs and low in the crotch? Is it possible to achieve both a tailored look and to maintain the integrity of the design?
Great news: Yes, it's possible! With just a few alterations, this perfect fall garment can go from feeling like a bag to a well-tailored, but stylish, piece.
Here's how. Start by taking in the seat and the thighs. Contrary to what you may think, this alteration will not make the legs or butt look fitted, but will simply remove excess fabric.
Also, if the crotch sits too low, the body feels too long or the waist just doesn't sit right, consider shortening the body. While this alteration will not change the intended design, it can make the piece look like it was made just for you. After all, once it's been tailored at Shopboy, it practically is!
Sometimes all we need is a little imagination to make a garment come to life. This piece, which started as a vintage, oversized dress, has now been transformed into a beautiful two-piece set.
Pictured here is the dress prior to alterations. The client, who came into Shopboy with this idea of creating a set, saw all the potential in the fabric and pattern of this vintage dress, but wanted to modernize the fit into something she’s excited to wear.
Now, from this one dress, the client has three new pieces: the set, and both the shirt and the skirt which can be worn as separates!
Whether you’re shopping for vintage, shopping online or going through your own wardrobe, feel free to get creative! Alterations allow us all to re-imagine our wardrobe and make each piece exactly as we want it.
