Listed are some of the coolest avant-garde shops around.
To begin, select a metropolitan area from below.
The stores associated with your selection will appear right here and on the map.
You may be intimidated by the "ring the bell to enter" policy, but don't let that stop you from stopping by Alan Bilzerian. For years now, Bostonians have depended on the store to...
You may be intimidated by the "ring the bell to enter" policy, but don't let that stop you from stopping by Alan Bilzerian. For years now, Bostonians have depended on the store to...
Okay, we admit it, our vision of the Hawaiian wardrobe is based on movies and tourist visits. So, Aloha Rag is at once a shattering of stereotypes and an amazing shopping experience. Aloha Rag...
Reader Suggested:
Amazing women's store in Laguna Beach, CA. They carry very exclusive designers such as, Comme des Garcons, Junya Watanabe, Yohji Yamamoto, Limi Feu, and Maison Martin Margiela. Also, there is...
Reader Suggested:
It's pure, it's simple, it's totally stylish. Run by the brother of (fashion designer) Kostas Murkudis.
Reader Suggested:
Still the hot spot to find the newest and avant-garde fashion designers.
For men who'd like to make a statement with their clothing without resorting to sequins or bright prints, Atelier provides a refreshing alternative. The dramatic space is lined with clothing...
You don't want Marc by Marc, you just want Marc. You wish Yohji would have the decency to write his full name on a piece of your clothing. For those tired of diffusion brands but not quite...
B Store is where Londoners shop to be at the forefront of fashion. The boutique prides itself on finding and supporting the latest, greatest crop of young designers from London and elsewhere. The...
On our visit, Butter was doing its very best to stay low key. The storefront is small and the only adornments were two opaque screens blocking a view of the clothes inside. It wasn't working....
Reader Suggested:
cool store that sells things you can't find most places: comme de garcons, visvim (i believe, i haven't been in awhile), apc, y-3, levi's vintage clothing, spring court.
After walking through Colette, you will see every store that you thought was cool before under a new light. There is cool, and then there is "we sell our own mix CDs and our own water"...
Frankly, we'd be disappointed if the New York Comme des Garcons shop wasn't tucked into a nondescript building, with a futuristic cave for an entryway. All of the requisite pieces of the...
Creatures of Comfort is actually rather restless--anxious to find who's next in fashion and scouring near and far to make it happen. Looking far they introduce up and coming labels from Japan,...
Remember the avant-garde clothing of the 1980s? The loose silhouettes, the dark hues, the flowing tailoring. Dear:55 honors these constructions in a completely refreshing and exciting way. The...
Des Kohan's fashions don't need to scream to make their point--black, brown, beige, navy, and white are the colors in the shop's rainbow. Dresses, separates and a host of belts, bags...
Reader Suggested:
I went to Barcelona Bread&Butter week in January 2007. I found a nice clothing store in the Gothic area. They have many labels I like: Levi's Vintage Clothing, Levi's RED, Marjan...
Reader Suggested:
Incredible guerrilla store from Comme des Garçons where they give space to up and coming designers. The selection is always amazing and changing frequently, you'll find everything from Lanvin...
Start with the denim. For Famous Friends, a hip casual wardrobe starts with a fine pair of jeans. And they have several examples of such: raw selvedge denim from Scandinavia, high-end denim from...
For decades avant-garde fashion jetted from New York to Tokyo, flying right over San Francisco's head. With Harputs Market, dark, high-style clothing finally has a West Coast outpost. The...
Hejfina has elegant modern living down pat. For clothing expect avant-garde Japanese brands, ultra-exclusive New York brands, next to creative selections from Brazil, England and France. These are...
There's something delightfully old-school about IF. The SoHo stalwart carries an unparalleled collection of avant-garde clothing for men and women, from our favorite Japanese and Belgium...
While you await for Chicago's first Yohji Yamamoto store (don't hold your breath), Ikram is the one and only place in the city where the world's most ambitious, avant-garde designer...
