Friday, March 29, 2024 Mar 29, 2024
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Shopping

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Chris Plavidal

Best Floral Shop

Grange Hall

When an ordinary arrangement simply will not do, think of Grange Hall. Its reputation for mixing the beautiful with the bizarre extends to the flower selection. Simple garden roses feature turkey feathers, succulents are painted pink, and hydrangeas are housed in an animal skull-shaped vase. Readers’ Pick: When an occasion calls for flowers, Dr. Delphinium’s picture-perfect arrangements are always top of mind.

Best Men’s Clothing

Pockets

For more than 40 years, Pockets has kept the North Dallas and Park Cities crews looking as sleek and sexy as the Italian lines the store carries. All the big names are here: Canali, Luciano Barbera, and Paul & Shark, to name a few. But what elevates this boutique to “best of” status is its made-to-measure program, which includes a posture assessment to ensure every slump, stoop, and hip thrust is taken into account. Pockets’ tailor is even around the corner from the shop, in case you need further alterations. Readers’ Pick: If you ever find yourself in Terminal D at DFW Airport and in need of a family-owned retailer that carries lines not found elsewhere at the airport, Ertekin Fashion is your place.

Best Place for the Baby (and Mom) Who Has Everything

MADRE

We like it when we can score the perfect gift for our best pal and her offspring in one fell swoop. Even better? We can almost guarantee they won’t be regifted. MADRE’s carefully curated stock includes cute cocktail napkins for Mom, Sant and Abel pajamas and Gunner & Lux necklaces for kids, and crib bedding and blankets for the baby.

Best Museum Gift Shop

Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth

This tiny shop is filled with perfect gift items for every occasion—birthday, Christmas, hostess, wedding, whatever. Whimsical Texas-theme silk ties from Paris Texas Apparel Co., note cards by prominent artists, art books, handmade jewelry, local chocolate, and our favorite, Dinner With Jackson Pollock, an inside look into the life of the painter and foodie. Readers’ Pick: Browse a fine selection of cards, toys and games, and art books after a stroll through the outdoor sculpture garden at the Nasher Sculpture Center Store.

Best Pet Store

Woof

A one-stop shop for pet owners looking to stock up on food (cans, dry, frozen, and alternative blends), toys, collars and leashes, and freshly baked treats. Waist-high tubs are available if you want to wash your mutt, or you can drop them off and pick them up later. They clip nails, style hair, and hand your pooch back smelling like fresh aloe and oatmeal. Readers’ Pick: The Cat Connection keeps your cat clean, entertained, and even famous if you win their photo-of-the-month contest.

Best Traditional Furniture

Blue Print

We’re big fans of Blue Print. The striking blue doorway of the little white house on Fairmount Street has become associated with all things lovely. Once inside, you’ll find everything from antiques of the French and English persuasion to coffee-table books and eye-catching artwork. Thanks to the five design-savvy friends behind the shop, the eclectic mix blends together beautifully. Readers’ Pick: With 40,000 square feet of stylish, practical pieces to peruse at IBB Design Fine Furnishings’ Frisco showroom, it’s hard to resist refurnishing your entire home at once.

Best Kitchen Accessories Store

Set & Co.

Designer Jennifer Littke has a love for celebrating artists and an eye for beautifully made housewares. Luckily for design-minded Dallasites, those two things combine flawlessly in her charming kitchen and home store. Each item in this Oak Cliff shop has been hand-picked by Littke, who is passionate about each and every line she brings in. Readers’ Pick: Located in Plano’s oldest home, The Wooden Spoon stirs up many a hard-to-find home accessory courtesy of owners Gwen and Jim Workman and their passion for Scandinavian culture.

Best Shop for a Little Bit of Everything

Coco & Dash

Here’s something everyone loves: options. We do, too, which is why we dig Coco & Dash. Contemporary and vintage pieces attractively coexist in the Henderson Avenue shop, and prices range from high to approachable. So whether it’s a Ro Sham Beaux chandelier you need or a handcrafted candle, you’ll be sure to find the perfect piece in this light, airy, well-curated space.

