Basic Basic

If this review was purely based off of the clothes selection — it would be a 4 or 5. Although they have great basics (no pun intended) — the people that work there are SO RUDE. I’ve been in and been a good customer many times and they cannot even manage to say as much of a hello as you walk in the door…
Whoever is managing this store needs to take note — you are lucky you are still selling clothes because the sales people are horrendous. When I asked if they had another size in something the girl went to the front of the store to check her phone for 15 minutes before I asked again and she begrudgingly looked. Also, this is not the first time I (as a well paying customer) have experienced this at this store.

I prefer the web site tee-​zone as it just has much more clothing in stock. This is the bricks and mortar store and it’s surprisingly a nice laid back store with a great selection of basic tees like Michael Stars, LnA & Splendid. They also have some nice casual dresses and the service is good and not overbearing. It’s nice to go in and try things on, but I prefer to buy online as they usually have a 15% discount going on, sign up for the mailing list!

Sometimes I like coming in and then there is other times you dont.
I love that they carry LnA basic tops because those are really comfy. Thats about it.

It’s so easy for this store to get kind of lost among all the crappy shops on those few blocks between Waverly and Bleecker. It also can look like the other half of American Apparel nextdoor.
Oh, but it’s such a little treasure trove. Michael Stars, LAmade, Three Dots, Splendid, James Perse, and other great makers of super-​cute, super-​soft bits of cotton jersey.
I tend to order online (free shipping) because you can usually google and find 10% off coupon codes. If I need to return or exchange, I bring it into the store.
Love this place.

$ 70 for a long sleeve Three Dots shirt. That is super pricey for a store named Basic! They don’t carry Alternative Apparel which is one of my favorite brands. Good concept, but not everyone wants a James Perse shirt.

I’ve been in and out of this store for years. 5 years ago, when Juicy Couture was still hot, they had a great selection of velour hoodies. They do carry a lot of hot t-​brands which is the only thing they have going for them (LNA, etc.)
My issue is that they always advertise that they’re having a «great sale» and it’s usually only 10% off. If you shop the most popular e-​commerce sites for these brands (shopbop, revolveclothing, and singer22) You can usually get 25−30% off these brands. Also, the store is messy. Everything is folded and you have to unfold it ALL to see what you’re looking at.
WORST OF ALL, the attitude. Sales staff is rude, and will stare you down the entire time you’re in there. I wear nice clothing, so they don’t discriminate. They do it to everyone. It’s really irritating.
American Apparel is next door, go there for all of your t-​shirt needs! Also check Barney’s co-​op for similar brands, better sales, and nicer staff.

Whenever I’m on that strip of Broadway, I stop here, and it’s been that way since I got to NYC 14 years ago. This is the only place where I really don’t care if things are a mess. I’ll gladly root through everything and walk out of the store with at least three items.
This store carries t-​shirts, dresses, lounge pants, jackets, etc., from the brands I love the most and probably wear the most often: C&C California, Michael Stars, Velvet, and my all-​time favorite, Three Dots. These brands are a little on the pricey side for being basics, but they look great and last forever. I am not one for too much detail, but I like to look good, and these brands do that. Best part is that I can wear a Three Dots top to go play pool on Saturday night, and come Monday, I can pair it with nice dress pants for work and not look sloppy for either affair.
Also love the website,
. I ordered a couple of dresses from them today (yes, this summer I’m going to not only be a girl, I am going to finally dress like one too), and I just received an email that they will be arriving into my waiting hands TOMORROW. Not next week, not three days from Saturday. TOMORROW. Four snaps up in a Z formation.

It’s a bit overwhelming and unorganized, but Basic Basic has a great selection of casual clothing from brands like Michael Stars, James Perse, Splendid, C&C California, Velvet, Petit Bateau, etc. Most of the merch is casual cotton/​jersey tops, but they also carry jackets, dresses, sweaters, and leggings. The staff is nice and will let you browse without pressuring you to buy a million things. Also, they accept exchanges or store credit within ten days of your pruchase but not returns.

Basic Basic is the well-​stocked brick & mortar location of
. Its extensive stock is sandwiched into a hole-​in-​the-​wall space on lower Broadway. Although there are tons of offerings from brands sure to appeal to the trendy NYU set, such as Juicy Couture and Michael Stars (as well as an extensive selection of Petit Bateau tees), the sloppy presentation turned me off. Maybe I picked a bad time to go (near the end of a pre-​Christmas December Saturday), but everything was messily thrown onto shelves and random low tables in the middle of the floor. Since most of the brands are carried in many Manhattan stores, I’ll stick to larger department stores & the website in the future.