As a brand we've always seen Jil Sander to be above the fray, letting those other moody European labels scrum for the "More Avant-garde Than Thou" awards. As a store, Jil...
Reader Suggested:
Affordable, exceptional luxury fashion. Carries one of a kind, up-to-the-minute selection of favorites like Stella McCartney, Christian Louboutin and Junya Watanabe and unique accessories by...
Reader Suggested:
LEFT is a small and warm boutique situated in Melbourne's Fitzroy in Australia. We might be far away but we are worth the trip if you are in Melbourne, Australia. We carry International brands...
In the '80s the Antwerp Six introduced the world at large to Belgian fashion design, and decades later the country is still going strong, producing one influential, imminently talent designer...
In fashion, where fortunes turn on a dime, that a little boutique can persist for 20 years and stay every bit as relevant as it was when it opened is nothing short of remarkable. MAC has done just...
If you want to buy high-end clothing and don't have a fortune to spend here's a tip: focus on the basics. Buy basic pieces that you'll wear from season to season and that'll...
The best clothing shops are really good filters. It's one thing to seek out and stock the hippest labels. It's another thing entirely to irreverently edit these lines to find those...
The best clothing shops are really good filters. It's one thing to seek out and stock the hippest labels. It's another thing entirely to irreverently edit these lines to find those...
When we think clothing boutique and New York a store like Opening Ceremony is what we have in mind. The store is hip and worldy, avant-garde but approachable, artful and industrial. The large,...
When we think clothing boutique and New York a store like Opening Ceremony is what we have in mind. The store is hip and worldy, avant-garde but approachable, artful and industrial. The shop...
In the perpetual tug-of-war match between art and commerce in fashion, score one for art. The humbly named Project No. 8 is, you guessed it, duo Brian Janusiak and Elizabeth Beer's 8th...
Reader Suggested:
Great selection of cutting edge fashion. Top international collections like Raf Simons, Preen and Henrik Vibskov, cool streetwear from Acne, Surface to Air and Pleasure Principal and Montreal...
One of the fundamental jobs of a good clothing boutique is to filter and tailor the world's best fashions for local audiences. For the DC area, Relish does the job with aplomb. The dramatic,...
Other than a giant hanging ball of tumbleweed, Robin Richman looks like any other boutique in the boutique-laden neighborhood. So how are you supposed to know that inside are some of the most...
Among the girly, beachy boutiques nearby Salt at first looks out of place, but where better than near the ocean to sell clothes that are organic and essential. Dominated by solid, understated...
If you need elaborate displays, too-cool-for-school salespeople and obnoxiously loud rap music to create a "hip" clothing store, you're doing something wrong. Here's an...
Seven has an uncanny ability to find designers that march to the beat of their own drum. From Belgium and Japan, Germany and New York, they find creations that pay little attention to the trends...
The first time we walked into South Willard we walked right out. After all, faced with all this style and elegance in Los Angeles, is it at all surprising that we had to check the street signs and...
Reader Suggested:
This store is one of GQ's top 100 (men's) stores in the US.
Where does all that dynamic, creative fashion taught at Central St. Martins and presented at London Fashion Week go anyway? Two See, for one, is where. A fervent supporter of the young and upcoming...
Thanks to Welcome Hunters those looking for the multitude of young, fresh, often daring design coming out of the many corners of the world can stop hunting and commence with the gathering. How to...
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Alan Bilzerian
http://www.jargol.com/images/stores/us/ma/boston/alan_bilzerian_1_web.jpg
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You may be intimidated by the "ring the bell to enter" policy, but don't let that stop you from stopping by Alan Bilzerian. For years now, Bostonians have depended on the store to keep them on the bleeding edge of fashion and it has not let them down. The store does not get caught in categories or price brackets. You'll find funky sweaters steps away from runway ready...
