Hai Spandex and Fabric

Stretchy bolts and shimmering bolts share shelf space in Midtown’s quiet textile corridor. Hai Spandex and Fabric keeps the garment district humming with materials that move and shine. Designers, cosplayers, and home sewers stop by when they need something that won’t fight the body or the eye.

On West 38th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, the store sits steps from the Fashion Institute of Technology and the last remaining button wholesalers. The block still feels like the backstage of New York’s apparel industry, where fabric is measured in yards and urgency is measured in deadlines. They stock everything from four-way stretch to metallic brocades, all sold by the bolt or the remnant.

For directions or to check if a particular shade of lycra is in stock, dial (212) 764-2166 before you walk. A quick call saves a trip when the color you need is hiding behind the last bolt of black. Find the map here. The neighborhood still trades in yards, not clicks.