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An Alternative Department StoreJust a short walk from the Kendall/MIT Red Line T station in Cambridge, The Garment District is a large and unique retail clothing store, stocking all styles of women’s and men’s new and used clothes, shoes, and accessories. With over 12,000 square feet of retail space bursting with more than 40,000 unique items at any given time, you’ll always find a large assortment of options at affordable prices. The store is open every day, and accepts all major credit cards.
New items are put out daily, so you’ll find something fresh every time you visit. Whether you’re looking for casual apparel, business attire, or party clothes, we carry it all.
Our stock is specifically selected to be seasonally-appropriate. We carry tons of coats and winter accessories during the cooler months, thousands of holiday sweaters in December, racks and racks of tank tops and cut-offs in the summer months, and a warehouse’s worth of costumes during October. And of course, we stock everyday essentials year-round: dresses, denim, pants, suits, hats, shoes, purses, ties, and so much more.
Whether you’re looking for a new suit for work, a trendy Little Black Dress, or the perfect outfit for a 1980’s theme party, The Garment District is your one-stop shop for budget-conscious fashion!
Store HistoryThe Garment District opened in 1986 as an off-shoot of a textile company called the Harbor Textile Waste Co., which manufactured and sold wiping cloths and gloves to a variety of industries. In 1981, Harbor Textile decided to put out a few bales of clothing every Saturday morning for the public to browse through and buy by the pound. By The Pound (or, as it was then known, Dollar-A-Pound) became a Saturday staple, and a few years later The Garment District opened to complement the By The Pound business.
The Garment District building at 200 Broadway in Cambridge is the last standing structure associated with the city’s once-booming soap manufacturing industry. Our building dates back to 1893, when an older factory on the site was destroyed by fire. Until World War II, the building housed soap manufacturer Lysander Kemp & Sons. In the postwar years, the building was occupied by several businesses, including the Cambridge Printing Co, a bronze foundry, and Harbor Textile Waste Co.
In 2007, Boston Costume joined The Garment District and By The Pound at 200 Broadway. Boston Costume has been a Boston institution since 1965, and was previously located in Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood.
Recycled ClothingThe Garment District prides itself on having been a “green” business since Day 1. While only a small fraction of the bulk clothing we purchase is selected to be steamed and tagged for sale in the store, much of the remaining clothing is selected for sale through By The Pound. Items that haven’t sold in either department are eventually rotated out, and are passed on to other businesses for various uses. These uses include cutting clothing to be used for rags, and grinding up clothing to be used in car mats, rug mats, and the like. Not all fabric can be recycled but we make every effort to recycle everything that we can.
Every year, Americans throw away millions of pounds of perfectly usable clothing every year. And with constant trend turn-overs and “fast fashion” production, it can be easy to see out-of-style clothing as disposable. However, by “recycling” unwanted clothing by buying and selling secondhand, we can keep these clothes from clogging up landfills, and cut down on the high carbon and pollutant footprint it often requires to manufacture new clothing.
The Garment District & Boston Costume
Monday through Friday: 11am – 8pm
Saturday: 10am – 8pm
Sunday: 11am – 7pm
By The Pound
Monday through Thursday: 11am – 8pm
Friday: 11am – 6pm
Saturday: 10am – 8pm
Sunday: 11am – 7pm
We are open every day of the year except July 4th, Thanksgiving & Christmas Day.