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Full Details 
Address:34 Newbury Street
Boston MA 02116
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: No
Phone: 1-617-536-1001
Hours: Mon-Wed: 10-6 Thu: 10-7 Fri-Sat: 10-6 Sun: Call ahead
Alan Bilzerian
You may be intimidated by the "ring the bell to enter" policy, but don't let that stop you from stopping by Alan Bilzerian. For years now, Bostonians have depended on the store to keep them on the bleeding edge of fashion and it has not let them down. The store does not get caught in categories or price brackets. You'll find funky sweaters steps away from runway ready...
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Full Details
Address:1217 Centre Street
Newton MA 02459
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: No
Phone: 1-617-630-9988
Hours: Mon-Wed: 10-6 Thu: 10-7 Fri-Sat: 10-6 Sun: Closed
Aloha Rag
Okay, we admit it, our vision of the Hawaiian wardrobe is based on movies and tourist visits. So, Aloha Rag is at once a shattering of stereotypes and an amazing shopping experience. Aloha Rag carries hip, edgy "big city" brands--avant-garde constructions for both women and men that are more often associated with New York or Tokyo. If you're too caught up in the tourist thing...
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Full Details
Address:1221 Kapiolani Boulevard #115
Honolulu HI 96814
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: Yes
Phone: 1-808-589-2050
Hours: Mon-Sat: 11-8 Sun: 11-6
Anastasia
Reader Suggested: Amazing women's store in Laguna Beach, CA. They carry very exclusive designers such as, Comme des Garcons, Junya Watanabe, Yohji Yamamoto, Limi Feu, and Maison Martin Margiela. Also, there is a cafe attached to the boutique. All around an awesome place to eat and shop.
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Full Details
Address:460-470 Ocean Avenue
Laguna Beach CA 92651
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: Yes
Phone: 1-949-497-1212
Andreas Murkudis
Reader Suggested: It's pure, it's simple, it's totally stylish. Run by the brother of (fashion designer) Kostas Murkudis.
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Full Details
Address:Münzstrasse 21
2nd Courtyard
10178 Berlin
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: No
Phone: 49-(0)30-308-819-45
Hours: Mon-Fri: 12-8 Sat: 12-6 Sun: Closed
Apartment
Reader Suggested: Still the hot spot to find the newest and avant-garde fashion designers.
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Full Details
Address:Memhardstrasse 8
10178 Berlin
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: No
Phone: 49-(0)30-280-422-53
Hours: Mon: 2-8 Tue-Wed: Closed Thu-Sat: 2-8 Sun: Closed
Atelier
http://www.jargol.com/images/stores/us/ny/new_york/atelier_1_web.jpg
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For men who'd like to make a statement with their clothing without resorting to sequins or bright prints, Atelier provides a refreshing alternative. The dramatic space is lined with clothing and accessories that are mostly white, black or some shade in between. In this case the distinction is in the details--a wool coat with an undulating detail, a pair of trousers with unfinished edges,...
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Full Details
Address:125 Crosby Street
New York NY 10012
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: No
Phone: 1-212-941-8435
Hours: Mon-Fri: 11-7 Sat: 12-7 Sun: 12-6
Betty Blue
http://www.jargol.com/images/stores/us/wa/seattle/betty_blue_1_web.jpg
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You don't want Marc by Marc, you just want Marc. You wish Yohji would have the decency to write his full name on a piece of your clothing. For those tired of diffusion brands but not quite ready for flagship brand prices, Betty Blue provides a tempting alternative. The store takes top tier designer clothing from previous seasons and makes them available for 60-75% off. A huge rack of...
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Full Details
Address:608 2nd Avenue
Seattle WA 98104
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: No
Phone: 1-206-442-688 or 1-877-422-6888
Hours: Mon-Sat: 10-6 Sun: Closed
B Store
http://www.jargol.com/images/stores/uk/london/b_store_1_web.jpg
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B Store is where Londoners shop to be at the forefront of fashion. The boutique prides itself on finding and supporting the latest, greatest crop of young designers from London and elsewhere. The shop might pick up a small designer and will continue to support them as their businesses grow. The result is a mix of designers in various stages of their development--some straight out of school and...
