Potentially the Best Fashion Boutiques in New York

We are not claiming to know the best fashion boutiques in New York City.  The reality is that we have no clue about your personal taste preferences.  How could we possibly write a blog that indicates that we know the best in town?  Wouldn’t the best be subjective.  The reality is that Manhattan has tons of amazing retail options for the style savvy shopper.  We are not going to be dishonest and promise you the top 10, top 25 or top 100.  Below are a few resources to help “you” decided which are your favorites.  Go to the stores, and you decide.  By the way, after you review the stores, please let us know your opinions.  You can use the comment area at the bottom of this page to help others learn more about your preferred destinations.

Without a doubt, New York attracts some of the leading minds in fashion.  It is understandable, that many of these fashion mavens would open retail stores in this fine city. From Fifth Avenue to shop-centric SoHo, if a designer's clothes sell, they sell in the boutiques of New York City. 

If you are ready to explore options, let’s begin our journey. 

A few important destination:

First, let me give you a few of the obvious choices for finding designer fashion in New York.  Barney’s, Neiman Marcus, Lord & Taylor.  OK, let’s know move onto some of the smaller options.

From the day that Dor L Dor opened their doors on Nassau St. in New York City, it has received nothing but great reviews and droves of customers. When the owner had his original vision of opening up the boutique, he wondered how to set it apart from all the other chic shopping locations in the area.  Similar to many other new retail store owners he was anxious to see how the city would react to his taste in trends. Fortunately for him, everyone reacted better than expected!  Dor L Dor blossomed due to these values, and is currently open in three different locations; New York City, Hoboken, and Brooklyn. The fashion remains up-to-date with every season’s hottest trends for the young-minded yet classy. “You need to feel good leaving our store,” says the owner. From the clothing, accessories, and their prices, to the staff, Dor L Dor welcomes you to come on in, shop around, and leave with a smile!  After having your fill at Dor L Dor, head on over to the Mystique Boutique which is a women's clothing store with locations in New York's SOHO neighborhood. If you are feeling a bit lazy, you can get your fashion online which will be shipped directly from their SOHO store.  If you are broke in New York, you may want to shop there for reasonably price garments (not this may change).

DASH New York was the third of the DASH boutiques and offers more upscale New York fashions. If you watch the popular E! reality-TV series about Kim and Kourtney you know about DASH boutique.  If you are visiting NY or live here, you can stop by the shop and check it out.  Another place you may want to review would be Madonna and Co which is dedicated to putting the thrill back in shopping with apparel and accessories as unique as the woman who wears them.  Similarly, OAK a New York-based cutting edge retailer offering men's and women's designer clothing, shoes and accessories would be a place you definitely would want to explore if you have some free time.

Vivaldi Boutique one of New York City's top fashion boutiques and destination for women's designer clothes, Vivaldi Boutique is a treasure trove of fashion for special occasions.  Don’t forget to also visit Intermix which is a multi-brand fashion retailer with an assortment focusing on the most exciting fashion trends and the finest mix of emerging and established designers.

If you are shopping specifically for menswear, you may want to stop by at Odin in the East Village.  They are located at 328 E 11th St, but double check the address before visiting just to make sure I have listed that properly.  Apparel Search always tries to provide accurate information, but we are only human.  Odinfeatures brands like Shipley Halmos, Rag & Bone, Trovata, as well as little known brands like Engineered Garmets and You Must Create

Addresses of Interest:

Note: if you plan on visiting any of these fine retailers, please double check the address just in case they have moved; that does happen on occasion.

3.1 Phillip Lim

(212) 334-1160

115 Mercer Street,

New York, NY, 10012

Agent Provocateur

(212) 965-0339

133 Mercer St,

New York, NY, 10012

Balenciaga

(212) 206-0872

542 W 22nd St,

New York, NY, 10011

Boutique Ludivine

(646) 336-6576

172 West 4th St,

New York, NY, 10009

Buccellati

(212) 308-2900

46 E 57th St,

New York, NY, 10022

Calypso St Barth

(212) 941-6512

150 Lafayette St,

New York, NY, 10013

Dalaga NYC

(718) 389-4049

150 Franklin Street,

Brooklyn, NY, 11222

Darling

(646) 336-6966

1 Horatio St,

New York, NY, 10014

Ellen Christine

(212) 242-2457

255 W 18th St,

New York, NY, 10011

Diane Von Furstenberg (learn more about Diane Von Furstenberg on Apparel Search)

(212) 741-6607

874 Washington St,

New York, NY, 10014

J. Mendel

(212) 832-5830

723 Madison Ave,

New York, NY, 10021

Kiwi Design Co.

(718) 622-5551

78 7th Ave,

New York, NY, 11217

Miu Miu - SoHo

(212) 334-5156

100 Prince St,

New York, NY, 10012

Otte

(718) 302-3007

218 Bedford Ave,

Brooklyn, NY, 11211

Pas de Deux

(212) 475-0666

328 E. 11th Street,

New York, NY, 10003

RePop

(718) 260-8032

68 Washington Ave,

Brooklyn, NY, 11205

Shop

(212) 375-0304

105 Stanton St, (this is the lower East side of Manhattan)

New York, NY, 10002

Staerk

(212) 343-1160

182 Mulberry St,

New York, NY, 10012

Oh, what did you say.  You want even more of a selection.  Wow, you really are rambunctious today.  Seeing that you are not yet tired of reviewing stores, here are a few more that may wet your appetite for style.

