I was reading an article recently on the new designer, Nicholas Ghesquiere, who’s taken over the House of Balenciaga. As fashionistas know, Cristobal Balenciaga was a Spanish couturier best known for his incredible attention to cut, rather than frou-frou. All of this was on my mind when I discovered, during a recent foray to a Goodwill on Jericho Turnpike, a beautifully textured ivory woolen ladies’ coat that was a 1960s copy of a Balenciaga. To set the record straight, it was “Balenciaga-like.” The tag said Abraham and Straus, but the style was all there—for a mere $12.99. Several other status pieces were also on hand, for those with the stamina to sort through the racks.
Speaking of labels, Adele Simpson was the label on a ladylike geometric knit 1960s dress—marked at a mere $6.99, the price tag on most of the dresses here. An Aquascutum button-in camel-wool coat lining would make an interesting long vest for some brave person. Seems that Goodwill thought of this as a dress and tagged it at $6.99.
Perfect for the holidays: many velvet dresses, jumpers and blouses, from $3.99 to $6.99, including a beautiful Ann Taylor velvet top for $3.99.
Fabric 1,2,3 may not be the most exciting name for a textile store, but it is true—all the fabric here is $1, $2 or $3 a yard. I especially liked the pop-art fabrics printed with enormous gaudy logos from Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Valvoline race cars, Jose Cuervo and John Deere tractors. Warhol would’ve loved this stuff! Popsters of all ages can decorate their cribs with this wildly colorful fabric.
For those afraid of color blindness, there are cute folk-art kitties, pale green faille, holiday fabrics of snowmen and snowflakes and flame-stitch printed interior design fabrics. If I were making quilts or holiday projects, this would be my first stop, because everything is arranged by color.
While you’re here, make sure that you stop in next door at Commack Farmers’ Market. This is no ordinary veggie stand, as the name might suggest—this is one of the most extensive Asian markets this side of Queens. Fresh seafood and beef have been prepared for making your own sushi or teriyaki. There’s an entire refrigerated case of kimchi. Udon bowls and the best toothpicks are shelved next to professional cleavers, Hunan hot-pepper paste, dried taro, roasted seaweed and wasabi in a tube. My next purchase is going to be a snow-cone machine ($15.99).
Goodwill 1900 E Jericho Tpke, Huntington, 516-462-4219. Fabric 1, 2, 3 6003 Jericho Tpke, Commack, 516-499-6729. Commack Farmers’ Market 6001 Jericho Tpke, Commack, 516-499-7600.