Lexington Saree Palace

I went to the Lexington Saree Palace yesterday to buy a saree blouse to accompany a saree I had to wear to an upcoming Indian wedding. Tania and her mother (?) could not have been more helpful. They helped me pick out an off-​the-​shelf saree blouse and a petticoat, and then they showed me several different ways to style my own saree for the wedding. They were so kind, warm, and helpful. Once I was ready to go, they took a bunch of photos for me to send to my family. I highly recommend this store.

I had called ahead of time to see if they had what I needed. I was looking for a very basic chaniya choli for navratri and they said they had some in the $ 20 range. When I walked into the shop, they seemed hesitant to help me. When I told them when I was looking for, they pulled out a bridal lehenga that was $ 250! I asked if they had anything more simple and they very awkwardly said no. While I didn’t find what I was looking for, they seem to have a large variety of fancier garb.

Very rarely do I feel the need to post a review but my very brief encounter with the sales women at this store yesterday left me baffled. I walked in in the middle of a weekday and it was expectedly quiet. The two sales women were sitting in the back of the store when I walked in and did not even bother to get up. I was very clearly out of my element. I explained to them that I was going to attend an Indian wedding for the first time and needed help picking out a sari. They asked me about what I was looking for and I made it pretty clear that I was flexible and asked them to show me what they had. They just took a few pieces and put them in front of me. I had no idea what I was looking at and they had no interest in helping me understand. Then they quoted me a price which I thought was reasonable — little did I know that that was not the cost of the entire outfit! The entire outfit came out to costing more than double — from $ 50 to $ 125! For something that I did not feel was worth the price. I was surprised since my bride-​to-​be friend already gave me a price range to stay within as to not to get ripped off. I asked them about cheaper options or if they could lower the price a bit. The answer was a very quick no. They just didn’t seem interested at all about making a sale. I honestly felt like because I was not Indian and I did not know the customs that they did not care to make me feel like a valued customer. It’s a shame — I would’ve been prepared to spend a decent amount of money at the place if I felt I had someone who was willing to help me.

They had very beautiful sarees to choose from. You can get blouses made there and pick it up at a later time. They also sell accessories and already made Indian clothes.
The service left much to be desired. I wasn’t completely pleased with the workmanship on one of the blouses and the owner (?) proceeded to tell me how I was wrong. It was hard to communicate my displeasure when someone kept citing the fact that I’m not Indian as the reason why I’m wrong.
I can tell when thread is sewn in a straight line, thank you very much. I can also tell when an edge of the blouse is not even.
«The saree covers the blouse area so it’s okay that it’s not perfect»…is also not the correct response when I paid for the blouse to be made to match the saree.
Initial visit when I was purchasing everything was beautiful.
Second visit left much to be desired.

Not a large selection but of the two salwar khameez to choose from in my size one was a perfect score! Gorgeous ! Agree things are a bit pricey by Indian standards but we are in the USA and a T-​shirt at the gap can run you $ 50 so $ 70 for a beautiful 3 piece outfit? Can’t really complain. Also got beautiful embroidered tunics with peacock and pansie patterns — really unique! On the spot alteration of my pajama pants and tunic neckline. And I saved myself a hike to Jackson Hts.

Wife wanted a saree for some bizarre reason on a recent trip to new york. They were so damned friendly that i didnt mind dropping 250.00.

By far the worst shopping experience. I went here to have a blouse made for a sari i got in India for my wedding. It was for my maid of honor. my husband to be called ahead to price we were told $ 40. When i arrived The old lady was sweet initially. After measuring my maid of honor I asked the price as was told $ 55 .She told me to pay in full, i agreed but asked for a receipt and a sample of a blouse she had made. Then the light switched and she started yelling you don’t trust me I wont make it for people «like you» I am Caucasian my husband to be is Indian. It is only proper to get a receipt for proof of payment. she then told us to leave. one word nasty! Worst customer service I have ever encountered If you are not Indian good luck…

Very ordinary and over priced sarees. Had to go there for an emergency wedding that popped up. Perhaps this place has good reviews because most reviewers are not Indian women, I can understand why a non-​Indian would like this store. But since I am obviously Indian and hence seen amazing Indian traditional cloths, I was extremely unimpressed and disappointing.
The lady at the store realized that I am not her usual naïve customer who she can fool into buying the crap, lost all interest in me withing literally 2 mins. I reciprocated her enthusiasm and walked out of the store, took the next train to Jackson heights and bought my stuff form there.

Like a first date, communication is a bit touch and go. but once you get over your initial (and maybe a few after) hesitations, you get undressed. And, get measured for size.
I had gotten a sari as a present and had no idea what to do with the bolts of fabric. The woman working here guided me through the entire process and a week later, had a fitted blouse, petticoat, and hemmed sari. She even showed me how to tie it. All of this cost me about $ 65.
It takes about a wk to create your outfit, but you can rush order with incremental costs.

Beautiful sarees and very helpful staff. Saves you a trip to Jackson Heights.

