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Hootenanny

3.5 star rating
based on 58 reviews

Categories: Shoe Stores, Men's Clothing, Women's Clothing  [Edit]

Neighborhood: Harvard Square
36 Jfk St
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 864-6623
  • Nearest Transit:

    Harvard (Red)

  • Price Range: $$
  • Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
  • Parking: Street
  • Wheelchair Accessible: Yes

58 Reviews for Hootenanny

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Photo of Melissa M.

Elite '08

172

334

Melissa M.

Allston, MA

4 star rating
07/04/2008

I go here to kill some time during my hour lunch break.  Sometimes my break flies by, other times, I end up walking the square.  Hootenanny is a cute somewhat flirty emo store.  I've never actually purchased anything, but my tastes are more relaxed.  I do think they have cute things and accessories.  I suggest checking it out when in the square but I wouldn't necessarily visit it if it wasn't so close.  Their staff is always so friendly to me and they look like hot stuff, so it makes me feel good to think that I'm cool.  Maybe I'm not, but they make me feel that I am, so that gives Hootenanny four stars!

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Photo of Jocelyn C.

Elite '08

99

200

Jocelyn C.

Cambridge, MA

3 star rating
07/02/2008

I come in here a lot, not because I love their selection of raver/goth clothing or because I'm somehow lacking in Paul Frank accessories, but because it's just fun to browse around. Sometimes, in my random browsing, I'll actually find a cool t-shirt or pair of jeans to purchase, but I usually come in, look around and walk out.

I only actually plan to hit this place up when I'm shopping for shoes. I have a problem with most shoes (in that I just don't like a lot of them) and am super picky about what I put on my feet (hence why I usually rock the chucks). Hootenanny has a good selection of flats (Vans, Sugar, Punkrose, the list goes on...), and *BONUS* they usually have my size! In the shoes that I pick out! FORREALS.

This makes me a happy gal. :)

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Elite '08

123

468

Amanda H.

Brighton, MA

3 star rating
06/21/2008

Hootenanny is NOT even CLOSE to being a Hot Topic.  Hot Topic makes me vomit.  Hootenanny, doesn't.

While it's mainly not my general scene, I did score a hot sequined dress for the Yelp Prom that was on sale, so I was extremely happy.  They have a great assortment of stuff, tons of different leggings, tights, and multi-colored shoelaces.  They also have various sale items throughout the store.  

The staff was really nice to me, and offered to check the price of the dress I got because that one was marked $10.00 more than the rest.  Also the guys were really nice when my sneakers that I bought from Dorothy's made the alarm go off because they didn't take off the sensors.

In all reality, the prices are fair, I guess I'm the only one that didn't think the stuff was too expensive, I mean, I've certainly seen worse.  I'm thinking of a pair of shoelaces and a belt that I found there to add to my Yelp Prom ensemble.  Will update if I purchase...

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Photo of kim t.

 

9

28

kim t.

Boston, MA

4 star rating
06/22/2008

I like this store in Harvard Square. I bought two cute t shirts and a cheap bag. The girl who help me was very nice too. They have things like clothes for the girls and the boys and fun things like socks and shower curtains and creams and lotions too. The store is easy to miss because it is not on the esclator but you have to walk up a ramp. Go check it out.

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Photo of Cara P.

Elite '08

147

289

Cara P.

Cambridge, MA

1 star rating
05/28/2008

Screw that!

A Half marsha brady, half slutty sailor girl shirt for $90!? That I almost bought? I don't think so. FUUUUUCK That!

Not only was I being watched like a hawk (Probably because I looked like a hobo after the walk for hunger) but there was too many skater kids just browsing around.

Verdict? Not impressed.  One star to warn suckers like me, to keep walking! no ...seriously.

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Elite '08

43

165

Jake M.

Somerville, MA

3 star rating
05/23/2008

We had this great plan for Halloween, 03 or 04, can't remember. The then GF and I were going to put on our best candy cane duds and go out as Jack and Meg - yeah, nothing original there, except here's the peppermint twist. We were going to load up a Radio Flyer with a crappy old Sears amp and a generator, I was going to sling up my vintage Valco Airline JB Hutto and the GF was going to push around a junky bare bones drum kit in a grocery cart (no matter that she couldn't play drums - Meg can't either). Instead of trick or treating, we were going to go door to door and serenade folks with Stripes songs and Blind Willie McTell covers. It was going to be great.

