a lucky magazine feature on boston stores (luckymag.com)
Achilles Project
The most buzzed-about arrival in the up-and-coming industrial Fort Point Channel area, Achilles Project is suitably slick. Forward-thinking apparel—Opening Ceremony jackets, Josh Goot dresses—is arranged in Plexiglas blocks; each night, when the space becomes a restaurant, they're reconfigured into giant glowing cubes. And the owners are launching an in-house label, too.
283 Summer St., Fort Point Channel, 617-423-2257, achilles-project.com
Bodega
A hidden location behind a functioning, totally nondescript bodega (there's a secret door in the back of the deli that leads to the boutique) may seem only like a clever gimmick, but it fits with the owners' general retail philosophy. Much like the random groceries that are sold up front, the boutique's Surface to Air tops and Japanese North Face jackets were chosen because they're useful, desirable, and have a long shelf life.
6 Clearway St., Back Bay, bdgastore.com
Dress
Martha Hilfinger and Jane Schlueter have reliably flawless taste: There are no risky style choices on their racks. Instead, their three-year-old spot, awash in blond wood, features only the most flattering picks from a smattering of brands like 3.1 Phillip Lim and Lyell. The duo's on-point judgment has established Dress as the best place in town for foolproof party dresses.
221 Newbury St., Back Bay, 617-424-7125, dressboston.com
Good
While in Boston on a retail consulting job, New Yorker Paul Niski happened upon a FOR RENT sign in a storefront—and he snapped up the lease on the spot. The space, fronted by huge Palladian-style windows, is just that compelling, and Niski has done a good job of ensuring that the gorgeous selection of gifts and jewelry inside measures up. Antique memento mori pendants are set beside old engraved cigarette cases, and beaded Chan Luu necklaces are arranged next to ink drawings from Patch NYC.
88 Charles St., Beacon Hill, 617-722-9200, shopatgood.com
Gretta Luxe
The Gretta Luxe minichain is our favorite of local TV personality Gretchen Monahan's vast endeavors (she also owns spas and salons); Monahan unerringly presents an irresistible array of high-high-end picks from designers like Stella McCartney alongside more affordable names like Adam and Lauren Moffatt. The Copley Square branch wins points for convenience and a gallery-like presentation, but the Wellesley original is bigger and has better sales.
10 Huntington Ave., Back Bay, 617-536-1959; 94 Central St., Wellesley, 781-237-7010
Hudson
Named after Hudson, New York (a former mill town famed both for its prison and its mass of vintage home goods stores), this two-year-old destination is equal parts modern industrial and old-world farmhouse. Owner and interior decorator Jill Goldberg pulls together a masterful mix of block-printed John Robshaw pillows, handcarved bird statues from Oly, and richly patterned Madeline Weinrib rugs.
312 Shawmut Ave., South End, 617-292-0900, hudsonboston.com
Lab
Situated in the student-heavy, slightly gritty neighborhood of Allston, this streetwear shop stocks the requisite collectible vinyl toys (and has a set of turntables in the corner), but you'll also find streamlined tops and jackets that work just as well in a more mainstream wardrobe. Lab is a huge supporter of local artists, so all of the graphic, brightly hued paintings on the walls are for sale.
113 Brighton Ave., Allston, 617-395-4330
Lekker Home
For more than five years, Lekker Home has offered the sort of clean-lined housewares that never go out of style. The emphasis here is on European designers (lekker is Dutch for "tasty" or "enticing"), who turn out everything from gold-plated serving spoons to porcelain salt and pepper shakers modeled after mini tin cans.
1317 Washington St., South End, 617-542-6464, lekkerhome.com
Looc
Channeling a French maritime-meets-East Coast prep sensibility (anchors and croquet sets both figure in the decor), this South End retailer manages to be supremely cute and completely elegant at the same time. The neutral-toned goods strike the same refined note: Lerario Beatriz thick cotton tunics and wispy Vanessa Bruno blouses line the racks.
12 Union Park St., South End, 617-357-5333
Louis Boston
Arguably Boston's most famously chic store—host to lush lines like Dries van Noten and Balenciaga—Louis Boston occupies the corner mansion on Newbury Street that used to house the Museum of Natural History. Current owner Debi Greenberg's great-grandfather launched the business in 1929, and people still flock from all over the country for the gigantic sales.
234 Berkeley St., Back Bay, 617-262-6100
Lux Couture
Sari Brown—who used to work for famed '60s designer Oleg Cassini—launched
luxcouture.com in 2006 as an online-only venture exclusively devoted to handbags. A sleek bricks-and-mortar outpost debuted this September in Newton Highlands, an appropriately airy repository for the selection of pearl-dusted Natalia Brilli clutches and black patent leather Pauric Sweeney totes.
21 Lincoln St., Newton Highlands, 617-969-5600
Parlor
Though it has a long tradition of stocking indie greats like Nicholas K and Modern Amusement, this source also has fledgling labels, like an area-exclusive on Dustin Trust, a former designer at St. John, who recently moved to Boston to create his own collection of exquisitely constructed pieces.