I am a stylist and Lexington Saree Palace is the ONLY place I need to go to when my shoots call for Indian wardrobe. Tania and her family/​staff are incredibly helpful and friendly. I love this store and also shop for myself here. The clothing and accessories are gorgeous and there’s something for every budget. I recommend this store highly. Also stop in at Spice Corner a couple of doors north for delicious Indian sweets!

I came here looking for a saree for an Indian wedding and the woman who owns the shop was extremely helpful and welcoming. She taught me about how to put on the saree and also had some fun things to share about Hindu weddings. Her husband came back to the dressing area and gave my friend and me some Indian cashew treats from his shop, which added to the already homey feel of the experience.
Prices seemed reasonable based on what I heard from friends and the owner threw in some free bhindis which was nice. The only reason I am not giving this shop 5 stars is that I had requested that the saree not be sewn in pleats, but that is how it was when I picked it up. It’s not a big deal because now it will be easier to put on, but I had wanted the option to use the fabric for something else later. However, the shop owner did do a very nice job tailoring and sewing my top which looks beautiful.

Very helpful staff and they had exactly what I needed!

I had a Hindu wedding to attend last Friday and though I had originally not intended to go to the actual ceremony, I changed my mind last minute and decided I would go. With that said, I wanted to be in appropriate attire and indulge in an unknown culture … which meant getting a sari/​saree.
I knew Queens had a multitude of shops, specifically in Jackson Heights, but I wasn’t in the mood to commute. Because I live in Staten Island and know there’s a strong Indian/​West Indian community in nearby Edison, NJ, I also contemplated driving over there as well. And yet again, my laziness to drive over got the best of me.
Then I got thinking. there’s a «Little India”/“Curry Hill» not even that far from my work office (I’m right by Grand Central). But being a CUNY Baruch alum also helped me out here too. :) So after some trusty Unilocal researching, I found this place and headed straight here after work.
It’s a small shop with various saris/​sarees, clothes, jewelry/​bangles and some shoes lined throughout. It’s run by what seems to be a middle aged daughter and I guess her parents. Initially I was greeted by who I assume was the father or father-​figure, because 2 women had walked in previously to pick up their attire and they were being attended to by the daughter. I explained to the guy that I have a Hindu wedding to attend to the next day and was looking for a ready-​made sari/​saree to wear, but that I was on a budget of $ 150. He responded, «How about around $ 180?» Because I was so eager and excited to experience something so new, I immediately said that was fine and moved along from there. The daughter attended to me next, with her parents patiently listening and chiming in with input every so often. After being given 3 choices of saris/​sarees with ready-​made blouses, I chose the 3^rd selection which appeared to be dark gray but had a turquoise undertone and had accents of pink and silver. After trying on the blouse, it was apparent alterations needed to be made. They said they would alter it and I told them I would pick it up the next day during my lunch break. After that was established, I asked for a lesson on how to actually put on the sari/​saree, which the woman nicely explained to me. I then paid and said I’d be back the following day to pick up.
My total for a petticoat, sari/​saree with a ready-​made blouse, and whole bunch of bangles came out to $ 180, which after consultation with one of my Indian friends, was told that was a pretty good price for everything. The next day I showed up to pick up everything as schedule, tried it on for one last fitting, had a final refresher on how to actually put on the sari/​saree and was happily on my way.
The overall experience was great and glad I trusted the other great, though few, reviews here on Unilocal.I mean, I’m sure I could’ve found cheaper in Jackson Heights or Edison, NJ but given the fact this shop was in city, I’d also say I got a pretty good deal for such last minute notice and the type of service I got.
The woman also gave me 2 packets of bindhi’s for free! Score! :D
And so begins my sari/​saree and traditional Indian wear collection! :)

I contacted Lexington Saree Palace looking for a Saree for my teenage daughter.
I explained to Tania that i needed something inexpensive because my daughter needed it for a event at school.
I went in today and i have never felt more at home in a store than this place. They take their time with every customer and patiently offer different suggestions.
While we waited for the tailor to make alterations Tania gave my daughter several lessons on how to put her Saree on.
We even enjoyed some of the locals coming in just to say hello and admire the beautiful things in this store.
I highly recommend this place. They are awesome:)

I had such a great experience at Lexington Saree Palace that I had to write this review. I am a white girl who needs to attend an Indian wedding. I was told to go to Jackson Heights. which I did. It was aweful. The shop I went into treated me horribly and tried to grossly overcharge me for a sari which was of shoddy quality and even had a stain. Ugh. So, I braced myself and headed back to Manhattan. I went into Lexington Saree Palace and it was a great experience from start to finish. They were not pushy. The let me look around but were available for quesitons. The sari I chose was gorgeous. She gave me a discount, helped me choose some matching bangles and had me measured by the tailor so they could cut the choli for me. They are even sewing the pleats into the sari to make it «white girl compatible» since I am clearly not proficient in wrapping my own sari. The final total came out to signficantly less than what I was quoted in Jackson Heights. Im not trying to give all of the strores in Jackson Heights a bad name… Im sure most of them are great… but for my situation… a white girl attending an indian wedding… Lexington Saree Palace makes the whole experience fun and easy. The saleswoman and the tailor were so sweet and kind… I wholeheartedly recommend!!!