All I needed was some fire engine red Dickies pants. After a search high and low, Hootenanny came through like spades at the 11th hour.

Too bad the GF and I had a big fight the day of and the plan was scrapped. Probably for the best, since we hadn't rehearsed at all, and didn't actually have a Radio Flyer, or a drum kit, or a generator. The red Dickies though - they are very real.

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Elite '08

42

132

Peter G.

Boston, MA

3 star rating
05/23/2008

"Hip" urban fashion for the suburban kids who think hanging out in Harvard Square makes them hardcore. This place is overwhelmingly stupid faux-hardcore crap that will annoy anyone actually in a scene or any person over the age of 22.

While comparisons to Hot Topic are easy to make this place is so much better.  First off, it's not owned by the Gap. Second of all it actually carries a very small collection of classic English labels like Fred Perry and Ben Sherman. Those two labels are criminally difficult to find in this city.

There are great gems hidden among the crap, but overwhelmingly it serves the lowest common denominator with typical staples of faux teenage rebellion.

I miss the days when the kids on the slab would raid the suburban pit-rat wannabees.  With a cone of Herrell's ice cream in hand there was no greater entertainment. Sigh.

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Photo of Chere P.

Elite '08

177

124

Chere P.

Boston, MA

1 star rating
05/11/2008

Ever been to Hot Topic?

Yeah, exactly.

I did like one hat in there, but my story is that I was delirious from the Walk for Hunger and at the time not accountable for any purchases.
Which ofcourse I didn't make.  Thankfully.

I wasn't overly impressed, just kind of reminded me of Hot Topics overly priced franternal twin.

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Photo of Bridget C.

 

6

12

Bridget C.

Medford, MA

4 star rating
06/09/2008

Ok I see a lot of negative reviews here and I am a little surprised!!! I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! Now granted I could probably get a tokidoki shirt cheaper if I bid on it for like a week on ebay BUT I dont know if its a real tokidoki or knockoff AND I would only save like maybe 10 bucks! Which after shipping costs might be like 2 bucks! SO I go here and buy! I do wish there toddler clothes had more choices BUT they have even improved on that! What used to be one lil table is now a small corner of the store! I get my daughter all her vans sneakers there! I really love it! Some of the stuff is pricey but dont blame the store blame the company! Tokidoki is pricey period! Same with Ben Sherman! Also I have NEVER had an issue with the staff!!! They have always been mad cool with me!  So in the end if you dont like the prices its most likely the label not the store! And then maybe you should be shopping in hot topic because they have cheap labels! So far this is the only store I have found that sells tokidoki! I LOVE HOOTENANNY!!!!!

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Photo of Anna W.

 

4

45

Anna W.

Chelsea, MA

3 star rating
05/11/2008

Weird little store. They have a mix of almost everything.

Great place to get a pair of shoes if you're a stripper. Or if you like converse.

The sale section is hit-or-miss. I've gotten some cool T-shirts there before, but I've also seen grossly overpriced items.

They are a decent place to get Halloween costumes. Good variety. A tad overpriced, but what do you expect when you're Halloween costume shopping during Halloween? They are GREAT for Halloween accessories though, especially if you plan on being slutty (insert some random occupation or fairy tale character here).

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Photo of Kate B.

 

0

3

Kate B.

Beverly Hills, CA

1 star rating
05/14/2008

The staff was rude, the prices were way too expensive.  I hated the store.  I was gonna buy some boots but when they took my friends purse away, then grabbed the boots from me (because we have nothing better to do in our late 20's but steal) then let a girl into a change room with a bookbag, I realized it wasn't company policy.  And the music was getting on my last nerve.
I won't go back.

I'm not in California, the sight wouldn't accept my postal code.

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Photo of Vanessa C.

Elite '08

60

101

Vanessa C.

Jamaica Plain, MA

4 star rating
05/23/2008

yeah I am probably way too old for this shit, but whatever. this place is one of my few guilty pleasures for shopping in boston.

their stuff is overpriced, yes, but not as bad as urban outfitters & you can catch some really great sales. I dont find myself buying much here but its great for gifts & I'll admit, it is a very fun place to browse if you do not intend to buy anything. got an hour to kill in harvard before a movie at the brattle? come here to go through racks of kitschy t-shirts, bags, hats, stockings and other accessories. also for the ladies: great sale shoes here!

also worth mentioning is the service. despite the fact that I clearly stand out as un-hip yeah Im a total square I know... the employees here have always been surprisingly friendly and helpful. I think thats one of the main reasons why I keep coming back - very welcoming & fun overall.

