Certain do-gooders of businesses out there should just get a pass when it comes to the harsh realities of economics. Baltic Bazaar Thrift, long-time Brooklyn home to cheap fabric and jobs for the mentally-ill, is closing its doors at the end of the month in the face of high rent. As much as we hate to see the Atlantic Ave. staple go, this cloud happens to have an especially colorful patterned lining. While the Bazaar’s still around (until the end of July or thereabouts), all of their high-end fabric is on sale for at least 50 percent off. And we hear it’s being hauled off in arm-loads. (more…)

West Point uniforms with MJ-worthy styling. Photos by Betony Toht

The weekend’s endless loop of Michael Jackson videos inspired all kinds of reactions: sadness, nostalgia, fashion envy. Like his music, his trademark silhouette—boxy jacket with slim high-waters and white socks—is surely destined for a revival, or at least worthy of one. So for those who wish to honor the singer’s memory with an appropriately dressed moonwalk, where to look?

My first stop is the Carroll Gardens vintage shop 2 Silhouettes on the Shade (482 Court St., 718-858-9229). I have often seen the owners, Janet and Michael Marcus, sitting in lawn chairs outside the store, and I now I know why—it is so jam-packed with merchandise that they can’t fit inside. I burrow into the back and come across a stack of Isotoner fedoras ($12 each) alongside a rack of uniform jackets ($35-75). The epaulettes and brass buttons are pure Michael. Too bad they don’t come in black. (more…)