Best Gift Shop

Madison 214

If you’ve got a fancy friend for whom a doodad from Target won’t do, get them a doodad from Madison. The Highland Park Village shop is filled with high-end tabletop pieces, monogrammable linens, candles, frames, coffee-table books, and other gift-worthy home and fashion accessories. Ladies who lunch will approve. Readers’ Pick: Beaucoup Home in Richardson stocks shabby-chic home decor, ladylike clothes and accessories, and great gifts for the ladies in your life.

Best Garden Shop

Nicholson-Hardie Nursery & Garden Center

Nicholson-Hardie has plants. Oh, do they have plants. Indoor, outdoor, annuals, perennials, trees, herbs—you name it. But there’s plenty here for non-gardeners, as well, including a wide array of decorative items for the home and giftables like candles, soaps, and frames. And best of all for the black-thumbed among us: dried and faux flowers so you can still look like a master horticulturalist. Readers’ Pick: Nicholson-Hardie

Best Fine Jewelry Designer

Julie Cohn Design

You may have noticed Julie Cohn’s jewelry on your latest jaunt to Stanley Korshak. Or when you popped into Read Between the Lines’ Victory Park store. Or on recent visits to the DMA, the Crow Collection, or the Kimbell. The Dallas designer’s line of handmade jewelry is popping up everywhere—and for good reason. Her bronze, sterling, and stone pieces evoke the beauty of nature and are gorgeous without being gaudy. Readers’ Pick: Eric Olschwanger of Olschwanger Designs has been creating wow-worthy custom diamond jewelry for more than two decades.

Best Hardware and Design Materials Store

Nob Hill Decorative Hardware

They say accessories are the key to taking an outfit from good to great. The same goes for your home. And there’s no better place to upgrade your knobs, pulls, faucets, fixtures, and even sinks, tubs, and toilets than at Nob Hill Decorative Hardware. For more than 25 years, this shop has provided Dallas homeowners with estate-worthy hardware in every material, finish, and design imaginable. Readers’ Pick: Elliott’s Hardware carries a vast selection of plumbing fixtures and pulls for drawers and doors in their Hardware Plus in-store home design studios.

Best Shop for the Occasion You Forgot

Read Between the Lines

Did you forget Secretary’s Day? Or a hostess gift? Or—sin of sins—your anniversary? Don’t fret. The Victory Park flagship of Melinda Jones’ eponymous paper line has just the gift and card to perfectly express how much your administrative assistant/party-throwing friend/wife means to you. Whether you opt for a set of Rifle Paper Co. notebooks, a witty wine bag, or a piece of Julie Cohn jewelry, pair it with one of Jones’ clever cards that does the talking for you.

Best Vintage Furniture Store

Sputnik Modern

Shopping vintage has become synonymous with hunting, sifting, and foraging. That’s not happening here. Chris Thurman’s clean, airy store is arranged in vignettes featuring midcentury furnishings from some of that era’s best designers. Even better, his merchandise is absolutely pristine and ready to take a place of honor in your home. Readers’ Pick: Feeling nostalgic for Mad Men? Take a trip down to Revolve Modern for a great selection of midcentury finds.

Best Athletic/Outdoor Wear Shop

St. Bernard Sports

The huge store at Inwood Village stocks high-end active wear that’ll take you from the slopes to the beach, from skis to bikinis. Also: hit the outlet store in the Shops at Park Lane for deep discounts on last year’s stuff. Readers’ Pick: Whole Earth Provision Co. started in Austin, but you can check them out in Dallas and Southlake.

Best Outdoor Furniture and Accessories

Big Mango

This magical store—filled with oversize urns, exotic sculptures, petrified-wood tables, ornate outdoor beds, and tons more—feels like it was picked up from an otherworldly place (The Serengeti? Florida?) and dropped on Riverfront Boulevard. One trip, and you’ll question your whole backyard decor scheme and wonder how you ever lived without an outdoor granite tub. Readers’ Pick: Jackson’s Home and Garden meets every outdoor need from manly grills and flats of pretty flowers to thermometers, fans, and accessories.

