Sky was super helpful, pleasant, and really helped me out. Above and beyond. Fantastic selection of high quality clothing. Great space (and history) to shop. Highly recommended. read more

John Varvatos is definitely my favorite male fashion icon. I was very sad when the store near my apartment on Madison Avenue closed. Although I can't afford the clothing I love to look. If I was a man this would be my style. If you can afford, or have great credit , (haha) go in and treat yourself. This location is in a great neighborhood. I can't wait to return. read more

Bit too expensive for me personally. Love the aesthetic of the store though. Has a beautiful vintage look to it.

Made a CBGB pilgrimage to the village and really enjoyed the vibe of the Varvatos store. The lighting is a little low but the salvaged original graffiti on the rough walls and the original stage are sweet. Purists may see clashing sensibilities here but I didn't think so. It's preservation and memory - check it out even if you're not into fashion. read more

To think that back in the day, I used to drink $5 cocktails here and now you probably couldn't buy a bag here for less than $500. Oh how the rock n roll times have changed. The Bowery area is undergoing some major changes and while I think for the most part that progress is good, why take away CBGBs. I realize this is a retired old soap box of an argument, but still, it just makes me sad. Which is kinda the impression my friend and I left with. Yes, they've done a fine job saluting the awesomeness of yesteryear with the framed posters and the rock wall, but other than that, it just seemed like a store for posers. Posers with money. I will agree with the others that the store is visually stunning. I loved the black chandeliers and the stuff they are selling is pretty choice, but I guess at the end of the day, I still hang my head in sadness that the venue that first made me wanna be in the music biz over 17 years ago is now an overpriced clothing store. Change, what are ya gonna do. read more

John Varvatos - Men's Clothing Near Me - New York, New York

The last time I was in here was to do "Punk Rock Aerobics" at CBGB's, where we used a brick as a weight, and had to do mock aerobic moves like "The Skank" to music like The Snivelling Shits. There's still some of the original interior left: a shell of it's former self. read more

The girlfriend would be very hard-pressed to call me fashionable. However, there are designers and articles of clothing that I have to admit I truly enjoy. John Varvatos would be one of the few designers of Men's clothes that I recognize and whose fashions I like, especially his line of shoes. The John Varvatos store treads on rock music holy ground, the former address of CBGB, but it tries and, I think, succeeds in paying appropriate homage to the legendary club. The dark interior, painted black, contains an eclectic décor, which is part vintage vinyl record store, part museum with rock memorabilia, and 100 percent cutting edge clothing is worth checking out if only to listen to the great music being pumped through the store via vintage tubed McIntosh amps. Plenty of items were on sale and some of them were even in my size. Much more was not on sale. All of the items for sale looked amazing! My one critique was that all of the sales associates were a bit aloof as no one ever approached me to ask if I needed assistance. I guess I didn't look like a serious customer. Still, it doesn't hurt to ask...you just may make a sale. On this particular day? No sale. 5 stars for the very cool store. 2 stars for the service, or lack thereof. Call it 3.5, but rounding down to 3. read more

Sorry, You can never be this cool. I mean, you can try but this type of coolness is reserved at rock star levels. Here's a guy (A Greek Guy no less thankyouverymuch) who made his bones at Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klien and busted it out on his own. John Varvatos was made famous by the 1992 print ads featuring Mark Wahlberg on those Time Square billboards back in the day. Then it all starts rolling for JV, Chrysler asked him for a limited edition 300, cologne brand, shoes, boots, jeans, jackets, the skies the limit! To make the old CBGB cool again, I laughed when they said it couldn't be done by JV. Well, it was done and done right. Walking into this store is both historic and updated for the 21st century. The great part about the John Varvatos clothing line, its not trendy, cheaply made clothing. I bought a pair of John Varvatos Chukka boots, they're comfortable and are wearing well. My teenagers love to come into the store and browse the old record albums. If you want to see history unfolding, I highly recommend stopping by and looking in the John Varvatos store. My favorite designer who happens to be Greek (My mom is 1/2 Greek) Opa! read more

For the sake of full disclosure I'll admit I never had the chance to attend a show at CBGBs - but I know the great history of the space and the bands who came through its doors. For all the people complaining about Varvatos - they were closing CBGB's either way, what he did was save it from being lost forever - sure it isn't "the same" but his pricey line of clothing has allowed him to preserve a piece of rock history. Visually stunning and run by a designer who is deeply invested in the rock community, I must admit I'd have preferred a bit more professionalism from the aloof staff while browsing suits that cost $3K and cufflinks that cost $1,500 - but all told they were helpful without being overbearing. Rock and Fashion can mix and while this certainly isn't the bargain basement that CBGBs once was, I didn't see Walmart pony up the money to save the venue - Varvatos did - and his goods are worth the pricetag if you have the means. read more