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Photo of Yihwa H.

Elite '08

275

811

Yihwa H.

Boston, MA

3 star rating
04/10/2008

I feel I'm in the minority when I say that Hootenanny, while cool, is just not *that* great and is somewhat overrated.  Yes, there's a bunch of 'cool, unique' stuff in here, and it seems like a great go-to store for people are looking for the less-commercial la-di-dah type of brands/clothing.  And yes, I've found one or two pretty cool things in here.  But generally, I tend to walk away feeling like I've done a bunch of looking but nothing clutched in my happy little arms, since I never really want something enough to buy it from here. Oh well.

They do have some cool jeans, a few cool printed tees (though some are just too predictable or 'eh'), and some cool shoes. If you're into tartan or pvc, they have a pretty good selection of stuff available here.  During Halloween (or for pretty much any dress-up occasion, but pre-Halloween gets the most stock), this place is a great stop for costumes, accessories and effects. Not only can you find cool pieces for creative, fun costumes here then, but you can also find the "naughty profession" outfit of pretty much anything you can think of.

For the quality of a bunch of their stuff, sometimes I feel like its overpriced (sales are good though).  Staff is alright but not particularly friendly.  On a more normal basis, it's not a place I stop by.  If I'm in the Garage (mall) or in the area, I might pop in I were looking for something of their style (or some funky hosiery!), but most of the time I feel like the sifting through stuff to actually buying stuff ratio is not high enough for me.

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Elite '08

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Ligaya T.

Cambridge, MA

3 star rating
02/09/2008

Perhaps it was just not my day. I'd been excited for a trip to the Hoo but was met with dismay as I rifled through the racks of trendy cheap quality, high price tagged clothing. Gotta give a nod to their fair selection of Levi's and assortment of cool accessories but amidst all the played out graphic sweatshirts and ironic tees, I didn't find a single thing I liked besides the hair dye.

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Photo of Stephen D.

 

11

111

Stephen D.

Van Nuys, CA

3 star rating
04/01/2008

Good Sale rack..

Expensive duds..

Snotty clerks...

Eh.. Moving on....

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Photo of Erica S.

Elite '08

136

257

Erica S.

Somerville, MA

4 star rating
01/30/2008

Every time I need thigh high fishnets, a pair of Vans with skulls on them, some pink ruffled booty shorts, or a pistol-shaped belt buckle, I come here.

So I'm not here much. But when when I am, it's magic. I always end up with something, whether it be a flavored lip gloss or a "classy" porno mag.

I don't know if I should label this place cheap or expensive: The clothes are all overpriced, the jewelry is all underpriced, and the accessories are all priced about right. Hmm.

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Photo of Kelly M.

 

0

25

Kelly M.

Dorchester, MA

4 star rating
03/18/2008

I go to Hootenanny on occassion to find a good sweatshirt or jacket.

I feel like their men's section is a lot better than their womens, with classier brands like Fred Perry, Ben Sherman, Penguin, etc. Their selection of Levi's is great, with a few pairs of Lip Service and other jeans thrown in.

I have to search through the women's section to find something that does not have skulls and crossbones on it. Basically, their women's section is a bit cheesy, and lacks the good brands that I can find at a lot of stores like this in California. Why not carry Volcom Stone, Element, Roxy, etc?

Good shoe section, but they stopped carrying the Black on Black Vans Lace-Ups that are a classic, but seem to be rare in the last year (especially in a Women's 8.5 or 9).

They also have a cute children's section, which I wish was accompanied by a cute dog section.

Considering it is one of the only stores like this in Boston (maybe, the only?), it's where I go when I think clothes.

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Photo of Bridget M.

Elite '08

68

257

Bridget M.

East Watertown, MA

3 star rating
12/10/2007

I want to like them, but I just don't for some reason. I guess one could call them Hot Topic for the more discerning crowd, since they do sell some completely arbitrary and out of place designer stuff mixed in with pit-rat staples.

Very marked up price-wise, but I think they are aiming for the disaffected enough to rebel against your parents by piercing your septum, but not disaffected enough to stop taking their hand-outs, suburbanite punk crowd. Damn, I think that's the bitchiest thing I've ever written in a review. (somewhere the owner of Kickass Cupcakes is yelling ,"No! you threatened your television with my baked goods, that was far meaner!")

