Kabay and Vacca in NYC

[Guest]

I went on another shopping trip to NYC (actually the excuse was I had to see an old friend and his family). Because one cannot bring a dog on the train, I had to drive. After seeing my friends off I went to Kabay, one of the boutiques I had planned to see and its neighbor, Domenico Vacca, in Soho.

First: Vacca sells Stefanobi shoes for $1200+, Finnamore RTW shirts for $500 and custom for $600, and Attolini jackets/suits for $4000+. So dive in while the deals are hot!

Kabay is down the street: Finnamore shirts for $250 including alterations, Caruso suits/jackets for $1000/$600, and Campanile shoes. The owner is a French-speaking Turk. I have to say, I found him very gracious and attentive: he did not even get upset when my dog vomited on the floor! He offered to clean it (I did not let him)! He alters his clothing for nominal fees (example: working button holes for $25), and will alter sleeve length and suppress a shirt width for free. I bought 3 shirts, 2 Finnamore and 1 no-name and 1 jacket (no-name). I thought all his clothing was exquisitely chosen.

But the reason he should be especially interesting to us is that he buys his own fabrics and then has them made into his suits and jackets, with the fabric labels prominantly displayed, and the fabrics he chooses are really to our taste, nothing finer than 110's and really substantial. This is how he keeps the prices so low. All the jackets and suits had a lot of hand work (such that even I saw it) and most had ticket pockets and other little thoughtful features. There was a prince-of-wales suit that I particularly liked (I did not buy it).

A little fashion-foward, but worth a visit.

[Mark Seitelman]

Dr. B,

Thanks for the report.

I am embarrassed to say that despite being a native New Yorker I am unfamilar with any of the clothing stores in SoHo. My knowledge seems to be restricted to 44th Street going north.

BTW, Vacca has a store on Fifth Avenue next to the Sherry Netherland Hotel between 59th & 60th Streets.

On a historical note, that store was previously Geoffrey Beene's sole retail store. It was a beautiful store. The late Mr. Beene was the best female designer/maker, and my wife has some Beene suits. The store carried not only RTW but custom.

Cheers.

[Guest]

Mark, I am not sure your ignorence is a bad thing. But Kabay is an interesting boutique owned by a guy with an interesting business model and idea. Vacca next door, which also sellls Finnamore at twice the price, merely highlights the store's charm.