After Nearly 50 Years, a Beloved East Village Indian Boutique Is Closing
The New York Times
Dress Shoppe II, an Indian fabric and clothing shop in Manhattan, will shut its doors at the end of January.
Walking into Dress Shoppe II is like walking into an emporium of color and cloth. The shelves are overflowing with hand-embroidered fabrics and saris, the racks are tightly packed with kurtas and salwar suits, and even the ceilings are covered in intricate tapestries. Below the main floor of the shop, there are two storage floors packed with piles of additional product. All of it needs to go by Jan. 31.
After nearly 50 years of business, the treasured East Village store is shutting down. Following nearly two years of pandemic-related struggles, combined with a landlord dispute, the loss of her husband and her own health problems, Saroj Goyal, the owner, decided that closing the store was the best choice.
“Every moment is special here,” said Ms. Goyal, 72, as she sat sipping hot tea on a December afternoon. Every so often, she paused the conversation to help a customer who had wandered in, sharing suggestions and telling them to check out the shop’s Instagram.
