Sailor Jerry’s name is painfully appropriate. Walk into the boutique and you will be greeted by blaring music, octopus-shaped chandeliers and oversized plastic fish mounted on the wall.
To fully appreciate the shop, you must understand the story behind it. Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins was a Honolulu native who traveled the world (via boat, of course) in the early 20th century, gathering tattoos wherever he went. As the story goes, in those days tattoos weren’t “nuances of shades and color” but “pictures worth showing off to your buddies back home.”
Jerry allegedly pioneered the old-school tattoo, the kind that set its wearer apart and showed observers the places they’d traveled to. When Jerry died in 1973 he left behind a vast number of followers, a small group of which decided just over a decade ago to honor his memory by opening up a store in his name.
Sailor Jerry offers basics with a biker-meets-sailor twist. Think Ed Hardy (who was, in fact, a protégé of Jerry’s), but less commercial. Most pieces feature screen-printed tattoo sketches inspired by Jerry’s work. Standout items include a skull-printed bowling shirt, a flannel button-down with a stitched anchor emblem and a Sailor Jerry-branded canvas bag. Prices vary from around $30 for a t-shirt to $130 for a dress, and the quality isn’t half bad.
If the modern pirate look isn’t your thing, Sailor Jerry is worth visiting just to check out the impressive merchandising. The store is stocked with used records of bands like the Cure and the Donnas and books on tattoo drawing. Every nook and cranny is filled with pictures of Jerry and props that carry on his memory. It’s impossible not to get into the spirit.
Sailor Jerry has developed quite the cult following and sells its items wholesale in stores across the globe. Every so often Sailor Jerry invites musical groups to take over the store and play a set for the audience (for a schedule of appearances check out sailorjerry.com). There is even a Sailor Jerry-branded rum that can be found in bars nationwide.
Whether you come for the clothes, the booze or the scenery, Sailor Jerry provides a truly unique experience.
Sailor Jerry
116-118 13th St.
(215) 531-6380
The Goods: basics with tattoo-inspired prints
The Bottom Line: Biker-meets-nautical in a shop that pulls out all the stops.
