Bibelot is a gift shop, it’s true. You can find everything from novelty magnets, stained glass nightlights, gourmet chocolate sauce and photo albums to Christmas ornaments, bath salts, birthday cards, and stationery at this old standby. But the clothing and accessory selection is not to be...
Bibelot is a gift shop, it’s true. You can find everything from novelty magnets, stained glass nightlights, gourmet chocolate sauce and photo albums to Christmas ornaments, bath salts, birthday cards, and stationery at this old standby. But the clothing and accessory selection is not to be...
Cliché is dark as a den. Perhaps it’s the deep red walls, or the jam-packed floor, or the fact that the store is so deep and narrow that many garments never feel the warm sun that streams through its front windows. Or perhaps it’s all three. But brave the gloom, my...
Don’t let the cheerfully bright exterior or junky window displays fool you: This place is a slightly intimidating vintage snob’s treasure trove of painstakingly selected finds. The dark interior reads a bit like a rec room from days of yore, with low lighting, brown walls, and a...
The next time you are in the market for a bicycle print bustier romper or a pair of high-waisted gaucho pants, I suggest you stop at Design Collective first. This teensy shop is barely visible to passersby, but well worth hunting down since it contains clothing that will delight customers with...
A long, narrow, high-ceilinged store packed with relatively neat racks, the Uptown Everyday People offers an appealing middle ground between Via’s and Ragstock. All outlets offer cash up front for used duds, so buyers can be selective. Having learned the predilections of the...
A brightly lit rectangular shop with illuminated inset shelves and merchandise-packed freestanding tables, Fringe is a fantastic asset to the 50th and France shopping district. Offering an array of extremely inexpensive but appealingly designed jewelry - much of it in brushed silvertone and...
Yes, it’s a gallery. But this compact, white-walled space also holds some of the most compelling jewelry and accessories in the Cities. Gallery 360 is light and bright inside, and although every inch of counter space is crammed with intriguing objects and the cases are virtually...
On my first visit to Grethen House, I made a beeline for a gauzy, diaphanous light peach tunic fluttering with layers of scalloped silk. It was magnificent, it was Stella McCartney, and it was so expensive I nearly fainted. And although the mind-blowingly high-end pieces are abundant...
Heartbreaker is a teenage girl’s dream come true. Most items are $30 or less – including shoes and several styles of jeans – and every piece sold there is trend-tastic. In fact, Heartbreaker is an ideal place to shop for coveted of-the-moment items because its wares are...
Although one-third of this store’s inventory is devoted to maternity wear, the remainder of this extremely popular shop caters to the bunless-oven. With buttery hardwood floors, open cube shelving, and the majority of the gorgeous goods hung against perimeter walls, the shop has an...
People bandy about the term “unique” without giving much thought to its true meaning. Unique doesn’t mean “unusual” or “different” … it means one-of-a-kind, distinct, unequalled. And I can say without hesitation that I Like You is a unique shop...
I’ll admit it: I was scared to visit Intoto for the first time. Anyplace that has to buzz you in is a place where I don’t belong. And also a place where I inevitably imagine myself knocking over displays, snagging sweaters, and shattering delicate jewelry immediately upon...
Pink and gold wallpaper, storefront window curtains crafted from strings of laser-cut felt birds, and a sweeping pink paisley motif that crawls across the wall behind the cash register. All of these elements conspire to make Karma feel contemporary, luxe, stylish … and a bit overwhelming...
This shop is not for the guys. The dark hardwood floor sports a huge zebra-print rug. Several fringed pink oval ottomans nestle therein, and patent leather pumps and oversized handbags glisten quietly from the inset, mirrored, blonde wood shelves. Crystal chandeliers illuminate the sparkling...
Blink and you’ll miss this miniscule boutique, tucked into a tiny space near the Grandview Theater. Owned by a mother-daughter team, Lizzé may appear at first to cater to stylish older moms, but this shop truly does have something to offer women of all ages.
The little,...
Don’t bother setting foot in Local Motion if you’ve only got 20 minutes to spare: This tightly-packed little boutique is brimming with goodies that deserve your full attention. The rails are literally bursting with garments, and it can be a bit of a struggle to wrestle an item of...
One of several Grand Avenue businesses west of Lexington Avenue housed in a former residence, My Sister’s Closet is a gem of a consignment shop that occupies a peach colored house with purple trim. With that color scheme, you’d think it would be hard to miss, but I drove by it about...
I’m pretty sure that fairies inhabit all five Patina stores. Although each has a slightly different layout, all feature décor reminiscent of an enchanted glade. As you walk in, spicy floral fragrances from dozens of candles and diffusers swirl around you, mobiles and paillette...
I’m pretty sure that fairies inhabit all five Patina stores. Although each has a slightly different layout, all feature décor reminiscent of an enchanted glade. As you walk in, spicy floral fragrances from dozens of candles and diffusers swirl around you, mobiles and paillette...
Picky Girl’s name refers both to its discriminating customer and to its carefully selected inventory. The long, rectangular space is furnished sparsely to allow the merchandise to take center stage, and its pale wood floors and matte gray walls allow for a serene browsing experience....
In a space behind Café Latte that boasts an open ceiling, bright orange walls, and a disco ball, Quince is loud and proud and overcrowded. Merchandise spills out the front entrance on racks and shelves, and presses in on the unsuspecting browser. And although the ruffle-butt panties and...
With a pink, purple, and olive green stucco exterior and starkly contrasting black and white awnings, Shop in the City grabs your attention from first glance. The interior of the store is quite large, with the front area dedicated to a large wrap desk brimming with fun and funky costume jewelry...
A subsidiary of Patina, Shoppe Local does carry many of the same vendors, but as its name suggests there’s a local bent to every product. Twin Cities artisans contribute to the store’s wares, and Minnesota-themed goods abound as well.
The space is clean and bright, with...
Size really isn’t everything: This truly tiny shop is absolutely bursting with feminine jewelry and unusual accessories. Squeeze on into this surprisingly bright space, with its exposed brick and black wood floors, and prepare to ogle some gorgeous gems.
Johnson’s own...
Offering enough sets of windchimes and sticks incense to hippie-fy the entire Macalaster campus, Stella Blu’s target demographic will become abundantly clear as soon as you set foot into this spacious shop. But don’t let the bamboo floors and multicolored plastic chandeliers turn you...
A shop whose main suppliers are fair trade organizations staffed by women in developing countries, Trade Winds International caters mainly to the classy older broad who has long tired of stilettos, but still wants to look pulled-together in her comfy clothes. Elastic-waist pants and skirts, boxy...
If you’re looking for armloads of cheap, used duds at bargain basement prices, take your cash to Savers. If you’re looking for the most painstakingly curated collection of vintage gems in the Twin Cities, bring your credit card to Via’s. Yes, prices are a bit steeper here than...