buyer's guide

Antique Oddities and Vintage-Inspired Baubles at Albertine General

Albertine boutique owner Kyung Lee has been busier than ever since the recession hit. In May, she opened sister store Albertine Workspace, a custom-design dress shop (formerly Claudine), next door. And this month she added a third, Albertine General, turning her once-tiny boutique into a West Village mini-chain in its own right. The General takes over the former space of much-loved bookshop Oscar Wilde. Mismatched cases full of glittering jewelry are surrounded by the found-object art of master printer Robert Warner, shelves strewn with antique knickknacks, a vintage sewing table, and a piano. It functions as a collective, with a handful of local artists, vintage-hunters, and jewelry designers curating various corners of the shop. Though it’s packed with baubles, the spot has a more masculine, quirky vibe than Lee’s previous stores. Wares like vintage martini glasses, engraved tableware, cards fixed with antique black-and-white photographs, and cuff links made from vintage Guinness buttons skew the glam assortment of diamonds and pearls. Fittingly, Lee fosters a convivial vibe at the General, with friends-and-family socials every Wednesday night that include popped bottles of prosecco, whiskey cocktails, and an occasional piano player. Check out some of our favorite finds in the slideshow.

Albertine General, 15 Christopher St., nr. Greenwich Ave. (212-924-8515)

Antique Oddities and Vintage-Inspired Baubles at Albertine General