Albertine

I loved the dress I wore to my senior prom. It was Laura Ashley, hydrangea-blue, floral, and flattering – if you can imagine such a combination now. But the dress was ruined for me when I walked into the dance hall and saw another girl – a junior! – wearing the same exact one.

Since then I’ve spent a lifetime trying to avoid another dress doppelganger moment. “It’s such problem in New York to find something different,” the saleswoman at Albertine said, but this little West Village boutique aims to do just that. The ladylike frocks by local designers like Sir, Lyell, and Some Odd Rubies are often one-of-a-kind, which means no one else at that upcoming wedding/party/charity event will be wearing the same thing. Try getting that kind of peace of mind from a department store.

So go to Albertine. But if anyone asks you where you got the dress, remember: you got it at Barneys.

Albertine
13 Christopher Street between 6th and 7th Avenues
212-924-8515