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Full Details
Address:24a Savile Row
London
W1S 3PR
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: Yes
Phone: 44-(0)20-7734-6846
Butter
http://www.jargol.com/images/stores/us/ny/brooklyn/butter_1_web.jpg
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On our visit, Butter was doing its very best to stay low key. The storefront is small and the only adornments were two opaque screens blocking a view of the clothes inside. It wasn't working. The store was packed regardless, with women constantly shifting in and out, and we can't really say we blame them. The shop stocks an amazing selection of smaller high-end European and American...
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Full Details
Address:
389 Atlantic Avenue
Brooklyn NY 11217
Online Shopping: No
Phone: 1-718-260-9033
Hours: Mon: Closed Tue-Sat: 12-7 Sun: 12-6
Carve
Reader Suggested: cool store that sells things you can't find most places: comme de garcons, visvim (i believe, i haven't been in awhile), apc, y-3, levi's vintage clothing, spring court.
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Full Details
Address:
2930 Bristol Street Suite B103
Costa Mesa CA 92626
Online Shopping: No
Phone: 1-714-434-0166
Colette
http://www.jargol.com/images/stores/fr/paris/colette_1_web.jpg
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After walking through Colette, you will see every store that you thought was cool before under a new light. There is cool, and then there is "we sell our own mix CDs and our own water" cool. Colette is a store like no other. It sells a little bit of everything, but nothing in particular. There are CDs, gadgets, jewelry, books and clothing, anything the patrons deem worthy to be...
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Full Details
Address:213 rue Saint-Honoré
75001 Paris
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: Yes
Phone: 33-(0)1-55-35-33-90
Hours: Mon-Sat: 11-7 Sun: Closed
Comme des Garçons
Frankly, we'd be disappointed if the New York Comme des Garcons shop wasn't tucked into a nondescript building, with a futuristic cave for an entryway. All of the requisite pieces of the sprawling Comme des Garcons universe are appropriately scattered throughout the austere, yet approachable space. Because no other stockists would dream to carry all the severely different Comme des...
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Full Details
Address:
520 West 22nd Street
New York NY 10011
Online Shopping: No
Phone: 1-212-604-9200
Hours: Mon-Sat: 11-7 Sun: 12-6
Creatures of Comfort
http://www.jargol.com/images/stores/us/ca/los_angeles/creatures_of_comfort_1_web.jpg
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Creatures of Comfort is actually rather restless--anxious to find who's next in fashion and scouring near and far to make it happen. Looking far they introduce up and coming labels from Japan, the UK and France. Looking near they are among the most ardent supporters of emerging LA talent. The goods--an amazing variety of clothing, shoes and accessories in what isn't the largest of...
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Full Details
Address:7971 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles CA 90046
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: Yes
Phone: 1-323-655-7855
Hours: Mon-Sun: 11-7 Sat: 12-6
Dear:55
http://www.jargol.com/images/stores/us/ny/new_york/dear_55_1_web.jpg
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Remember the avant-garde clothing of the 1980s? The loose silhouettes, the dark hues, the flowing tailoring. Dear:55 honors these constructions in a completely refreshing and exciting way. The store features vintage Comme des Garcons, Yohji Yamamoto, Vivienne Westwood vintage from this golden era of avant-garde. These are offset by vintage accessories, shoes and found objects. And don't...
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Full Details
Address:
55 Clinton Street
New York NY 10002
Online Shopping: No
Phone: 1- 212-673-3494
Des Kohan
http://www.jargol.com/images/stores/us/ca/los_angeles/des_kohan_1_web.jpg
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Des Kohan's fashions don't need to scream to make their point--black, brown, beige, navy, and white are the colors in the shop's rainbow. Dresses, separates and a host of belts, bags and shoes distinguish themselves with the careful draping of fabrics, the extremely flattering cuts, the use of silky jerseys and rich leathers. Des Kohan's own line of simple, elegant dresses...
