Legacy | The Store

My passion for vintage began while I was in high school. When I first spotted my mother's 1940s suit jacket and appropriated it for myself. It was love at first sight. The beginning of an affair that continues to the present and I'm long out of high school. I would pair that jacket with bell bottom jeans, a paisley shirt and skinny tie or a pleated mini skirt and I was transformed into the coolest babe in Brooklyn. My dad was my first fashion guru. He was a sample maker for a woman's coat line. He passed his knowledge on to me on our weekly shopping expeditions to Orchard St., pointing out the quality, fabric, and fit. That's why vintage clothing pushes all those buttons for me today. Where else can you get those details? Possibly couture. But at what cost?




			My passion for vintage began while I was in high school. When I first spotted my mother's 1940s suit jacket and appropriated it for myself. It was love at first sight. The beginning of an affair that continues to the present and I'm long out of high school. I would pair that jacket with bell bottom jeans, a paisley shirt and skinny tie or a pleated mini skirt and I was transformed into the coolest babe in Brooklyn. My dad was my first fashion guru. He was a sample maker for a woman's coat line. He passed his knowledge on to me on our weekly shopping expeditions to Orchard St., pointing out the quality, fabric, and fit. That's why vintage clothing pushes all those buttons for me today. Where else can you get those details? Possibly couture. But at what cost?
			LEGACY'S CREDO IS: IT'S IN THE MIX. I'm thrilled vintage has come into its own. Its about time. It deserves a place in the fashion repertoire and in every stylish woman's closet. I was a pioneer in Soho over 20 years ago, long before it was fashionable. My original shop was strictly vintage, that has morphed into LEGACY, located on Thompson St. Now we're not so strict, we mix it up. Head to toe Designer is so...victimish. Head to toe Vintage is so...Merchant Ivory. Mixing the old and the new creates excitement, takes chances where the results can be breathtaking. Instead of being dictated to you are your own unique creation. At Legacy we feature a select range of distinctive clothing, shoes and accessories mixed up with well edited vintage pieces and my own original designs.
			THAT'S THE MODERN WAY TO DRESS Mixing it up! That's what I hope to do with this website. Have a microcosm of LEGACY online. There will also be a photo page of NYC Street scenes which I hope gives you an idea how incredible it is to live here. It is an endless source of inspiration. I consider this to be a work in progress, just like my shop. Its about change, (r)evolution and (re)invention. That's why I keep getting asked the question, "Is this a new shop?" Please drop by if you are in Soho. Thompson St. is unheralded. It's really one of NY's best kept secrets. I'd love to meet you and give you some off the beaten track tourist recommendations. I'm a passionista for NYC and fashion and dispense this info every day free of charge. 'Cause I want you to love this city like I do. - Rita Brookoff