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NY Elegant Fabrics
Rating Details »
Category: Fabric Stores [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Fashion District, Theater District224 W 40th St
(between 7th Ave & 8th Ave)
New York, NY 10018
(212) 302-4980
Student Swatching Policy for Summer
10 swatches during opening hours.
$0.25 deposit per swatch thereafter to serve as a store credit towards future fabric purchases.
- Nearest Transit:
-
Times Square-42nd St (1, 2, 3, S, 7, N, Q, R, W, A, C, E)
42nd St-5th Ave-6th Ave (7, B, D, F, V)
- Hours:
Mon-Fri. 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 a.m.
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Sponsored Result
Sale Nearby
Manhattan Wardrobe Supply
- Category:
- Fabric Stores
- Neighborhood:
- Fashion District
Mention YELP and receive 10% off your in store purchase or shop online at www.wardrobesupplies.com. Enter 245YELP at checkout.
8 reviews for NY Elegant Fabrics
This is the only other store in the Garment District area (37th St to 40th St, bw 7th and 8th Ave) that has prices marked on the fabric. Super useful when you're starting out and don't know how much fabrics should cost. So for your first few projects, stick to the less expensive fabrics (in case you mess up, it won't be so heartbreaking :P).
The staff is so nice and helpful. I've never seen such wonderful service! They are well staffed, so you can always find someone to cut a piece for you. They'll put the piece at checkout and give you a swatch so that you can keep shopping without the burden of holding on to the fabric.
The store is huge and so organized. They've got really really beautiful fabric. Even cotton prints, they've got a beautiful and fun selection. There are signs above the fabric to designate the fabric type.
A touch pricey, but well worth it for a special project.
Overwhelming.
PS: I am an amateur sewer. I don't even know the real term for one who makes clothes... designer? seamstress? Who knows, whatever it is, I AIN'T it. I know how to make 2 types of skirts and a tote bag.. thats it. This is not the place for me. Plus the prices seemed high compared to all the other cheapy places I went into.
I'd like to make a comment regarding the swatches for students at the store.
With all of the fabric stores in the area, there are always some kind of restrictions with swatching. Our store used to practice the one hour in the morning. Students would just do as they pleased. Sometime thereafter, we had begun to charge 50 cents per swatch. Students would just swatch, stuff the swatches in their pant pockets or books and leave.
To try and be more accommodating, we began to offer a 10% discount to students, and lowered the swatch fee to 25 cents, which is gladly credited towards any future purchases.
There are hundreds of thousands of rolls of fabric in the store, and the staff practiced with due diligence in maintaining swatches for every roll in the store. Figure each roll takes between 5 to 15 minutes, that is a lot of time used for swatching.
The rules are there to help maintain some kind of a status quo. The mornings are the least busiest time, so we offer that to the students so that we can help. The afternoons are busier, and quite frankly, the students are not the priority.
It is never the case that no one is looking. It isn't worth the effort to chase after those students who can't simply abide by the given rules.
Possibly an unnecessary ramble, but I find it as a mild offense to all of those that are employed at the store for the students to just think they can do as they please.
Just a response to one student's admission that she can't follow the rules.
We see students "pocketing" swatches. In the end, it isn't worth our time to follow after these students and just turn a blind eye.
Elegant saved my day more than once.
I was on a day-long quest for stretch lycra/silk With-Bride-In-Tow and Elegant was our last stop...Eureka: the right color, right price, Happy Bride, relieved Couturier!
I have been to several places in the Garment District (including Mood, and Paron, and some sari fabric places) as well as Chinatown, in search of silk jaquard/charmeuse for my Vietnamese wedding dress (ao dai) , and FINALLY found the perfect fabric today at NY Elegant Fabric. They have some brocades under the counter, but if you're looking for finer fabric, the silk jaquards are in the back of the store, on the right.
Don't be misled by the sign outside that says "Home Furnishings", their selection of fabric is HUGE, and everything is well organized by type. Feel free to ask anyone for assistance. They are helpful, especially Angela who was very nice (an Asian lady with glasses). The silk jacquard that I got was $25/yd - a bit over my budget, but it was just so elegant that I decided to go for it.
The seamstress that was supposed to make my dress is going to Vietnam for a month and my wedding is in 7 weeks. (No pressure...). Now she says she won't have the time to do it. Sooo, for those of you out there that know a Vietnamese tailor/seamstress in the NY area, PLEASE let me know! In the meantime, I'll be checking those stores on Mott St near Pell St in Chinatown. Thanks!!
Holy crap, this place is a warehouse of awesome! They stock everything from your basic muslin to the most opulent haute couture fur. Only in places like this can you find screaming neon pink sequined fabric, a whole aisle dedicated to fishnet, and complex handwoven skeins of mohair, netting, and other magnificent things. Some of these fabrics are so expensive that a swatch alone costs $10. If I were anything more than a very amateur clothing designer I would be in here every week!
from the morning 10am to 12noon, free 10 swatches for all students.
after that, you pay some 25 cents for each swatch as a deposit.
if you do come back to purchase the fabric, give them the receipt and they'll give back your cents.
all swatches are cut and prepared on the rolls, so just tear.
the people there are nice enough to cut and prepare swatches for you once it's run out. feel free to ask.
One of my more favorite fabric shops in NYC. The staff isn't stuck up and they can usually answer your questions or find someone who can. Their selection is quite broad. Swatches (save for fake fur @ $5/swatch) are usually free. They do have some amazing French fake furs ($150/yd) - super soft. Nice brocades, linens, cottons, cords etc.
