Spark Pretty — Local services in New York

The inventory is amazing and quite diverse but the owner/associate is hostile and made me feel extremely uncomfortable.

1. As of 12/19/21, there is no mirror in the fitting room, which forces you to try on clothes that may or may not fit well in front of complete strangers. I made an offhanded comment to my friend about this, and the owner/associate chimed in that the wall wasn't smooth, so a mirror couldn't be mounted. And by chimed in, I mean, in a confrontational tone, saying "you might notice the wall isn't smooth, so...etc. etc." I sincerely doubt some semblance of mirror can't be hung on a wall with edges and grooves. Not to mention, I wasn't even talking to her.

2. At one point, my friend forgot to take her hanger out of the fitting room, and the owner/associate made a comment about how if you don't bring out all the hangers, it makes her think something was stolen. The best part of this is that my friend put her backpack outside of the fitting room initially to make it clear she wasn't stealing. However, the backpack was blocking the back door so she asked my friend to move it (that made sense, but why over-explain/bring up theft at all). Her manner of explaining and her tone made the whole thing so aggressive and awkward.

Something similar happened when I took my mask off to change and went outside the fitting room to look in the mirror. She told me to put it on and went into this long soapbox speech about how she's here all day, etc. etc. I simply forgot to put it back on as I moved from the fitting room to the mirror - telling me to wear it would've sufficed without the histrionics. I am just as concerned about the virus as she is.

3. I feel like the owner/associate was looking over my shoulder the entire time. I don't think it was a race thing, as my friend is lily white, but who knows.

I just wanted some 80's clothes, since I go to 80's cover concerts every month, and I got this lovely experience instead. Perhaps she is used to dealing with rude Hollywood types, as the website says they sometimes provide clothing for shows. Her energy certainly matches those types.

Go to Hamlet's...

I absolutely love the fact that this store is back on the block! What started out as a pop up shop in the East Village is now here to stay :) The girls, the clothes and the overall vibe makes Spark Pretty so special! Imagine yourself going into a teenager's bedroom in the 90's where movie posters are plastered all over the walls, vintage Rock n Roll tees hang with Lisa Frank jackets and wild and crazy neon colors and patterns dominate the scene at Spark Pretty! I am so happy to see this store thrive in these times where retail is losing the battle to online shopping. This store provides a very unique shopping experience and is what New York City needs; It is like stepping into a time machine and escaping this crazy world we live in right now :) Fun, vibrant and fierce is what we all need and get from Spark Pretty! Check them out!! Congrats and long live Spark...

Spark Pretty is my absolute favorite vintage store right now. Their selection, pricing, and exceptionally friendly staff are unmatched... trust me, I’ve done the legwork.

They’re always well-stocked, but never overstuffed to the point where you can’t move hangers to browse - one of my huge pet peeves about most vintage stores.

I regularly travel over 40 minutes each way just to check out their ever-changing inventory. Amanda is always adding killer new pieces!

My two favorite tees are from here - RARE finds that didn’t break the bank. I’m so grateful that Amanda has made vintage accessible price-wise, too!

As if that wasn’t enough, their adorable shop pup Beverly the French Bulldog, is the sweetest, snuggliest little nugget. She will steal your heart and probably a kiss too.

Honestly, I would live there if they let me....