I dunno, I'd rather hit up the Garment District or other vintage/thrift shoppy places for my club clothes. On occasion I've found stuff here that I've liked, but...I don't know, it just seems like it's too self-aware hipstery for me...it just feels forced.

They have a decent shoe selection, makeup, fishnets, tights, hideous belts...everything you need to look like you're not trying to be cool, you just are.

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Photo of J D.

 

2

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J D.

Boston, MA

4 star rating
02/13/2008

Cute little store with funky clothes, tights, and socks.  Seems reasonably priced.  Nice staff.  Kind of hard to find when you walk into the building, but it's to your right as you walk up the ramp.

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Photo of Evan C.

 

2

31

Evan C.

Quincy, MA

5 star rating
11/19/2007

If I didn't invest so much time into creating a hair masterpiece every day, Hootenanny has a selection of hats that make me consider dropping the hair game.  Utterly classic.  

They also have some great T's that are ironic, stylish, indie Ben Shermapenguidickies collareds, cool accessories, and some other interesting threads.  The main dude that works there has a fascinating tableau of tats on his arms and will discuss it with you if the store isn't too crowded.

The prices always make me a little uncomfortable (seems a little high for what you're getting), but the sales can be boons.

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Photo of matt o.

Elite '08

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matt o.

Belmont, MA

4 star rating
11/28/2007

While somewhat expensive they had the fred perry jacket I've wanted for awhile and being the day I found out I got a bit of a promotion I had to buy it.  Well played

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Elite '08

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Michael L.

Cambridge, MA

4 star rating
08/31/2007

If it's this trendy, niche-specified and brand name, it's not going to be sold at Garment District Prices. That's just a fact.

Hootenanny has specialty clothing geared towards teenage goths and cutters, and 38 year old ravers on vacation from Miami.

They also have a more than decent selection of skater/poser clothing that I would consider good quality and worth the $50-80ish Jeans/shorts price and $20-40 shirt price. Very small but cute selection of hats in the middle of the store, all around $25.

Accessories abound, including bandanas, gloves, earrings and other jewelry. They have a backpack shaped like a shark! Yipes!

The truth is that this place is much like a Hot Topic, but better and not as annoying. They also have a greater selection of clothing, and more items that are geared towards being stylish as opposed to mere novelty.

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Elite '08

232

557

Tom E.

Cambridge, MA

4 star rating
08/13/2007

Tom: Where's good for funky cool clothes in Boston?
Hana: Hootenanny is good, they have Ben Sherman stuff
Tom: Ben Sherman is overrated and so unfashionable in England

Tom: Hi Hana, love that T-shirt. So cool!
Hana: It's a Ben Sherman
Tom: *oops*

Tom: (to cashier) I'll take this Lego T-shirt, these Levis jeans, this hat...
Hana: Hi Tom!
Tom: *busted*

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Photo of Mary C.

 

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Mary C.

Brighton, MA

4 star rating
08/14/2007

Oh, snap.  Hootenanny has saved my ass more times then I can count.  A typical night out involves my putting on fishnets and meeting the boy in Harvard Square.  Ineveitably, I rip said fishnets to shreds while on the train, walking, looking at them funny (i could go on and on). And god bless Hootenanny for having an excellent variety of stockings for me to buy and again fuck up later in the evening.  

Bless you, fishnet gods of Harvard Square, bless you.

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Elite '08

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Leisha B.

Cambridge, MA

2 star rating
08/08/2007

Although this is owned by Newbury comics, it's not exactly a Hot Topic Level monopoly. I don't even know where the other locations are, if any. The only other one I know of was in Nashua, NH, now a Cingular or AT&T or something, and I can remember going in there once with my mother, who stumbled upon an "I Fuck On The First Date" t-shirt and said, "HAHAHAHAHA, NO" and we vacated the scene. That same spirit of irrational "OMG CHRISTIANS ARE SO JUDGMENTAL YO" rebellion lives on in the Harvard Square shop.  

