Profile

Founded more than 150 years ago, Brooklyn Women’s Exchange originally made garments for soldiers who fought in the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and World War I. And as any of the thirty-plus volunteers at this consignment shop in the heart of Brooklyn Heights will proudly tell you, it is the oldest continuously operating exchange of the non-profit Federation of Women's Exchanges in America. Today, the creations of both male and female consignors (the store is associated with more than 300 throughout the country, though most are concentrated in Brooklyn) are sold here. While the operation stocks a wide range of products such as blown glass vases, cloth journals, hand-thrown pottery, pillows, stationery, table runners, and boiled wool hats, it specializes in children’s items. You’ll find crocheted animal rattles and sweaters, cotton blankets, earflap hats, colorful bibs, and a cloth giraffe growth chart; in the back of the store, there are wooden toys, clothes, and games (unlike the rest of the store’s inventory, these are not handmade, and include mancala, backgammon, puzzles, and marbles). On the off chance you don’t find what you’re looking for, you can likely commission it (say, a namesake blanket for a newborn) for a small fee. — Bree Sposato