Best New Boutique 2011 | Saint 22 | Shopping & Services | Phoenix
Navigation
Support Us
Search

Best New Boutique

Saint 22

The neatest little shop in all of Phoenix offers a little bit of everything —including a pair of flight attendants, who recently opened their dream boutique on West Thomas Road — and it's fast become our dream boutique, as well. Wedged into a cozy space right across the street from Phoenix College, Saint 22 offers candles, handmade soap, jewelry, handbags, ceramics, and a ton of artwork and handcrafts made by local artists. Among Saint 22's specialties is a wide variety of fancy yarns and knitting supplies — all of it displayed beautifully in a constantly changing pile of cool stuff. As if that weren't enough, the guys at Saint 22 have called in a lot of local experts to teach us all how to craft and knit and crochet and, well, if this weren't the best boutique around, we'd start thinking about opening our own!

Best Boutique Service

Muse Apparel

Muse stocks everything a chic label-whore would adore, from a $16 costume necklace adorned with funky, organic twig balls to $150 Design Studio jeans. Sure, the threads are killer, but the reason we flock back to Muse (despite its NoPho Safeway strip mall locale) is the one-on-one attention you'll get here. Not sure whether the lavender Idylle top you're crushing on flattens your boobs? Ask storeowner Victoria Shrewsbury and she'll point you in the direction of a more flattering empire-waisted shift that'll make your girls looks perky (and maybe some fashionable nipple tape to prevent any cold-weather embarrassment). She's like the girlfriend who's willing to honestly answer the age-old question, "Do I look fat in this?" — but perhaps with a little more tact than your friend.

Best Shopping on Roosevelt Row

MADE

MADE art boutique does just what a good little indie shop should do: It sells the work of our very best local artists and crafters, with a few mainstream treats thrown in for good measure (and sales volume). On recent trips, we found handmade vanilla ginger soaps by Emelmahae, subversive T-shirts by Sebastien Millon, and letterpressed cards by Seesaw Designs. MADE is our go-to spot for Lucky B Design's crystal necklaces and owner Cindy Dach's embroidered kid T's. But lately we've been stopping by just to read the wickedly inappropriate refrigerator magnets for sale. Those we'll let you check out for yourself.

Best Shopping on Grand Avenue

Devious Wigs & Things

Where else can you attend a false eyelash application workshop/Save the Earth party? Or a belly-dancing garden fete? Even on a day when Devious Wigs isn't hosting a scheduled event, you can make your own party — with a crazy-bright wig or the sparkly accessories this crowded little shop sells. Step into the back for a gander at the low-priced, wildly varied collection of used clothing, or grab a "surprise bag" for a few bucks. Devious Wigs & Things is all the things we love about Grand Avenue — gritty, unpredictable, and a heck of a lot of fun once the party gets started.

Best Novelty Shop

Smeeks

Ted Roundy
You've got a birthday party to get to in half an hour, and an overpowering need for a potato gun. We know the feeling. And we've got the source: Smeeks. This "sweet little shop" is best known for its candy (and you can get sugared up here, for sure) but its selection of old-fashioned (harmonicas) and new-fangled (squirrel underpants?!) novelties keep us coming back, every time we need a fun gift. Or — we'll admit — a little something for ourselves. Hey, everyone needs a set of Japanese erasers shaped like pastries. And the sweet folks at Smeeks will be happy to wrap up that harmonica super-cute, whether it's for you or a friend.

Best Vintage Couture

Fashion by Robert Black

When Phoenicians think of fashion, the name that comes to mind is Robert Black, who began his career as a model and talent agent in the '80s and went on to found the Ford Robert Black Agency. Today, instead of models, Black is offering the clothes off their backs. His Fashion by Robert Black, located in the landmark White Hogan building in downtown Scottsdale's arts district, looks like an especially well-organized dressing room from days gone by. Black and his shopping partner, Doreen Picerne, have scoured the globe in search of a whole new experience in vintage, red-carpet couture for men and women. Unlike any other local vintage clothing store, Fashion by Robert Black was an instant hit when it opened late last year. Black's stock is all one-of-a-kind vintage couture; you won't find any off-the-rack or homemade stuff here. There's nowhere better to play retro fashionista than Robert Black Fashion.

Best New Vintage Boutique

Vintage by Misty

"I make it easy to find a funky piece," says Misty Guerriero, the namesake of our favorite new downtown vintage spot, Vintage by Misty. Israel, London, Paris, Canada, Vegas — Guerriero's eclectic mix of cool clothing, jewelry, and housewares spans the globe. Her stock generally reflects whatever she likes at the moment — right now, that's Missoni prints, giant gold Mimi belt buckles, and anything made from shells. Sip espresso in the back bar area of her boutique off Central Avenue, then shop the racks and cases jammed with colorful, graphic (often designer) apparel and truly unique jewelry at a range of price points.

Best Vintage Clothing

Antique Sugar at Zinnias

Our dad used to wear wool cardigans, which made us want to barf with embarrassment. Now, we collect them — and our lives would be lacking if it weren't for Antique Sugar, which not only offers the best in vintage off-the-rack fashion, but has a men's department, as well. That's rare in a vintage clothing store, but not at this swell, roomy boutique, where co-owners Sarah and Ann-Marie have gathered together an astonishing array of mint-condition, lovely-to-look-at garments. But don't just look — try something on! At these prices, collectors of old clothes are right behind you, hoping you won't buy that 1950s felt circle skirt or that great '60s sharkskin suit with the embroidered lapels. After you've selected your new costume, get busy accessorizing — with shoes, bags, and cases filled with amazing costume jewelry, all of it as old as Grandma but twice as shiny! No wonder this place is called Antique Sugar — shopping here is sweet!

Best Bargain Vintage Clothing

Butter Toast Boutique

Butter Toast's new digs in a historic home off Roosevelt Row house one of the best selections of vintage threads around, with the kind of filmy tops, broomstick skirts, and cotton dresses that make up a sweet Bohemian-chic wardrobe. Prices are affordable: $15 for a floral romper, $40 for a red pleated party dress. Our favorite perk of shopping here is co-owner Jasmine Jarrett's excellent eye for what looks good on customers. If you fail to bring in your BFF for a second opinion on that lime green mod shift, Jarrett will give you the lowdown (or the letdown) on whether your thighs look like twigs or tree trunks.

Best Antique Mall

Zinnias on Melrose

Is it the fact that we never leave this great treasure trove empty-handed? Is it that the friendly staff routinely tips us off to sales at other, nearby antique stores? Is it the fact that this place shares a parking lot with Flo's, one of the best thrift stores in town? When you're talking Zinnias on Melrose, the answer is "yes" to all. This 15,000-square-foot vintage-and-collectibles mall features 36 different vendors, where bargain hunters have scored everything from a 1950s chrome dining set to a pair of chandelier earrings once worn by Mama Cass on the Tonight Show. Proprietor Michael Robertson knows the business: He grew up in his great-grandparents' antique shop and has been scouting estate sales across the nation for decades. He hauls his fab finds back to Phoenix, and we're grateful he does.

Best Of Phoenix®

Best Of

Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our terms of use, our cookies policy, and our privacy policy The Phoenix New Times may earn a portion of sales from products & services purchased through links on our site from our affiliate partners. ©2024 Phoenix New Times, LLC. All rights reserved.
Do Not Sell or Share My Information
Powered By Foundation