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Full Details
Address:671 Cloverdale Boulevard
Los Angeles CA 90036
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: Yes
Phone: 1-323-857-0200
Hours: Mon-Wed: 11-6 Thu: 11-7 Fri-Sat: 11-6 Sun: Closed
Doshaburi
Reader Suggested: I went to Barcelona Bread&Butter week in January 2007. I found a nice clothing store in the Gothic area. They have many labels I like: Levi's Vintage Clothing, Levi's RED, Marjan Pejoski, KTZ (Kokon To Zai), Bernhand Willhelm, Bless, Ann Sofie Back, Wendy&Jim, Petar Petrov, Levi's Collectibles, Anntian, Cheap Monday, Skull Jean, Makin Jan Ma.
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Full Details
Address:Carrer de Lledó, 4-6
08002 Barcelona
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: Yes
Phone: 34-93-319-96-29
Hours: Mon-Sat: 11-2, 4-9 Sun: Closed
Dover Street Market
Reader Suggested: Incredible guerrilla store from Comme des Garçons where they give space to up and coming designers. The selection is always amazing and changing frequently, you'll find everything from Lanvin to Boudicca to Balenciaga to Jens Laugesen. The building seems more like a warehouse but it just makes their selection stand out even more!
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Full Details
Address:17-18 Dover Street
London
W1S 4LT
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: Yes
Phone: 44-(0)20-7518-0680
Hours: Mon-Wed: 11-6 Thu: 11-7 Fri-Sat: 11-6 Sun: Closed
Famous Friends
http://www.jargol.com/images/stores/us/ny/new_york/famous_friends_1_web.jpg
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Start with the denim. For Famous Friends, a hip casual wardrobe starts with a fine pair of jeans. And they have several examples of such: raw selvedge denim from Scandinavia, high-end denim from Levi's, a selection from Japan's most revered denim lines. Jeans in hand, complete the look with a T-shirt or two, a pair of sneakers and some sharp accessories. T-shirts are distinctive,...
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Full Details
Address:616 East 9th Street
New York NY 10003
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: No
Phone: 1-212-460-9094
Hours: Mon: 3-8 Tue: Closed Wed-Sat: 1-8 Sun: 12-7
Harputs Market
http://www.jargol.com/images/stores/us/ca/san_francisco/harputs_market_1_web.jpg
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For decades avant-garde fashion jetted from New York to Tokyo, flying right over San Francisco's head. With Harputs Market, dark, high-style clothing finally has a West Coast outpost. The looks for women and men, mostly in black and friends of black, is the type of moody, intellectual fashion that should fare well in the Ph.D. heavy, art and design-obsessed city. And in case you're...
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Full Details
Address:1525 Fillmore Street
San Francisco CA 94115
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: No
Phone: 1-415-922-9644
Hours: Mon-Sat: 11-7 Sun: 12-6
Hejfina
http://www.jargol.com/images/stores/us/il/chicago/hejfina_1_web.jpg
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Hejfina has elegant modern living down pat. For clothing expect avant-garde Japanese brands, ultra-exclusive New York brands, next to creative selections from Brazil, England and France. These are articles you certainly won't find anywhere else in Chicago and you might even have trouble finding in New York or LA or London. For the home visit the adjacent furniture space that serves up the...
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Full Details
Address:1529 North Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago IL 60622
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: Yes
Phone: 1-773-772-0002
IF
http://www.jargol.com/images/stores/us/ny/new_york/if_1_web.jpg
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There's something delightfully old-school about IF. The SoHo stalwart carries an unparalleled collection of avant-garde clothing for men and women, from our favorite Japanese and Belgium designers. And that's pretty much it. No PR and not too many press mentions. No online shopping, heck not even a website.