In terms of the preservation and pilgrimage of CBGBs - very interesting but definitely depressing! Everything the punks would have hated. Skull patterned sport coats at $400, goofy shoes with leather tassels, lots of biz casual. The stage where so many legends played is covered with yuppie shoes. I appreciated that the people working at the store let us and a few others wander around in peace, but it felt a little like going into a church that got vandalized with Jesus porno or something. read more

John Varvatos - Hey! Ho! Let's Go get some suits - Men's Clothing Near Me - New York, New York

Just walked by the store on the way home to look at any possible outfits for the fiancé to wear for the big day. I'm really torn on this review. Because I really liked the sales guy but there was another factor that made this shopping experience really uncomfortable for us. We were helped by this really nice man who showed us some suits and vests. He was very helpful, knowledgeable, and sweet. He showed us a bunch of different options, all along the lines of what we were looking for. 5 stars to him. But -10 stars to the d**k security guard who followed us around the whole time. Oh and I made sure I wasn't just being sensitive. I made sure to walk up and down the store, stopped at different points - in the middle, in the end, in the middle again, to the left, to the right - and yup, his ass was following us the whole time. Even when the sales guy was helping us for about 15 mins, security douche was still standing just a few feet away, starting... always staring. Now I know it's his job. But is it also his job to make customer feel like they're not welcome in the store? To make us feel like we're no better than common criminals? No matter how great the service was, I'm only gonna remember how uncomfortable the security douche made me feel. I wanna go back and get the suit with my fiancé, I really do. It's beautiful and he's excited about it. But you know what, we probably won't because we don't want to spend almost $3,000 after being treated like petty thugs. I hope management from this store actually checks Yelp. You need to fire that guy. Or better yet, you need to train him not to drive away paying customers. Seriously, I can go get a nice suit somewhere else and be treated 10x better. read more

My husband loves John Varvatos clothing. He finds the styles and the quality to be quite nice. I've gotten him a few items online, but we enjoyed shopping at the Bowery location when visiting NYC recently. I actually preferred this location to the one in SoHo. I found it to be quieter and the selection better. My husband purchased a maroon short sleeved button down shirt. The fabric is soft and it is lightweight and stylish. read more

4.50 stars. John Varvatos is an exceptional clothing designer and New York City should be thrilled to have a shop dedicated simply to his clothing in their city. I tend to agree with Michael U. - if CBGBs was going to close anyway, why are people upset that Varvatos at least kept an essence of the prior space? I thought the staff was rather friendly (probably because I happened to be wearing Varvatos shoes that day), but I ended up leaving the store empty-handed. At this point in my life, these high end designer clothes, while both comfortable and quite possibly serving as the paragon of how to design menswear, are generally out of my price range. Having said that, it is an extraordinary clothing store that unquestionably designs a quality product. read more

We were in New York recently and my husband really wanted to visit the old CBGB. He knew that it was a clothing store, but he did his homework and knew that John Varvatos kept some of the original elements as part of his store. So, we stopped by for a quick look around and really enjoyed the place..for what it is versus what it used to be. The staff was very busy setting up for a concert/book signing later that evening, but the employee that helped us was super nice! We were free to browse and take photos without complaint or anyone from security following us around. We ended up buying a lovely sweater for my husband. Edgar, the very nice sales associate, told us all about the Lou Reed event happening in the store that night and offered to put us on the list. Regretfully we had to decline, but he told us to call about upcoming events the next time we plan to be in the city and just let them know that we'd like to be put on the list for any event we're interested in. Now, that might not sound like much to some people, but to two travelers from Ohio, it was a very nice offer and probably some of the nicest service we received all week. We really appreciated it and we will probably revisit the store the next time we are in NY. read more

I don't know a thing about fashion, so if you're going here for John Varvatos' clothing line, you can ignore this review. Clothing aside, this store is a tourist trap. It's nice to look at the remnants of CBGB, but if you buy one of the wildly overpriced vintage amps or LPs, you'll be overpaying by about 400%. Also creepy is the obsequious staff and security guard. Just watch me like a hawk so I don't steal things, and skip the fake friendliness, please. Good for killing five minutes. If you collect records, have a look at the prices for a good laugh. read more

