[Note: Please visit my web site Shop the Garment District
for the most up-to-date information about fabric and trim shopping in
the Garment District.] I love this store! I am just rediscovering it after many years. (In fact, the last time I was here I bought some yellow knit fabric to make a maternity dress. Dress never was made but the baby is now 15 years old.) Here's why Paron Fabrics should be on your garment district must-visit list:
- The staff is a friendly, cheerful bunch. They're eager to help you pull bolts off the shelf, and they quickly came to my aid when they saw me walking around with my hands full. I appreciated that they gave me a little extra fabric with each cut. And they have a sense of humor: The owner said I couldn't take any photos of him because he's in the witness protection program. (Okay, it's an old joke but he gets credit for trying.)
- You don't get that claustrophobic feeling you can have in some garment district stores. You know, that any minute you could get swallowed up in an avalanche of falling fabric bolts, never to be heard from again. In the main part of the store there's plenty of room to unravel bolts and play with your fabric.
- The sales annex part of the store (see photos of bolts with 50% off tags and the long narrow room) features some great bargains. I spent most of my time in here marveling over the wide variety of fabrics and the wallet-friendly prices.
- Paron sells Kwik-Sew and Burda patterns. I don't know of any other garment district shop that sells patterns. They also carry the latest Burda World of Fashion magazine, though while I was there they only had the plus-size edition.
- The assortment of fabric they have per square foot is pretty amazing—there's a little bit of everything, from silks and wools to cottons and knits. Wonderful prints and colors. And I appreciate how their labels identify the fabric content and the RTW company who produced it.
- 10/09 UPDATE: New Store Hours
- Hours:
Mon-Thu : 8:30AM-7:00PM
Friday: 8:30AM-5:45PM - Saturday: 9.00AM-5:00PM
Sunday: 11AM-4PM