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Full Details
Address:
94 Grand Street
New York NY 10013
Online Shopping: No
Phone: 1-212-334-4964
Ikram
While you await for Chicago's first Yohji Yamamoto store (don't hold your breath), Ikram is the one and only place in the city where the world's most ambitious, avant-garde designer clothing can be found. The most revered names in Japanese, French, Belgian and American fashion find a fitting home in the artful, reverent setting. While there are some basics, we'd come here...
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Full Details
Address:873 North Rush Street
Chicago IL 60611
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: No
Phone: 1-312-587-1000
Hours: Mon-Sat: 10-6 Sun: Closed
Jil Sander
As a brand we've always seen Jil Sander to be above the fray, letting those other moody European labels scrum for the "More Avant-garde Than Thou" awards. As a store, Jil Sander's New York boutique holds true to this notion. The minimal space was not, as far as we know, designed by Rem Koolhas, but it does hold a collection of quietly superb clothing. For women, the clothing...
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Full Details
Address:1042 Madison Street
New York NY 10075
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: No
Phone: 1-212-838-6100
Hours: Mon-Wed: 10-6 Thu: 10-7 Fri-Sat: 10-6 Sun: 12-5
Joan Shepp
http://www.jargol.com/images/stores/us/pa/philadelphia/joan_shepp_1_web.jpg
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Reader Suggested: Affordable, exceptional luxury fashion. Carries one of a kind, up-to-the-minute selection of favorites like Stella McCartney, Christian Louboutin and Junya Watanabe and unique accessories by hard-to-find brands such as Johnny Farah, Sissi Rossi and John Wind.
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Full Details
Address:1616 Walnut Street
Philadelphia PA 19103
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: Yes
Phone: 1-215-735-2666
Hours: Mon-Tue: 10-6 Wed: 10-8 Thu-Sat: 10-6 Sun: Closed
LEFT
Reader Suggested: LEFT is a small and warm boutique situated in Melbourne's Fitzroy in Australia. We might be far away but we are worth the trip if you are in Melbourne, Australia. We carry International brands such as M.A+, Y's Yohji Yamamoto (womens) , Peachoo + Krejberg, Comme Des Garcons. Accessories by Phenotype, Roxanne Watts, Natalia Brilli. LEFT is renowned for its warm and helpful service and...
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Full Details
Address:
161 Gertrude Street
Fitzroy VIC 3065
Online Shopping: No
Phone: 61-(0)3-9419-9292
Le Sous Sol
http://www.jargol.com/images/stores/us/ny/new_york/le_sous_sol_1_web.jpg
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In the '80s the Antwerp Six introduced the world at large to Belgian fashion design, and decades later the country is still going strong, producing one influential, imminently talent designer after another. At Le Sous Sol, get a peek at the next wave of Belgian talent. The shop uses regular buying trips to Antwerp to seek out smaller Belgian labels that have not yet made a international...
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Full Details
Address:137 Rivington Street
New York NY 10002
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: No
Phone: 1-212-477-7723
MAC
http://www.jargol.com/images/stores/us/ca/san_francisco/mac_1_web.jpg
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In fashion, where fortunes turn on a dime, that a little boutique can persist for 20 years and stay every bit as relevant as it was when it opened is nothing short of remarkable. MAC has done just that and they've done it, as their name suggests, by seeking out Modern Appealing Clothing. The store, which seems to go on forever, carries an intriguing collection niche high-end brands,...
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Full Details
Address:
387 Grove Street
San Francisco CA 94102
Online Shopping: No
Phone: 1-415-863-3011
Hours: Mon-Sat: 11-7 Sun: 12-6
Noodle Stories
http://www.jargol.com/images/stores/us/ca/los_angeles/noodle_stories_1_web.jpg
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If you want to buy high-end clothing and don't have a fortune to spend here's a tip: focus on the basics. Buy basic pieces that you'll wear from season to season and that'll class up any outfit. In other words, buy pieces from Noodle Stories. High-end minimalist is in full effect: solid or striped sweaters in luxurious cashmere, sumptuous leather shoes and bags, crisp...