Best Bicycle Shop

Richardson Bike Mart

RBM, as the regulars call it, has been doing its thing for more than 50 years. The sales staff all ride and know the bikes they sell. They’ll match any price in town. And you can trust their mechanics. Readers’ Pick: Richardson Bike Mart

Best Eyewear Boutique

Glass Optical

The spec shop eschews the typical waiting room—sterile and surrounded by glaring designer logos—and opts instead for a moody space with polished concrete, a hip neon sign, and wood shelves decorated with unique frames from high-end indie brands, including Thom Browne and Erdem. Exclusives to the boutique include Massada, Retrosuperfuture, and Sons & Daughters. Readers’ Pick: Optique offers a broad selection of designer prescription and non-prescription eyewear and a friendly staff, happy to help customers select the right frames.

Best Children’s Clothing Boutique

Layette

Let the other shops run with the cutesy, pint-size trends. Layette’s oh-so-chic storefront is timeless. Bow-adorned bloomers, Jon Jons, and boys’ and girls’ bubbles by The Beaufort Bonnet Company, vintage-inspired dresses by The Proper Peony, and Pima cotton rompers by Dondolo are fit for Kennedy children, royal babies, and tailored Highland Park toddlers. Readers’ Pick: Animal Crackers caters to fashion-conscious kiddos at all ages with goods from tiny Stuart Weitzman ballet flats for babies to Show Me Your MuMu rompers for teens.

Best Toy Store

Toy Maven

Before video games and mindless, candy-themed puzzles became synonymous with playtime, there were good, old-fashioned toys, which, aside from being delightful, inspired creativity and encouraged interaction. That’s why former teacher Candace Williams’ store is more important than ever. Brimming with LEGO sets, arts and crafts, Playmobil figures, and science kits, the shop thrills as much as it nurtures and educates. Readers’ Pick: Froggie’s 5&10 has long been a favorite of readers, editors, and, most important, kiddos, for toys that range from classics and collectibles to science sets and electric scooters.

Best Vintage Clothing Store

Dolly Python

When the shock has worn off from oddities in bell jars and taxidermy critters, dig into the treasure trove of vintage clothing. Former fans of Ahab Bowen will find its goods and other sellers’ edits of frocks from every decade, skirts at every length, colorful, textural coats, retro tees, denim galore, and, of course, their famous collection of boots. Readers’ Pick: Dolly Python

Best Home Accessories Store

Laura Lee Clark

Enter designer Laura Lee Clark Falconer’s Slocum Street store with two things: clean hands and a credit card. You’ll flip through all the coffee-table books, touch every exquisite lamp, pat pretty pillows, and pick up every single decorative box and accent piece. And after laying your hands on it, you’ll want to take it all home. Readers’ Pick: Arteriors’ new 5,000-square-foot showroom boasts a ton of super-cool lamps and light fixtures.

Best Place To Shop For Shoes

Stanley Korshak

As the largest independent department store in the United States, it’s only fitting that Stanley Korshak has one of the most extensive shoe collections as well. From trendy white Birkenstocks to classic black Gianvito Rossi pumps, the selection covers—pardon the pun—serious ground. Best yet? The sales are generous and happen often. Readers’ Pick: At Epocha, sneakerheads find exclusive kicks from brands like Asics, Saucony, and Inkkas.

Best Custom Clothier for Women

Double R

It’s not uncommon to hear women ticking things off their wish list in a dressing room—if only that button-down had longer sleeves, or more room in the bust. And it would be perfect if the yellow was more lemon chiffon than banana. At this Preston Center boutique, centered on crafting the platonic ideal of a women’s shirt, the attention is entirely on those details. Shoppers choose from 1,000-plus fabrics and styles ranging from boyfriend cuts to shirtdresses, and with the lovely interiors—pink walls and tufted upholstery—you’ll want to linger over your choice.

Best Place to Buy Jewelry

TenOverSix

Some flock to TenOverSix for the breezy vibe and trendy clothing. We’re there for the jewelry—gold hammered rings by WWAKE and Odette brass cuffs. The shop also sells of-the-moment, mix-and-match studs from designers like Lucy Folk. (Guys: the stylish staff make picking up a piece for a jewelry-loving significant other supremely easy.) Readers’ Pick: The selection of hand-crafted jewelry at Designer Jewelry Atelier includes everything from delicate drops to embellished statement necklaces.

