Speakeasys have been en vogue in the restaurant and bar scene for some time now with unmarked locations, secret entrances and lots of buzz, but what about a secret vintage shopping spot? Shareen Vintage, which set up shop in the second floor apartment of an unassuming building on West 17th Street is the fashion equivalent to the speakeasy scene.
The building is unmarked save for a lone red dress hanging from the fire escape and the shop is largely unadvertised, only known about through word of mouth.

Calling Shareen Vintage a shop may even be a bit of an overstatement. The apartment is set up as exactly that—a living space with couches, a fireplace and even a kitchen in the back complete with a coffee maker and bottles of wine to serve to thirsty shoppers. Lining the apartment are racks and racks of vintage, dresses in one room, designer pieces in another, a table spread out with belts and clutches and even a lingerie closet filled with slips and scarves. The best part is the average price point, hovering around $50 for most pieces and creeping higher for specialty items like designer and fur, though not much tops $100.

Owner Shareen Mitchell is well known in the fashion scene for her massive warehouse in Los Angeles where she sells vintage for the same famously low prices. Since opening up shop in New York this past May, hours are still limited, though Shareen has recently extended them to weekends from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Wednesday and Thursday nights from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. There are currently no plans to move the shop into a more formal store space nor to advertise. In fact, customers have protested any additional promotion of Shareen Vintage, since part of allure of the store is feeling like you’ve been let in on a special shopping secret.

Shareen Vintage
13 W. 17th St., 2nd floor
212-206-1644
www.shareenvintage.com