Best Vintage Dig
Since opening her eclectic shop in Old East Dallas in 2005, Gretchen Hinkle Bell has accumulated so much good stuff that she just opened a second location in Bishop Arts. Now there’s plenty of room for all the vintage Versace sunglasses and Villeroy & Boch beer mugs.
Best Thrift Store
We’ve long heard the urban legend that Highland Park ladies drop off their Chanel at this thrift store. We’ve never spotted the double Cs, but we recently picked up a stash of costume jewelry à la Dynasty. Feel good knowing every dollar benefits domestic abuse victims at the Genesis Women’s Shelter.
Best Affordable Women’s Clothing
Zoe Heinsch’s boutique has been the go-to for SMU students, stylish twentysomethings, and fashion-forward moms for the last 12 years. She carries a mix of the everyday and the special, so you can find Citizens of Humanity denim and Chaser Brand tees for a casual look, as well as flirty dresses for a night out.
Best Women’s Clothing Boutique
V.O.D. is like a French woman: effortless, cool, and stylish. Owners Jackie Bolin and Liz Thompson buy edgy pieces from independent designers you won’t find in most department stores, like Thierry Colson, Vanessa Bruno, and R13 denim. (And, no surprise, they carry our favorite French designer, Isabel Marant.)
Best Home Accessories Store
With Rose Medallion dishes, burl wood bowls, modern ceramics, Murano pots, and glass knots, this is a one-stop shop. The coffee-table book collection is among the best in town.
Best Gift Shop
Whomever’s bachelorette/bar mitzvah/birth you’re commemorating, this Henderson Avenue mainstay has a cute, quippy, affordable gift to suit the occasion, from foolproof candles and picture frames to books, jewelry, and housewares.
Best Baby Registry
There’s good reason celebs like Kim Kardashian shop on this Dallas-based e-commerce site. Every piece of clothing, gear, and furniture is picked by owner Nasiba Adilova to provide nontoxic options that are as cute as your babe. At the appointment-only showroom, test out strollers, car seats, and more to make sure the best is on your list.
Best Fragrance Shop
After a visit to perfumeries in Italy, Deborah Turner was inspired to open her own boutique of niche artisanal scents. She provides a personal experience, inviting you to sip wine while you spray and shop. Choose from 35 collections and more than 350 unisex scents, all curated by Turner.
Best Contemporary Furniture Store
We wish we were as cool as Lloyd Scott and Josy Cooner. For the last 20 years, they’ve searched the world—Italy, Spain, the Netherlands—to source iconic pieces (like the Saarinen Tulip chair), as well as conversation starters (like Moooi’s Altdeutsche chest, with hand-painted pirate flags, peace signs, and eyeballs).
Best Outdoor Furniture and Accessories
Summer Classics is aptly named. The pieces are built to last. Visit the Travis Street showroom, tucked beneath El Vecino, to see the brand’s handmade collections, featuring stainless steel, teak, UV-resistant wicker, and the cloudlike (and water-resistant) “dream cushion.”
Best Kitchen Accessories Store
On a recent visit to Round Top, we spotted the new offshoot of McKinney’s beloved (for good reason) kitchen shop. Perfect for those twice-yearly antiquing expeditions. But we still regularly hit up the local outpost for owner Coryanne Ettiene’s considered selection of kitchen tools, pantry essentials, and barware.
Best Museum Gift Shop
As part of the Crow Museum of Asian Art’s recent renovation, the gift shop finally moved (back) inside the museum. It’s still accessible from Flora Street, but the feng shui space is more stylish than ever. There’s even a softly lit seating area where you can balance your qi.
Best Stationery/Office Supplies Store
If you’re a paper-product nerd, this Deep Ellum shop is school-supply heaven. Find vintage-looking notebooks, erasers, gift wrap, and an assortment of quirky gifts, from tote bags to coffee mugs. Don’t miss The Pencil Shop toward the back.
Best Record Store
Good’s new East Dallas location, next to Lounge Here, is a natural fit for owners Julie Doyle, The Polyphonic Spree’s Tim DeLaughter, and Chris Penn. Since moving to the spot in March, they’ve brought in artists like Steve Earle and Sam Wood to play on their AstroTurf stage.
