Bushwick is a great neighborhood for vintage shopping, but the area’s vast secondhand warehouses can be overwhelming for the average shopper in search of sturdy, timeless pieces that are the holy grail for vintage aficionados.
Inside a small, new vintage shop on Irving Avenue, one woman is working passionately to make the experience more manageable for locals seeking classic threads that can be easily integrated into a versatile, modern wardrobe.
Pussy Willow Vintage owner Brooke Goldberg’s obsession with vintage clothes compels her to travel the world in search of beautiful pieces. “If I heard that there was a really weird dingy old store in a dark alley, you bet your ass I’m gonna be there,” she proclaims.
Her shop has been open since March inside the storefront at 177 Irving Avenue, which is quaint and welcoming. The day Bushwick Daily stopped by, customers were greeted by Goldberg’s adorable little pup, Cashew.
Shoppers can peruse Pussy Willow’s collection from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends and by appointment during the week. The personal shopping experience is totally free, too, and makes a perfect outing for a group of friends.
The Origin Story:
Goldberg’s long held dreams of opening a store became reality so fast it made her head spin.
Not so long ago, pet food and supply store Bushy Tails occupied 177 Irving Avenue (the pet shop recently relocated to The Loom on Flushing).
Goldberg hadn’t even been actively looking for a storefront before she heard the news, but when a friend tipped her off about the vacancy back in January, she checked the space out and signed the lease within two days; about two months later, the shop was up and running.
Goldberg spent a lot of the two months prior to opening day metaphorically pinching herself. “After about 20 years of collecting and storing all this stuff, it was gonna have a permanent home!” she recalls.
Goldberg used to work as a fashion forecaster, but she had always wanted to open up her own store. She considered several names for the shop: since she’s a die-hard John Waters fan, she went with “Pussy Willow,” a tongue in cheek reference to the 1994 John Waters film “Serial Mom.”
What You’ll Find:
We went shopping, too: this past weekend was Bushwick Vintage Crawl, and everything was 15% off!
I wound up with two much-needed additions to my wardrobe: an emerald green onesie, which was easily the greatest $5 box find, and a mustard yellow and maroon-striped turtleneck sweatshirt ($25) with a subtle Velma Dinkley vibe.
Goldberg’s focus is “smart vintage,” which, she explains, means pieces that aren’t tied to a specific decade and have staying power within a wardrobe. She became mesmerized with the flexibility and resiliency of fashion at a very young age, as she studied her older sister’s grunge duds in the nineties.
The Romance of The Hunt for Killer Vintage Fashion
Goldberg isn’t interested in selling clothes she doesn’t find exciting, and the journey of seeking timeless items is part of what makes her love the work so much. “I’ll see someone wearing something great, and they’ll say, ‘Oh I got it from Zara…’ to me, that’s just so boring,” she proclaims.
By frequenting estate sales and second hand stores far and wide for her inventory, Goldberg ensures that everything at Pussy Willow has a story.
Stop by Pussy Willow soon—and find something beautiful that speaks to you!
All photos by Gustavo Ponce for Bushwick Daily.
Profile
Pussy Willow Vintage
A small and cozy vintage boutique offering pieces with longevity and class.
177 Irving Avenue between Stanhope Street and Stockholm Street (around the corner from the DeKalb Avenue stop on the L train), Brooklyn, NY, 11237
Sat-Sun: 12 p.m. — 7 p.m. and on weekdays by appointment only
917-386-8530