Best Women’s Clothing Boutique

Nicole Kwon

This soft-spoken, minimal boutique is filled with the most current trends that, somehow, feel as if they’ll never go out of style: black rompers and jumpsuits, perfectly worn-in denim, and crisp white shirt dresses. If you’re a pattern lover, there’s something here for you, too. Designers like A.L.C. offer up sophisticated prints. Readers’ Pick: Cleanse your palette at Planet Bardot, where the colors and silhouettes are light and breezy.

Best Designer Label Clothing

Elements

Many Dallas shops can give you the expected (and the expensive), but Elements will help you discover something new. The revamped store’s growing lines include tailored and ladylike No. 21, playful, artsy MSGM, exquisitely crafted urban dresses by Valery Kovalska, and sculptural metal bags by Anndra Neen. The boutique’s essentials, like Mara Hoffman resort wear and Pamela Love jewelry, are always in-store. Readers’ Pick: Our favorite way to shop Neiman Marcus is by keeping an eye on the store’s busy trunk-show calendar.

Best Fashion Jewelry Designer

Ashley Pittman

Ashley Pittman built a sustainable jewelry business that taps the talents of Kenyan artisans, whom she pays a living wage. Her line, which includes everything from hoops to cuffs, is produced from East African materials like semiprecious gemstones and bronze. The styles are easy to mix with other pieces or wear on their own. Available at Neiman Marcus and Stanley Korshak. Readers’ Pick: Stackable, beaded stone bracelets are Jewelry by Gresham’s signature.

Best Affordable Women’s Clothing

Milk and Honey

The boho-chic finds at this Henderson shop have personality galore—just in time for music festivals and the dog days of summer. Whether you’re looking for a flirty printed dress or a statement necklace to embellish your basics, it’s no-fail shopping here. Readers’ Pick: Bee’s Knees Loft is a Dallas-based online shop.

Best Contemporary Furniture Store

Scott + Cooner

Owners Lloyd Scott and Josy Cooner Collins’ showroom teems with elaborate chandeliers by makers like Bocci and Fos and contemporary furniture that doubles as works of art from B&B Italia, Flexform, Cassina, Moooi, Poliform, and more. One visit will have traditionalists tossing out the Windsor chairs and bringing in bright Y chairs by Tom Dixon. Readers’ Pick: Cantoni offers sleek Italian furniture and knowledgeable on-staff designers that will help you achieve a smart, modern space.

Best Place to Buy Jeans

Planet Bardot

Forget the little black dress. Ask any girl what the most important piece of clothing in her closet is, and, chances are, she’ll say a good-fitting pair of jeans. That’s why we thank our lucky stars for this Knox-area shop, run by a true expert. (Owner Diana Tabeshi founded two denim brands before opening her boutique.) The back wall of the store is piled high with cult favorites like Current/Elliott and Rag and Bone. You’ll be singing the blues (in a good way) all the way home.

Best Record Store

Josey Records and Music

It’s a giant space, with more than 15,000 square feet packed with new and used vinyl, as well as cassettes and CDs. And it’s a giant idea: a place that functions as an ad hoc community center for the music scene, run by a trio of DJs and producers (Luke Sardello, JT Donaldson, and Waric Cameron). Readers’ Pick: Josey Records and Music

Best Place to Buy Boots

Harry Hines Bazaar

You can get a haircut, a pocketknife, or a tattoo here, but we go for the cowboy boots. The labyrinth of Mexican cafes and shops contains an extraordinary variety of quality footwear that ranges from colorfully exotic animal prints to classic black or brown leather. If you don’t find a pair you love, order custom boots. We took home a pair in baby blue ostrich. Oh, and we recommend staying for lunch, too.

Best Lounge Pants

Lounge County

As a man, you may be new to the concept of lounge pants, but you’re certainly no stranger to lounging. What makes these pants so perfect for getting comfortable is that you can sport them while steamrolling through a marathon television Sunday and still get some chores done around town. They just look that good.

View Map of the Best of Big D Winners

Editor’s Choice: Shops

Readers’ Choice: Shops

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