Best Place to Buy Sneakers
This Mockingbird Station boutique is co-owned by Nick Sunderman, who has a custom closet at home full of superlimited sneakers like the Sean Wotherspoon-designed Air Max 1/97s and both Air Jordan 4 models reimagined by the artist KAWS—all of which he wears. He brings that sensibility to the store he runs with former NFL defensive back Michael Huff. It’s made for people who want to look fresh, not flip pairs on StockX.
Best Traditional Furniture
If you want to shop the Design District but don’t have a designer, hit up this open-to-the-public showroom for pieces from Julian Chichester, Shine by S.H.O., and more. The look is traditional but never dated. In addition to furniture and accessories, find LAFCO candles and textiles by local artist Megan Adams Brooks.
Best Floral Concept
Chances are you’ve seen this ’60s-era VW truck (with its The Gals vanity plate) around town. It’s helmed by Taylor Pierce and her mother, Miriam, and its hand-tied bouquets filled with king protea, eucalyptus, and poppy pods often show up at your favorite shop or elevate a private party.
Best Hardware and Design Materials Store
This family-owned hardware store—which first set up shop in a house on Maple Avenue—opened its fifth location, in Fairview Town Center, last fall. As if the ability to buy hard-to-find plumbing parts and individual fasteners wasn’t enough, there’s now an in-store decor center (and a wine bar just across the street).
Best Vintage Clothing
This house-turned-vintage-shop located in Oak Lawn is quiet and unassuming. We love wandering through each room and sifting through the racks filled with designer ballgowns, men’s suits, handbags, and hats from every decade of the 20th century. New stuff is brought in often, so return frequently.
Best Place to Shop for Shoes
Though it’s surrounded by high-end designer names in Highland Park Village, Market (founded by Elisa Summers, the shopping center’s co-owner) is lined with equally luxe but harder to find labels. The shoe nook is a well-curated highlight, featuring a rotation of Tabitha Simmons sandals and Joseph slingbacks.
Best Place to Buy Jeans
Raw selvage isn’t for everyone. But if you don’t mind dropping $200 or more on a pair of jeans that will take a month to break in, DED has the biggest selection in town for men and women. Owners Jeff Kauffman and Bennie Reed are always on hand to help.
Best Toy Store
We judge a toy store by how sure a bet it is for last-minute birthday-party shopping. Can we find something for boys and girls of any age? Are the toys unique? Something kids will actually like? That will actually teach them something? Here, the answer to all these is yes.
Best Vintage Furniture Store
The 3,500-square-foot gallery fronting Irving Boulevard has high-vintage furnishings and objects that look as if they’ve been wrapped in vinyl for decades. Spot Adrian Pearsall chairs, a Cyclone table by Isamu Noguchi, and a more recent Engine credenza by Russell Buchanan.
Best Pet Supply
Lucky Dog serves the sort of people who pamper their pooches with pajamas. The friendly staff knows their way around high-quality kibble, fancy collars, and chew toys that even a cat could admire. (That’s not true. Cats have terrible taste.)
Best Alternative to a Department Store
Pick up some Sonos speakers, a Simplehuman trash can, and a Made In saucier for your son’s new apartment. Then stop at the in-store restaurant for an apricot spritz and a wagyu burger while you mull over that Bembien basket bag for yourself. These brands won’t be here forever. That’s the point.
Best Beauty Boutique
You’ll probably be distracted by the beautiful freestanding tub filled with natural loofahs at the entrance. But keep going: here, you can overhaul your entire beauty routine with luxury clean products. And do go back for the refillable soap station when you run out.
Best Athletic/Outdoor Wear
Outdoor Voices offered an alternative to the neon and spandex-filled world of activewear when it launched an edited collection of sustainably made crop tops and leggings in 2012. Since then, its influence has grown exponentially, as evidenced by a shiny new NorthPark store complete with a basketball hoop, because “Doing Things.”
Best Eyewear Boutique
The Knox District shop is a treat for the ocular obsessed, satisfying even if you’re just browsing. The streamlined shelves create a gallery feel, with owner Gary Black curating the absolute best in up-and-coming eyewear designers.
Best Menswear
Think of it as fancy rough-and-tumble. There isn’t a menswear store in Dallas that allows an easier transition between work and the bar. And though its sneaker selection is lacking, the array of Red Wing boots makes up for it.
Best Garden Shop
You’ll absolutely leave with a new houseplant, but thanks to owners Hannah Street and Bethany Mieth, you may also discover a newfound love for all things planted.
