Best tween clothing store

Best tween clothing storeBerkley Girl

Photo: Astrid Stawiarz

Winner Berkley Girl
“I’ve always enjoyed working with tween-age girls,” says former teacher Jennifer Bruder, “and I’ve always wanted to own a store. So when I got the opportunity, I just took a chance.” The gamble paid off: Bruder’s popular boutique opened in 2002 and already has spawned a second Manhattan location. On the racks are in-demand brands like Juicy Couture and Ralph Lauren in sizes 7 to 16, plus a wide selection of accessories. But keeping the store’s notoriously fickle customers happy isn’t easy. “They have their own idea of what they want,” says Bruder, who scours magazines to spot the latest trends. Recently, she’s noticed a lot of interest in newly launched girls’ lines from high-end adult labels like 7 for all Mankind and True Religion, whose kid jeans can run upwards of $100 a pair. Watch out, parents.

•1418 Second Ave between 73rd and 74th Sts (212-744-9507, berkleygirl.com)
•410 Columbus Ave between 79th and 80th Sts (212-877-4770)

Runner-up Infinity
This UES mainstay has been outfitting trend-obsessed tweens and teens for more than 20 years.

1116 Madison Ave at 83rd St (212-517-4232)

And don’t forget...Thrift stores
Thanks to their one-of-a-kind items and hipster cachet, thrift stores can be gold mines for finicky, fashion-forward city kids, many of whom can fit into vintage adult wear (clothing sizes ran smaller back in the day). While the Salvation Army and Brooklyn thrift emporiums Beacon’s Closet and Buffalo Exchange can outfit a kid for a song, smaller, more selective “vintage” boutiques and city-youth staples like Andy’s Chee-Pees may set you back as much as Berkley or Infinity.

•For Salvation Army locations, go to satruck.com/findstore.asp
•For Beacon’s Closet locations, visit beaconscloset.com
•Buffalo Exchange, 504 Driggs Ave at North 9th St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-384-6901, buffaloexchange.com)
•Andy’s Chee-Pees, 691Broadway between Great Jones and W 4th Sts (212-420-5980)