
Last Tuesday, as the snow came down, I found myself way over on the east side on Orchard Street. In the window at the denim shop Earnest Sewn, which has taken over the corner retail space of the old Tenement Museum Shop, there was a large container of cotton branches. It was a great prop for a denim shop- but it was more than that. Tucked away in the back of the store they have a florist...

The two pictures, below, are of Orchard and Broome from inside 88 Orchard as the snow came falling down. On a quiet winter day this may be one of my most favorite intersections in the city.


With my luck, of course, the proprietor of the shop was stuck out making a delivery in the sudden snowfall; pictures (permission to take them, anyways) would have to wait for another day. The shop is tucked into a cozy corner of the store. It feels like a step back in time with its brick walls and antiques. They have flowers drying overhead, and pans of beautiful rose petals collecting underneath their simple cutting station. If you are walking past Earnest Sewn
or getting a bite at 88 Orchard, you should stop in and enjoy their pretty retail space. Flower Girl has a website coming soon. And we hope to be back soon and get to snap some pics.
Last week greceodeco mentioned seeing cotton branches somewhere i the city. Could this have been the place?
matt at apartment therapy dot com
What happened to the Tenement Museum shop?
view Lesley - London's profile
don't worry, the shop moved just a few doors closer to Delancey. It's still there - on the same block at least.
view *heather leaf*'s profile
Actually, there's a florist on 86th Street at the corner of Columbus on the southeast corner of 86th Street who always has cotton branches....
view AmyE's profile
What is the sign in the window mentioning "genitals???"
view hdtex's profile
hdtex - I was wondering the same thing. Please elaborate Matt!
view Sassy in SF's profile
Thx Heather Leaf
Lovely pictures. And I have never seen a cotton branch. It looks like a display you would want to touch.
view Lesley - London's profile
Re: Lesley and touching cotton
For me, raw cotton brings up memories of the stories my father told me about picking cotton as a kid...it's really scratchy and nasty, and there are all sorts of gross critters in the fields. So, while I wear cotton clothes, I don't think I'll ever feel right about using raw cotton as a decorating tool. But to each his own!
view Deandrea's profile
I think it was a sign for listing new year's resolutions...or Valentine's wishes...something of that nature. I can't honestly remember - but now I'm as curious as you guys! (But not enough to call up Earnest Cut & Sew and ask about the genitals in their windows).
P.S. Flower Girl had a small review in January Vogue (Index area in back), describing florist Denise Porcaro as 'up-and-coming' and counting Drew Barrymore as a client at the new shop. The shop is really very charming, a beautiful location for a flower shop. Something about the denim and flowers, too, a nice (although surprising) combination for a retail space. Utowa is another shop that combines flowers with clothing with different results.
For those of you who have traveled the world, is it common for flower shops to share retail space in other cities?
view mattplantguy's profile
love the restaurant on the opposite corner there - Little Giant. Just went for a delicious brunch yesterday and saw the Earnest Sewn store from across the street and was wondering what it was!
view eebnyc's profile
I grew up near a cotton field, where I loved to play among the dried bolls after harvest. Seeing this display brings back nice memories. Does anyone in Chicago know if Jayson's still carries it?
view alexisfromtexas's profile