The Bowery Store used to be one of my favorite places to shop. It has great decor and as the flagship store, invites to free shows and friends/family sales are fun and occur often. The staff, however, have become increasingly unhelpful and rude. I've been coming here since 2007, spent thousands of dollars on clothing here, and witnessed a negative change over time. The first several employees made shopping fun, often making great suggestions in combinations of pieces as well as being quick to accommodate (rushes in tailoring, updating on upcoming sales/performances). It didn't matter what I wore to the store that day, what I felt like purchasing, or if I came just to chat, they never pushed and their level of manners were consistent. Now, many of the staff don't introduce themselves unless I'm wearing something in the genre of the brand and seem only in the mindset of selling clothing and not building relationships. Many don't respond intelligently when it comes to the fabric and tailoring. Once a manager even accused me of bringing in non-Varvatos clothing to be altered because it was in a non-Varvatos bag even when I offered to show him the contents. He was actually raising his voice to the point where other customers noticed. At that point I realized how ridiculous the store had become. I still am loyal to the brand but I will not be visiting the Bowery Store any more. Go to the store on Spring Street...decor may not be as rock n roll but the service there is still consistent. read more

This Varvatos store is amazing. Varvatos' style is Rock n' Roll meets Black Tie Event. Suits and shirts with fun, sometimes dark, detailing. Sometimes flamboyant, sometimes subtle. The store rocks the same notes. The staff is dressed appropriately, like they all went to a rock concert in an Opera house. Without the snootiness. And fat women. But they were all very helpful, and eager to help. I'm in love. If only I had enough credit to afford the stuff. In full disclosure, I've never been to the old CBGB. Oh well. read more

This review is for their website, johnvarvatos.com, however there is no way to review that on yelp or google. "I ordered several things from johnvarvatos.com during their end of season sale a few weeks ago. The first thing that struck me as odd is that AFTER you place an order, you have to wait for your order to be 'approved'... meaning that they can just cancel your order after you placed it for any reason. Of the several items I ordered, 2 actually got shipped right away, 2 were labeled as approved, and one labeled as backordered. Now, several weeks after I placed the order I got informed via email that all 3 items I haven't received are not available and are cancelled. Even more frustrating, I ordered a pair of gloved in a separate order on the same day. After ordering, I sent a picture to a friend of mine asking if she liked them. She said she did like them and in fact decided to order a pair for herself. Although she placed her order after me, she received the gloves right away... on the other hand, my order with the gloves has now been switched from 'approved' to 'backordered'. This level of disorganization, and just cancelling orders left and right is shocking, and unacceptable from a major company such as John Varvatos. I will certainly think twice before ordering again, and would NOT recommend it to others." read more

An icon of American music and an icon of men's fashion blend SEAMLESSLY in this location. John Varvatos happens to be one of my favourite designers right now, if not my ultimate favourite. He manages to keep current with today's trends and at the same time creates his own. His clothing seems to scream "Americana", so it was only fitting that when CBGB closed it's doors, that John Varvatos take his place. Visiting this location was simply ORGASMIC. I literally had goosebumps walking around here. It is simply amazing how John Varvatos' design team managed to keep the vibe (and some of the memorabilia) of CBGB is pristine condition. It is AMAZING. The CBGB ambiance is still there (including a small stage) and it definitely bleeds into Varvatos' collection. As far as his collection, if you are a fan of Varvatos, expect everything you need in this collection, along with key styles from seasons past. The collection here seems to be geared towards the "all american rock and roll" guy, which makes the setting for the store THAT much better. Go and check it out for a visit. It will definitely be worth your time. read more

This place hits all the high notes! Great staff. My wife instantly made friends with two of the staff members who were informed of my short shopping attention span. In a matter of minutes I was trying on shirts, pants, bracelets... plus still had time to look at the guitars. Fun place and good stuff! read more

This is perhaps the Best John Varvatos Store in the US. Based on my experience, they have the Best selection and Customer Service. Any product that you cannot find anywhere else, this store has them and you can fully trust Kelsey and Kenneth with their recommendation. They will help you make the right decision and will make sure you are satisfied with your purchase. read more

Amazing men's clothing that makes beautiful, classy gifts. Fun, cool store.

