A Timex digital watch is $60.

As you may have heard, Trader Joe’s and Urban Outfitters are getting a new neighbor, and his name is Barney. Come this September, Barneys Co-op will open up a new location on Atlantic and Court, solidifying Atlantic Avenue as Brooklyn’s upscale shopping destination. In case you’re wondering if this is a good thing or a bad thing for Brooklyn, and what, really, the difference is between Barneys New York and Barneys Co-op, let’s call the Co-op the artsy little sister. (more…)

The offiical Fashion's Night Out t-shirt model.

Maybe you’ve heard about tonight’s shopping orgy—the Vogue-sponsored Fashion’s Night Out—in which stores all over the city are staying open til 10 or 11 with cocktails, freebies and trunk shows to “encourage the fun of fashion again.” Okay, but it’s not the store hours that are cutting into the fun of fashion for a lot of us. Why, we can shop at 2 p.m. on Tuesdays!

So what’s going on in Brooklyn? Not tons. It turns out that most of the really fab action in this Fashion Week kickoff event is in Manhattan, but here are a few local haps:

- Brooklyn Industries is having a party from 6 to 10 at the Smith Street store, with shopping discounts and a show by Brooklyn-based alt-rockers Breaking Laces.

- The American Apparel stores in Williamsburg and Park Slope will be selling a special Fashion’s Night Out tote bag as a fundraiser for the Sept. 11 memorial. Buy one and get 20 percent off all purchases.

- You can bring your gently used garments to the three Bird locations (316 Fifth Avenue, 203 Grand Street or 220 Smith Street) or the two Brooklyn Macy’s locations as part of a citywide clothing drive.

- Pieces of Brooklyn (671 Brooklyn between Park and Vanderbilt) will be showcasing Brooklyn-based designers.

- Wonk, where we would buy furniture if we could afford it, is hosting 10 BK designers at its Dumbo store, 68 Jay Street, from 5 to 10.

The official Fashion’s Night Out web site is a bit of a slog—but Greenpointers has some Franklin Street events and About.com has a decent list of participating retailers in Brooklyn.

Fred Flare photo by Stefan Tonio

For the Brooklyn teen in search of ways to stretch that ever-waning allowance dollar, five ways to work it out:

GREENPOINT
What happens when you gather all the cutest merchandise one could possibly find and put it in one store for sale? You get Fred Flare (left) The brand with the ultimate cute factor has been an online shop for over 10 years, with affordable and stylish findings: clothing, accessories, home goods, etc.  But they just recently opened a physical location in Greenpoint. With nice employees and a cheerful design, this little store could be the happiest place in Brooklyn. Fred Flare, 131 Meserole Ave, 718-349-1257, www.fredflare.com. (more…)