I happened by yesterday when I was at Chameleon visiting with some friends and decided to take a look at the sale stuff. There were a few okay things, the kind of things I would snatch up if they were $16 at Forever 21, but not for $39.99 ($115 for a dress made of papery cotton/polyester with shitty-looking buttons, my mom would weep if she saw that.). A lot of things that were hovering on the cusp of being dated and cliche, and a LOT of things that have full-on dropped into the cliche abyss (stars! skulls! Lip Service! Platform suede mary jane sneakers like a time-traveling ambassador from 1999!) All the slogan t-shirts you could possibly want! All of it crammed on the racks in that way that always reminds me why I hate shopping.

Not to say that nothing is worthwhile, it honestly seems like a decent place for men to shop, they sell vans and cons and staples like that, and I found a cute Fred Perry shirt on clearance but didn't take it home  for fear that my husband would make fun of me ("Oh, are you a skinhead now?") Go on a weekday morning and be prepared to comb through a lot of junk.

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352

Chloe D.

Revere, MA

4 star rating
08/06/2007

Located in that weird mall in Harvard Square, just upstairs near Chameleon and Proletariat is where you'll find Hootenanny, owned by Newbury Comics. Most of the clothing is what one might consider indie/skater/retro and as a girl who's entire wardrobe is 80% comprised of Volcom tees and jeans....this place was kind of like rolling in a big puddle of glee.

They had a couple of promotions going on including a buy two get one  free sale on all sale items including shoes and bags. Altho sale racks are quite daunting to me, I managed to pick through enough to find a great top marked down from $48 to $12. The full price items pretty much ranged anywhere from $22 for a tshirt to $130 + for dresses.

Staff was kind of 'beh'. Slightly snarky, but it's to be expected when it's run by a bunch of scenesters. They don't allow you to bring your purse into the fitting room which kind of irritates me. I thought places like Wet Seal or Forever 21 were the only two places that did that. Not that they weren't friendly, but they weren't exactly pleasant either.

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Daniel M.

Somerville, MA

3 star rating
10/16/2007

Hootenanny occasionally puts some decent stuff on sale if you don't mind searching through duds that I wouldn't wear to a rock fight.

Why does Fred Perry have to cost so much? Damn.

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2

133

Adina Z.

Boston College, MA

3 star rating
03/01/2008

if hot topic is the abercrombie of the "alternative" world, hootenany is the bloomingdale's.

except at bloomingdale's you often get quality to go hand in hand with your ridiculously overpriced purchase.

i do not shop here anymore because i am a high school graduate, but before this happened, this was my favorite store on earth. those of you who knew me when i had braces and wore a duran duran t-shirt in my yearbook photo can recall this jacket i used to wear from hootenany - made from black pvc with black and white faux fur collar and sleeves. the most awful thing, but i wore it all the damn time. i also had a pair of tredair mary jane shoes which said "lady luck" on the toes while my classmates were all in adidas. plus of course all the "emily" and hello kitty you could ever want. i even found a homestar pin here. when i was 17, that was my shit.

ah, the memories!

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141

Tristan B.

Roxbury, MA

5 star rating
07/10/2007

New Review:

I feel like Hootenanny is going through a bit of an identity crisis. On one hand, you have the stuff marketed to teenagers who are running out of the Newbury Comics with their faces full of glee, dragging their mom around and screaming about the cutest little t-shirt that they have for sale around 20 bucks.

And then you have the flip side, Fred Perry polos, limited edition jackets (For example, there's a limited edition women's Fred Perry jacket that goes for 400 dollars, sitting on the rack. It's absolutely gorgeous and it's mixed in with some generic junk jackets!!!!), Merc Suits, Jackets, etc, Penguin stuff, Modern Amusement, Boxfresh and higher priced Ben Sherman clothing amongst a few. It's like those brands aren't really targeted so much for teenagers as they are for the post college crowd, which is why I love them, but at the same time this split personality isn't really doing much to help.

Everything is starting to get really crowded in here. They've recently brought in circular racks for the women's clothing, and it's getting really hard to find anything easily, or try anything on. The circular racks just make everything harder. I can't even tell where the fall selections even are at this point.

They really really need more space/a bigger location. The Garage is great, but it's like, if they had actual space so you could pull things out or even display things, I'm willing to bet that they'd have a much larger audience come in.

Five stars maintained because I love the selection, but I need some room to breathe!!

----

Old:

I always used to sort of walk by this place, and was pretty confused as to what it actually was. I figured it was always a chick store, an "indie Hot Topic" type place, which I think they're fighting a little bit. I ended up checking out if they had any interesting Vans there one day, and low and behold, it wasn't actually just a "chick" store, and they actually had decent stuff there.

