Trash and Vaudeville

Ray Goodman opened his rock 'n' roll clothing boutique, Trash and Vaudeville, in 1975, just as the New York music scene was making its transition from glam to punk. More than three decades later, Trash and Vaudeville still bridges that stylistic divide, though it has now moved from its original building on St. Marks Place. Trash and Vaudeville sold clothes to the Ramones, Blondie and Johnny Thunders in 1977 and to My Chemical Romance in 2005. "We're still selling the real deal: bondage pants, vinyl miniskirts, skulls," says longtime employee Jimmy Webb (not the songwriter of "Wichita Lineman" fame). "Debbie Harry used to buy clothes by the pound." At the street level, Trash sells brightly colored shoes, kitschy accessories and high-end clothing lines like L.A.M.B. and Miss Sixty. Up one flight, Vaudeville sells punk, rock, goth and glam-style clothes for men and women. "If you're looking for beige," says Jimmy, "don't come."