I usually buy John Varvatos online or at Nordstrom, but prefer to buy directly from their store when I'm in NYC. The service was excellent at this location. The staff was very genuine, nice, and attentive without being overbearing. This wasn't just with me; I noticed this level of professionalism with other customers as well. I wasn't planning on buying anything, but these guys were so darn great I bought a couple of pieces - with no regrets. Can't wait to get back (and very excited about their forthcoming DC location)! read more

It's a pretty cool store. Has lots of fun stuff. Has remnants of CBGB. But everything is way too expensive to even consider purchasing. read more

I came here because it was a must on my NYC travel checklist; CBGB's old location. I hesitated going inside because of angry previous reviews I've read from individuals with the same mission as me. I went inside anyway and was surprised to see that a lot of the old music venue has been left behind and an employee there encouraged me to look around and take as many photos as I'd like to. Completely opposite of what all these angry reviewers had been saying. No one tried selling me anything, they let me do my own thing. I even sat down for a bit to skim through one of the rock and roll photograph books they have on their coffee table. Photos and posters of this locations glory days decorate their walls (graffiti as well) and they have some of the old equipment used in the CBGB days on display as well. I thanked the employee before I left for letting me look around and he was still very nice. Thanks for being nice to this CBGB pilgrim ! Really appreciate it ! Didn't give the full 5 stars cos you're not CBGB anymore ... lol read more

John Varvatos - Men's Clothing Near Me - New York, New York

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Great clothes, cool funky store. Helpful staff member as soon as she realized we were actually going to buy something but I was really put off by the security guard. Big fella, followed us around. Luckily he was distracted by an Italian tourist who tried to take a photo. I was relieved when he didn't shoot her, but hissed at her (literally). That stopped her shooting any photos, naughty girl. I don't know what they are taught in Italian schools, but they must have missed the classes on how dangerous it is to photograph the inside of trendy New York shops. Free gigs on first Thursday of the month for members. Worth joining if you are a local and like The Who, ACDC etc. I did walk out with three cool garments, which I did pay for. S read more

High end hipsters dancing on CBGBS grave. I went in to check it out I was looking at some converse shoes (cuz $175 for one stars is logical) and as I'm looking for my size the guy who works there walks up and says I can't handle the merchandise. I have to look at the shoes on display. I said I like the black hi tops but I need a size 12. He insists HE will find them and I should stop touching the shoe boxes. After several moments he offers me some white lo tops: no. Blue lo tops: no. A black lo top: no. I like the BLACK HI TOPS. He offers them in an 11 1/2 at that point I just walked out. I wanted to see the old CBGB and the black hi tops were cool, but in the end the rude sales hipster and high end douchebag atmosphere was too much. read more

I bought a pair of boat shoes from their online store, after wearing them twice they started squeaking so loud that I was embarrassed to walk with them in a public place. After sending them a video they said oh yes these were faulty products and we will give you a refund. The process of getting a $150 refund took almost 3 months of constant emailing and not getting it and then being referred to Borderfree by which they do the refund as I was told. I had to then call Borderfree a few times to follow up whereas I believe it was all John Varvatos's responsibility not the customer. 50 emails and 10 phone calls later. I got a refund for $120 and was told the Shipping charge won't be refunded. Overall, my experience is that this brand is not worth the money. read more

The decor and vibe of this boutique is amazing, rock n' roll glam at its most chic, and it speaks to the location, where the soul of such things has permeated for so long. From the layout to the products, everything is stellar. I've been a follower and customer of John Varvatos since I was a teen, I think it's an amazing label. However, upon entering, my feelings about the atmosphere changed with the reception I received from the staff. I wasn't greeted by the guard at the door, nor by any of the many employees strewn about the store either attending to menial tasks or standing idle at their register stations. I had come in with an agenda, I called the day before about the sizing availability of a pair of boots. I walked to the boots section without so much as a nod of acknowledgment or smile, so I took to myself to look around for several moments, trying to look perplexed and in need of help, still completely unaccosted, I tried to look out to hail for help, until finally I caught eyes with a particular tall blonde salesman, but he seemed rather displeased that I had, and looked as though he was being bothered. He shuffled his feet reluctantly towards me. He offered me this drawn uninterested expression as I proceeded to inquire my goals for being at the shop, and continued being underwhelmed, constantly hesitating to take any measures to assist me (discuss various products with me, check for product and size availability, etc.). Everything from his tone, body language, and lack of initiative to accommodate me made it clear as day he wasn't there for me. He also kept asking if I was 'planning on purchasing today' which I found quite rude. He was attending this other middle aged couple, catering to their every whim, chatting them up blithely, absolutely concerned to see their every need met. The dichotomy between who he was with me and who he was with them was clear as day, and his lack of attempt to mask it were plain offensive. Now... I understand sales, and being concerned with commission and wanting to foster a relationship with clientele who are going to be more inclined to want to return to purchase more from you, but what made this gentlemen assume I wasn't one such person? None of the other employees passing me by as I was waiting (exceedingly long) for my turn to be helped regarded my presence in the slightest. By the end of my experience, the salesman's and staff's continued lack of interest and enthusiasm to help me discouraged my own captivation with my endeavor, so I walked out. I can and will gladly continue ordering my John Varvatos products online. Such a shame for them. read more