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Full Details
Address:
8323 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles CA 90048
Online Shopping: No
Phone: 1-323-651-1782
Hours: Mon-Sat: 10-6 Sun: 12-5
Oak
http://www.jargol.com/images/stores/us/ny/brooklyn/oak_1_web.jpg
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The best clothing shops are really good filters. It's one thing to seek out and stock the hippest labels. It's another thing entirely to irreverently edit these lines to find those handful of pieces that are both stylish and versatile, today and next year. And that's what Oak does. First to go are impractical colors--maybe 75% of the store is black and various shades of gray....
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Full Details
Address:208 North 8th Street
Brooklyn NY 11211
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: Yes
Phone: 1-718-782-0521
Hours: Mon: Closed Tue-Fri: 1-7 Sat: 11-7 Sun: 11-6
Oak
http://www.jargol.com/images/stores/us/ny/new_york/oak_1_web.jpg
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The best clothing shops are really good filters. It's one thing to seek out and stock the hippest labels. It's another thing entirely to irreverently edit these lines to find those handful of pieces that are both stylish and versatile, today and next year. And that's what Oak does. First to go are impractical colors--maybe 75% of the store is black and various shades of gray....
»
Full Details
Address:28 Bond Street
New York NY 10012
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: Yes
Opening Ceremony
http://www.jargol.com/images/stores/us/ny/new_york/opening_ceremony_1_web.jpg
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When we think clothing boutique and New York a store like Opening Ceremony is what we have in mind. The store is hip and worldy, avant-garde but approachable, artful and industrial. The large, long space, complete with a loft area contains a collection of hip, chic clothing the likes of which you're not going to see very often. The store focuses on introducing the best designers from...
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Full Details
Address:35 Howard Street
New York NY 10013
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: No
Phone: 1-212-219-2688
Hours: Mon-Sat: 11-8 Sun: 12-7
Opening Ceremony
http://www.jargol.com/images/stores/us/ca/los_angeles/opening_ceremony_1_web.jpg
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When we think clothing boutique and New York a store like Opening Ceremony is what we have in mind. The store is hip and worldy, avant-garde but approachable, artful and industrial. The shop contains a collection of hip, chic clothing the likes of which you're not going to see very often. The store focuses on introducing the best designers from other countries to the US, which means...
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Full Details
Address:451 North La Cienega Boulevard
Los Angeles CA 90048
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: No
Phone: 1-310-652-1120
Hours: Mon-Sun: 10-6
Project No. 8
http://www.jargol.com/images/stores/us/ny/new_york/project_no_8_1_web.jpg
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In the perpetual tug-of-war match between art and commerce in fashion, score one for art. The humbly named Project No. 8 is, you guessed it, duo Brian Janusiak and Elizabeth Beer's 8th collaborative project. But more than that it's a refreshing space where craftsmanship and ideas are celebrated more than gross margins and sell-throughs. An intriguing selection of men's and...
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Full Details
Address:138 Division Street
New York NY 10002
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: No
Phone: 1-212-925-5599
Hours: Mon: Closed Tue-Sat: 12-7 Sun: 12-6
Reborn
Reader Suggested: Great selection of cutting edge fashion. Top international collections like Raf Simons, Preen and Henrik Vibskov, cool streetwear from Acne, Surface to Air and Pleasure Principal and Montreal based labels like Complex Geometries and Rad Hourani.
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Full Details
Address:231 Rue Saint-Paul Ouest Suite 100
Suite 100
Montréal QC H2Y 2A2
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: Yes
Phone: 1-514-499-8549
Hours: Mon-Wed: 11-5 Thu-Fri: 11-8 Sat: 11-6 Sun: 12-6
Relish
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One of the fundamental jobs of a good clothing boutique is to filter and tailor the world's best fashions for local audiences. For the DC area, Relish does the job with aplomb. The dramatic, two level space, picks and chooses from a variety of high end European brands, presenting customers with a look that is sophisticated, elegant and just hip enough. Women will find slinky dresses,...