1248 Washington St., South End, 617-521-9005
Stel's
Tucked away down a flight of stairs in a reworked 1900s horse stable, this unfussy four-year-old shop looks more like a chill basement hangout than a store. Guided by three retail veterans—Tina Burgos and Dave Nauyokas are Louis Boston alums, while Jon Callahan worked for Ermenegildo Zegna—the selection focuses on one-of-a-kind-feeling pieces. Ribbon-festooned Lizzie Fortunato necklaces, woven L.D. Tuttle flats, and smock tops from A.P.C. are all winning options.
334 Newbury St., Back Bay, 617-262-3348, stelsinc.com
Turtle
One of the first Boston-based stores to embrace nascent lines, Storey Hauck's below-ground haunt has the city's deepest array of newcomers. There are C. Lin's carefully tailored blouses along with silk dresses from Argentinean-born Daniela Corte, who is perhaps the city's most well-known fashion import.
619 Tremont St., South End, 617-266-2610
Colonial Drug
Since 1947, this has been one of the best resources in the region for impossible-to-find beauty products (it counts a stock of more than 1,000 fragrances); it looks much as it did when it first opened, with deep glass cases and two-foot-high archetypes of famous perfume bottles. And it still doesn't accept credit cards.
49 Brattle St., Harvard Square, 617-864-2222
Curated by the Tannery
Cambridge institution the Tannery has been quietly selling nothing but sensible walking shoes since the early '80s. Then, this past year, its owners decided to spin off two wildly different and fashion-forward ventures. One is Concepts, a rare sneaker emporium, and the other is Curated by the Tannery, which has flooded a cavernous 10,000-square-foot space with an insanely comprehensive selection of independent talent, from names like Pencey, Society for Rational Dress, and Sea. Beyond the impressive depth of cool clothes on offer, it also has one of the largest denim walls we've seen in a stand-alone boutique.
39 Brattle St., Harvard Square, 617-491-1811
Grand
Occupying a palatial former auto garage in up-and-coming Somerville, this newcomer is owned by three record-label veterans who were all born within four days of each other. Maybe this bit of fortuitousness explains why their tastes are so uncannily similar: Cleverly designed finds abound, like doorstops cast after roller skates, molded plastic lamps, and Tobias Wong's sun jars.
374 Somerville Ave., Somerville, 617?623-2429, grandthestore.com
Gray Mist
This Cambridge jewel box of a shop—owned by Japanese couple Ken Kimura and Etsuko Yashiro—specializes in beautifully contemporary iterations of Nantucket baskets, which you can learn how to make yourself in one of their in-store classes. There are also tiny carved-ivory whales, rust red rain boots, and striped hand towels, which all look like they'd belong in the most elegant seaside cottage on the planet.
360 Huron Ave. Huron Village, 617-868-8868
Magpie
A handful of small artists consign their one-offs at this eensy spot in Somerville's Davis Square. Delicately worked earrings, mini embroidered pillows, and a particularly strong range of modern stationery are good reasons for seeking it out.
416 Highland Ave., Sommerville, 617-623-3330
Marimekko
This mother-and-son-owned undertaking (the first of only four Marimekko concept stores to have opened in the U.S.) carries all of the iconic line's punchy basics, plus loads from the up-and-coming textile artisans who now collaborate with the brand. There are rolls of chicly illustrated fabric, throw pillows, coin purses, and racks and racks of minidresses and simple cotton tops.
350 Huron Ave., Huron Village, 617-354-2800
Nomad
Nomad got its start on Newbury Street in 1990 before migrating to Cambridge in 1998, where it occupies a space that used to house a witchcraft supply store (seriously). It has the feel of a well-curated global bazaar—a perfect mix of eclectic bohemianism and full-on luxury. There are gorgeous antique gold necklaces, Melissa Joy Manning opal stacking rings, and flawlessly embellished labels like Matta and Gary Graham.
1741 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-497-6677, nomadcambridge.com
Passport
As its name suggests, this brand-new Harvard Square addition, owned by a recent business-school grad, is committed to all things travel. The essentials are here—cashmere wraps from White + Warren, Hayden-Harnett weekenders, itsy packs of stain remover from the Laundress—but what makes Passport so brilliant is the clothing. There are multitasking, wrinkleproof staples from Love Ya-Ya and Twinkle by Wenlan that truly streamline the packing process.
43 Brattle St., Harvard Square, 617-576-0900
Stil
The Chestnut Hill mall is home to a just-opened Cusp (the wildly popular offshoot of Neiman Marcus), the best area Barneys New York, and the largest location of Stil, a local chainlet. Owner Betty Riaz hunts through Scandinavia to fill her racks, loading up on established names like Camilla Staerk, as well as nascent talents such as Heartmade and Rützou. It's all mixed in with separates from a handful of other, more familiar-to-the-States lines, like Ports 1961 and Maloles.
199 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, 617-527-7845; plus other locations
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