On the guy side of things, the selection is pretty awesome if you're into British brands. It's one of the only stores that I know of that regularly carries Fred Perry (even the limited edition stuff), Ben Sherman (blah), a huge amount of Penguin, Box Fresh (now that Karmaloop dropped them, t's the only source), and my personal favorite, Merc, whom they regularly carry things like blazers, jackets, and even suits!! Not really the kind of place you'd expect it, but it's awesome they're there.

The sale rack is usually pretty good, if a bit out of season, but you can get some nice deals there, and sometimes they'll have buy two sale items, get one free.

The only problem I can see is that they sometimes get low on stock on some stuff like the shoes... but I can deal with that.

Decent staff, although sometimes it gets pretty crowded in there so be a little patient.

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Liz D.

Boston, MA

4 star rating
07/28/2007

Good place if you want to get some funky threads outside of the Urban Outfitters of the world.  A wide selection of clothes for menz and womenz that are fairly unique.

I was drawn to their large selection of bags hanging on the dressing room doors.  Lots of really great pieces hovering around $60+.

A large shoe selection I will probably revisit with the usual Chucks mixed in with some other cool Rocketdog/Vansesque kicks.  However, they are a bit pricey and I'm not sure if the price is in line with the quality of the shoe.

A fairly generous sale rack and chatchkas line the walls in the back.   Lots of the kitch I would imagine you could get at other places for cheaper.  

the staff was a mix of extremely helpful employees to sullen girls.
If you're going to be here anyway, you'll have to stop by Proletariat on the 2nd floor for some equi-cool threads.

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19

Sherrie G.

Cambridge, MA

5 star rating
07/19/2007

This place speaks to the angry yet friendly, cynical yet colorful youth of Cambridge/Boston. I absolutely adore it and it's fantastically hipster/retro soundtrack and vibe. I often find better deals on certain things here like sugar shoes and sound girl clothing than the rest of Boston. The sale rack is pretty great especially with their buy two get one free deal but I tend to buy more things new here for some reason. The Paul Frank selection is great as well as the Harajuku Lovers stuff. I got the best bikini here when I thought I would never find one in Cambridge. The staff's also nice and pretty helpful.    

The only thing that bothers me is the damn mannequins. There's this one male mannequin that has a 'black emo waterfall of tears' wig that I've mistaken for a real person a few times. And I felt just as dumb everytime until whatever friend I'm with does the same exact thing.  lol

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234

Hana T.

Boston, MA

3 star rating
11/12/2007

hootenanny  [hoot-n-an-ee, hoot -nan-]
  -noun, plural -nies.
................
From Dictionary.com:  "a social gathering or informal concert featuring folk singing and, sometimes, dancing"

So it's a folk music party?  What does this have to do with the urban-cool-funky-monkey streetwear that they are selling?

I admit, I do like the (women) clothes here, but they are still expensive even with the sales.  Almost all of the brands they carry can be found at Filene's Basement for cheaper pricing and better sales too.  Ben Sherman?  Paul Frank?  Soundgirl?  Harajuku?  Penguin?  Yeah, these kind of brands as well as funky fishnets can be bought elsewhere.  

To credit, it is the alternative aura of Harvard Sq, near Harvard, among old conservative peeps, out-of-town tourists and au bon pain-like chain stores.  

So what does this have to do with folk music??  ~( ' - ' ? ))......??
(3.5 Stars)

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meaghan s.

Cambridge, MA

4 star rating
05/05/2007

I have always been wary of these types of stores because they seem somehow manipulative to me.  As a youngin' I remember having to scour the ends of the earth to find cool and unique clothing.  

Upon seeing Hootenanny pop-up in once-upon-a-time cool Harvard Square I rolled my eyes and thought, "great, another Hot Topic clone."  However, I stand somewhat corrected.  While there is no denying the fact that there is nothing unique or organic about Hootenanny they do have some pretty cool stuff.

The store is organized in a very pleasing way, it's easy to get around and find things and they always seem to have some some sort of sale.  I've been able to get shoes here for pretty reasonable prices and while they don't have super high quality footwear a lot of it is cute and fun and otherwise would have to be ordered online.