i chased the lie of punk rock my entire adolescence and then some. i spent a lot of my weekends as a kid hanging out in cbgb's. let me tell you what i have to show for it- large spans of memory blanked by alcohol, a juvenile arrest record, and a lot of regret. long f*cking live john varvatos. i can't afford their clothes except during sales, but i still love their gear. the sales staff at this location is warm, professional, and helpful; a huge change from the icy/nose-up soho attitude. i've been impressed with most of associates i've dealt with there. even though i'm rarely there and usually unable to afford anything they go out of their way to introduce themselves and remember my name. they're mostly former punk rockers. oh the irony. itchy, mikey, rick, and izzy are among my favorites. i'm an nyc artist. i've paid homage to cbgb's replacement in a piece of mine: http://boroughoflostboys.com/2011/01/25/frankie-leone-borough-of-lost-boys-williamsburg-brooklyn-manhattan-john-varvatos-315-bowery-2nd-st/ read more

Love the boots I got from here. I called the store and had them delivered. Nice and friendly staff. I hope to be back soon!!!!

Very interesting shop full of cool dude clothes and music. Yes, you probably aren't cool enough to actually shop here. The decor and staff as well as the clothing are pure rock and roll. The posters and guitar collection as well as amps for sale lend a great vibe though prices are on the high side. read more

To be fair, I just can't walk into this place. I know they still have shows here occasionally but... I just can't do it. I miss CBGBs... I was okay when Zepplin showed up in a Caddy commercial several years ago, I didn't flinch when getting your song in an Ipod commercial was deemed one of the most surefire ways to break a band and I sure as hell haven't been an MTV viewer for over ten years but this...this was the straw for me. read more

Love the decor in this place, in addition to the clothes - get me some Johnnie V boots for Christmas and i'll be a very happy camper indeed! Love the authentic feel of some of the details, old hifi equipment, old designer studio stuff, really has been a lot of thought put into this place and the fitting rooms are massive which is good if you're there in winter with about 4 layers to throw down before you can try on a shirt. Staff are friendly and not overly in your face so overall it's a great shopping experience if you like what JV has to offer. Keep up the good work. read more

What other store do you go into feeling badass, drinking a beer while shopping, being helped by super friendly staff, and thennn meeting the designer himself?! My experience has been second to none and Kelsey, Michael, and the rest of the Bowery staff will bring me back for years to come. JV is slowly taking over my closet and with great variety from designer heavy metal tees to my 9 to 5 work suits (I'm far from rich, you just gotta find the deals). Recently Kelsey went the extra mile and helped me with a hard to find jacket from last season and shipped it down to D.C... I was wearing it two days later. I look forward to getting to Bowery this Spring and hopefully catching one of the live shows right there in the store! read more

generic rock albums and memorabilia, no attempt at emulating the essence of punk which made that space (ahem, CBGB's) sacred.

I came here for a pop up of Guns n Roses items before their big show in NJ. I had heard of this place but had never come here. But now that I've been, I am definitely going to come back! There is a hip, rocker vibe when you enter the store. There is just so much in the store that it will take a while to get through everything! The store is a little dark and edgy but I absolutely loved it. The biggest downfall is that I wanted to see something that was up on the wall and it took way too long for a staff member to help me. And when she finally did, did so with this sort of bored, why are you bothering me look. And it isn't as if there was a lot of people in the store, maybe like 3 other people shopping and away from where I was standing. Good customer service is so hard to come by these days. After she gave me the shirt I wanted to see, just walked away. Didn't ask can I help you with anything else? Cause if she would have helped me, actually helped out, and saw that the shirt was 2 sizes too big, she would have gotten me the correct size and actually gotten a sale. Instead, I put the shirt on the counter and walked out. Thank goodness the rest of the store was awesome. read more

Wow my new love JV gear... My first timing shopping here for clothing, shoes and accessories landed the coolest wool causal dress jacket with wire fitted into the cuffs and lapel so you can mold it into any shape you want... with a 50% off sale post xmas saved me $650, but the best part was this jacket was it was sold out but they found one in the basement that one of the staff was going to buy and he gave it up for me, so big points... plus the cute sales women also assisted me fitting a pair of special JV limited edition converse runners, that turned out to be the wrong size when I got back to my apartment in NYC and she called me with updates and stayed in connect until they arrived.... Amazing cool store with the retro music equipment and old building, and top notch staff to boot.. read more

Call me old fashioned but I get thrown off when a sales associate greets you with "yo," and "hey." They are slow, lazy, rude and uneducated about their brand. read more

Nice dry goods expensive but if you can catch a sale then you can grab some nice threads