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Address:3312 Cady's Alley NW
Washington DC 20007
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: No
Phone: 1-202-333-5343
Hours: Mon-Wed: 10-6 Thu: 10-7 Fri-Sat: 10-6 Sun: Closed
Robin Richman
Other than a giant hanging ball of tumbleweed, Robin Richman looks like any other boutique in the boutique-laden neighborhood. So how are you supposed to know that inside are some of the most interesting and artful clothes in all of Chicago. Robin Richman collects avant-garde designers like they're commemorative plates, bringing deconstructed, futuristic looks from Japanese, French and...
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Address:
2108 North Damen Avenue
Chicago IL 60647
Online Shopping: No
Phone: 1-773-278-6150
Hours: Mon: Closed Tue-Thu: 11-7 Fri-Sat: 11-6 Sun: 12-5
Salt
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Among the girly, beachy boutiques nearby Salt at first looks out of place, but where better than near the ocean to sell clothes that are organic and essential. Dominated by solid, understated colors, soft fabrics and loose silhouettes this is clothing that won't look out of place on New York streets but come to think of it would work rather well for chic oceanside living as well. Look...
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Address:
1138 1/2 Abbot Kinney Boulevard
Venice CA 90291
Online Shopping: No
Phone: 1-310-452-1154
Scout
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If you need elaborate displays, too-cool-for-school salespeople and obnoxiously loud rap music to create a "hip" clothing store, you're doing something wrong. Here's an idea--let the clothes do the talking. Witness Scout. One long, narrow store. One side women's, the other side men's (praise Jesus). A selection of (casual, stylish) clothing from up-and-coming...
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Address:7920 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles CA 90048
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: Yes
Phone: 1-323-658-8684
Hours: Mon-Sun: 12-7
Seven
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Seven has an uncanny ability to find designers that march to the beat of their own drum. From Belgium and Japan, Germany and New York, they find creations that pay little attention to the trends and looks of the season. Some pieces scream: white nylons with a green stripe or a sweater dress knit to resemble a giant box of fries. Other pieces whisper: a gray herringbone coat brought in at the...
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Address:110 Mercer Street
New York NY 10012
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: Yes
Phone: 1-646-654-0156
Hours: Mon-Sun: 11-7
South Willard
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The first time we walked into South Willard we walked right out. After all, faced with all this style and elegance in Los Angeles, is it at all surprising that we had to check the street signs and "actors" at the nearby café to confirm our location? A mix of hard-to-find local and international designers, South Willard carries simple and elegant clothes with a twist. The...
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Address:8038 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles CA 90048
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: Yes
Phone: 1-323-653-6153
Hours: Mon-Sun: 11-6
The Archive
Reader Suggested: This store is one of GQ's top 100 (men's) stores in the US.
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Address:317 Sutter Street
San Francisco CA 94108
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: No
Phone: 1-415-391-5550
Hours: Mon-Sat: 10:30-6:30 Sun: Closed
Two See
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Where does all that dynamic, creative fashion taught at Central St. Martins and presented at London Fashion Week go anyway? Two See, for one, is where. A fervent supporter of the young and upcoming fashion designer, most of the labels wont be recognized by all but the most dedicated of fashion followers. Yet, the talent and creativity of the designs themselves--that is easy to recognize.
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Address:21 Fouberts Place
London
W1F 7QE
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: Yes
Phone: 44-(0)20-7494-3813
Welcome Hunters
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Thanks to Welcome Hunters those looking for the multitude of young, fresh, often daring design coming out of the many corners of the world can stop hunting and commence with the gathering. How to describe the aesthetic--crazy club kid meets intellectual art student perhaps? If that doesn't do the trick it's probably because it's hard to been down a shop that might sell...
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Address:454B Jung Jing Road
Los Angeles CA 90012
Site: Official Site Online Shopping: Yes
Phone: 1-213-687-9905
Hours: Mon-Tue: Closed Wed-Sun: 12-7