I just bought three shirts on sale for $30 total and they are pretty cool indeed.  Definitely not the lame stuff you find in Hot Topic (does anyone over 14 go there anyway?).  I also bought two hand bags, and I must say one is the coolest bag I have ever seen, designed by artist Kristen Ferrell (http://www.kristenferr...). It was only $16 too!

Go there, have fun, the music is usually pretty good, and they are owned by the Newbury Comics people, who despite their emergence as a huge local chain, I totally support.

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147

Sarah G.

Somerville, MA

4 star rating
06/04/2007

I don't really venture out of the sale section in the back of the store as most regularly priced stuff is madd expensive, but there are diamonds in them sale racks!  I was desperately in need of a tank top and, apparently, a red bandana print blouse with skulls all over it (who knew?) and Hootenanny was there to help.  The buy two get one free for anything on sale got me 3 awesome shirts for $30.  Beyond the stuff you can find elsewhere there are some unique gems.

I'm not a big fan of flats or slip on sneakers, but I'm always interested to check out what crazy patterned stuff they have in the shoe section.  I replaced my beat to shit Doc boots here for $20 less than I paid for my first pair in 1994 - yee haw hootenanny.

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2

22

Robert S.

Cambridge, MA

4 star rating
08/21/2007

I wanted to really really love this place. Then, when it wasn't exactly what I expected, I wanted to really really hate it. As is, I actually like it. I've had really great encounters with the staff, the selection goes up, goes down, but there are usually more than a couple of items I would wear, and a few of them I can even justify buying! I was afraid it would be some hot topic p.o.s., but the fred perry, ben sherman, vans etc as well as a friendly staff and really neat random stuff keep it more newbury comics than urban outfitters (aka corporate whores). And dickies!! Arg, can't forget the dickies. Or they will hunt you down and give you a wedgie. or two.

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Elite '08

46

442

Julie A.

Arlington, MA

3 star rating
03/23/2007

so it's a good place to spend a crap load of money and buy clothes that you can get cheaper elsewhere. They have organized the store a lot better, but it's still  always hard to find stuff. The shoe selection isn't too hot, and the rest of the bags and accessories you can find across the hall at N.C.
OK, so the plus is that it is one of the few places in the city where you can find certain brands, and I do love a man in a Penguin shirt.
If you are in high school and wanna spend your parent's money you'll love it, but otherwise, it's not worth it.
I miss Allston Beat circa 1988

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Elite '08

7

67

Alex M.

Boston, MA

4 star rating
07/25/2007

Hootenanny seems to get right in under the wire of avoiding tween Hot Topic demographic. So it's still a little pomo preposterous-punk Scene gear, but I keep coming back, so that must say something. It can be a bit overpriced, but the sneaker sales can be cool. If you're a men's large or at least a medium, the sales rack is pretty good too. For a small guy like me though, it's slim pickings. Oh, one more thing: a great selection of vegan-friendly gloves for when it gets cold. :)

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78

Ellen W.

Wakefield, MA

5 star rating
02/06/2007

I would spend every single last penny in here. As I matter of fact I drop as much money in here as possible...it's my guilty little pleasure zone. Say what you want, I could care less. This is my kind of place, I mean where the hell else can one find neon pink and green garter belts. Holla.

The one thing I'm disappointed in is that they don't carry Demonia boots anymore. Tisk tisk.

p.s. I bought the best mushroom hoodie in the entire fucking world.

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Elite '08

60

68

Vietnam L.

Boston, MA

4 star rating
10/28/2006

Hootenanny is one of the few stores in the Boston area that carries Ben Sherman clothes and the only one that comes to mind that has Fred Perry digs.  The store gets two thumbs up in my book for that alone.  The employees are extremely helpful and polite.  Prices however can be a bit high but you are not going to break the bank when you compare it to other stores in the area.

Parking around this area can be pretty difficult but if you are persistent you'll eventually find a meter spot.  If you don't want to be bothered with searching for a meter spot, I highly suggest taking the MBTA.  The Havard Sq/Redline is minutes away and also bus routes.

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Elite '08

217

401

Jessika D.

Somerville, MA

3 star rating
03/03/2007

I like this store.  It is fun to look around at all the punk/trendy stuff there.  I love there earrings (I'm into BIG and TACKY earrings).  They have really cool shoes and clothes too.  However, it is rare that I can acutally afford the clothes which is a bummer.  It is hard for me to describe this place suffice to say that you should check it out!

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