Sincerely, Tommy
Boutique Overview
Sincerely, Tommy, located in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, focuses on sourcing items from Brooklyn-based artists as well as from sought-after places abroad like Australia and Hungary. In addition to the material lifestyle and womenswear goods found at Sincerely, Tommy, locals bond over the in-house coffee bar. Exposed brick walls matched with marble and natural cement make the perfect space for an exposé to Brooklyn life.
In 2019 owner Kai Avant-deLeon opened the boutique hostel and plant-based eatery Sincerely, Tommy Eat & Stay. The space has become a catalyst for welcoming people back to Bed-Stuy. Filled with homey artifacts from Avant-deLeon’s mother’s and grandmother’s homes, S, T Eat & Stay mimics the Sincerely, Tommy retail space in authenticity, culture, and progress.
Owner Kai Avant-deLeon photographed at Sincerely, Tommy Coffee. Source: Doré.
Owner Bio
Kai Avant-deLeon, born and raised in Bed-Stuy, has a passion for family, community, and progress. Sincerely, Tommy is homed in a classic Brooklyn brownstone owned by Avant-deLeon’s grandmother who migrated from Grenada. Bed-Stuy has at times had a rough reputation but is also known for its resilient, cultural, and stylish atmosphere filled with young locals, like Avant-deLeon, advocating for their home.
Avant-deLeon got her start in retail at Addy & Ferro, a store in Fort Greene, helping sell menswear. She quickly fell in love with the trade and realized she wanted to open her own store. Avant-deLeon went on to work at Chanel where she gained a lot of backends, operations management experience. What Avant-deLeon learned most from Chanel is how to sell an experience. People want to go to Chanel, and now Sincerely, Tommy, even if they aren’t buying.
S, T quickly became more than a place to buy clothes and home goods. Avant-deLeon has seen a lot of changes in her neighborhood over the years, due mostly to gentrification. Sincerely, Tommy serves as a space that shows you can be from Bed-Stuy and contribute to Bed-Stuy. Its roots are firmly in the neighborhood and have inspired other young locals to plant themselves around S, T.
Avant-deLeon believes “It's important that you invest back into the community that you're from, as opposed to complaining about it or just leaving.”
Inside Look
“A store where you can be really inspired by the overall aesthetic and what you find there.”
Brand Highlights
The Pincode Maxi Skirt is a wonderful house brand example of what Sincerely, Tommy aims to supply.
Simple, elegant, engaging, and dynamic.
In many of Sincerely, Tommy’s pieces we see muted colors enhanced by subtle textures and modern aspects like puff sleeves.
The Sincerely, Tommy in-house coffee shop brings Avant-deLeon’s dream of keeping Bed-Stuy local and alive to life.
Raini Home, also the brainchild of Avant-deLeon, is “imaginative minimalism for the home.” The D2 dining chair, handcrafted in Brooklyn, borders on functional art.
The Pola Wool Coat reflects the architecture of the Sincerely, Tommy storefront with a mix of hard and soft. Like the marble with exposed brick, the boxy form of this coat made out of soft wool inspires calmness and individuality.
Teff square toed mules in yellow, personality with simplicity.
S, T Eat & Stay boutique hostel with a plant-based eatery.
Movement, styled with anything. Revealing in a modest way.
A lined and textured blouse and pants set in the prettiest spring green color.
One of Sincerely, Tommy’s more adventurous pieces, these shorts pay homage to the Bed-Stuy neighborhood’s vibrant clothing culture.
Two-tone candles from Brooklyn’s own husband and wife due at Casa Ziki.
A cheeky summer fishnet knit market bag.
This sweater is bright and fun, just like the Bed-Stuy Avant-deLeon remembers and preserves.
Edited By Kieryn Alexander