Comptoir des Cotonniers

Rooted in an elegant South of France sensibility, Comptoir des Cotonniers turns out tunics, crisp pants, and trenches. It has an earthy vibe and is cut in a primarily neutral palette, with loads of special touches. Located at 155 Spring Street in SOHO

Daha Vintage

The emphasis here is on vintage footwear and handbags—'70s boots, perfectly ladylike '60s heels—though there are also multiple racks of similarly downtown-inflected blouses and dresses. 175 Orchard St. Les

Dunderdon

Started by a Swedish carpenter in 1997, this Goteborg-based collection has only three outposts across the globe. The New York store has the feel of a modern barn, which is the perfect counterpoint to its pared-down, workwear-inspired styles. 25 Howard St. SOHO dunderdon.com

Fille de Joie

Styled after a Parisian boudoir, this over-the-top spot—complete with Persian rugs and leopard-print ottomans—offers an exuberant selection of Christian Dior slips and sequined bed jackets. 197 Grand St. in Williamsburg.  Williamsburg is a neighborhood of 113,000 inhabitants in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint to the north, Bedford–Stuyvesant to the south, Bushwick and Ridgewood, Queens to the east and the East River to the west.

Moon River Chattel

This long-standing shop feels like a relic from the early 1900s, since Moon River Chattel so successfully channels the vibe of an old-world general store. Its elegantly pared-down, low-tech versions of everyday items will have you clamoring to buy them all, whether it's a boar-bristled hairbrush, milk glass schoolhouse light, or a perfectly cast pharmacist's jar. 62 Grand St. Williamsburg

Pas de Deux

Men's boutique Odin burst onto the shopping scene in 2004, transforming the closets of legions of NYC guys overnight. Eddy Chai and Paul Birardi have a real vision for what's cool, and it's equal parts laid-back and tailored. When they turned their attention to women last September, they created a boudoir-like Alice in Wonderland space, where cubbies hold Loeffler Randall heels and stunning silk shifts from Wayne. Bonus: Den, two doors down, is an outlet for both stores. 328 E. 11th St. East Village.  The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, lying east of Greenwich Village, south of Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town, and north of the Lower East Side.  The area was once generally considered to be part of the Lower East Side, but began to develop its own identity and culture in the late 1960s, when many artists, musicians, students and hippies began to move into the area, attracted by cheap rents and the base of Beatniks who had lived there since the 1950s. The neighborhood has become a center of the counterculture in New York, and is known as the birthplace and historical home of many artistic movements, including punk rock and the Nuyorican literary movement.

The Reformation

The premise of this brand-new spot from designer Yael Aflalo is to turn dead-stock fabric into turn-of-the-century-esque pieces, such as silk camisoles with lace-inset backs and simple chiffon jackets. The new line fits right in with the actual vintage items on the wrought-iron racks, like black slips that have been artfully reworked into dropwaist dresses. 143 Ludlow St. in the Lower East Side.

The Shop at Cooper-Hewitt

There's no shortage of excellent museum stores in New York, but we're inclined to put Cooper-Hewitt's at the top of our list. Run by a former product manager for New York's most inspiring home goods shop, Moss, it carries an expertly curated selection of modern design hits, all arranged in bright green cubes within a darkly glamorous vestibule of Andrew Carnegie's former mansion. Spindly candlesticks from Ted Muehling rest next to an array of coffee-table books and Rodarte necklaces.2 E. 91st St. in the Upper East Side cooperhewittshop.org

Stella Filante

Before opening their store, sisters Hasna and Leona Erziak were styling French celebrities and decorating homes in Marrakech. As you step into the shop—which sprung up only six months ago—both influences become immediately apparent. The walls are decorated with cutout Moorish motifs, and the items for sale are exactly what you would want to pack for St. Barths: Heavily embellished Antik Batik tunics and floral dresses from American Retro are highlights. 156 Ludlow St. in the Lower East Side of Manhattan stella-filante.com

Store 518, General & Fine

Designer Nadia Tarr (known for the Butter by Nadia dress) decided to open a shop in Carroll Gardens when her insatiable flea marketing got out of hand and she needed a repository for all the treasures she had mined over the years. It's easy to tell that she loves everything in the store, from pristine '50s Mexican dresses to blue enamel Victorian lockets. Her clothing line is also here, plus every conceivable kind of retro-packaged candy. 518 Court St. Carroll Gardens  store518.com  Just an FYI, Carroll Gardens is a neighborhood in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, USA. The area is named for Charles Carroll, the only Roman Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence. Carroll Park is a block-long area of playgrounds, walkways and sitting areas between Court and Smith Streets, with Carroll Street as its southern boundary and President Street on the northern side.

Thistle & Clover

Though Rand Niederhoffer and Camilla Gale only graduated from college in 2005, their first retail adventure already has a standout reputation. Every piece feels special and handmade, since the twosome focus on affordable, under-represented lines like Dace and Wren. They even host a quarterly open call in search of the next big thing, where they look at labels that have yet to land their first store account. 221 DeKalb Ave. Fort Greene thistleclover.com  For those of you not aware, Fort Greene is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Part of Brooklyn Community Board 2, Fort Greene is listed on the New York State Registry and on the National Register of Historic Places, and is a New York City-designated Historic District. It is located in northwest Brooklyn, just across from Lower Manhattan and north of Prospect Park.

Malin Landaeus

Helmed by stylist Malin Landaeus, the color-coded racks are loaded with pristine picks from the '50s through the '80s. 157 N. Sixth St. Williamsburge 646-361-0261

Narnia Vintage

This sliver of a spot is particularly well-loved for sticking to current trends: It's all vintage inside, but nothing ever feels dated. 161 Rivington St. in the Lower East Side

Odd Twin Trading Co.

This Park Slope newcomer has a retro sensibility, as evidenced by the snap-button blouses and perfectly worn-in leather jackets. 164 Fifth Ave. Park Slope. In case you are curious, Park Slope is an affluent neighborhood in northwest Brooklyn, New York City. Park Slope is roughly bounded by Prospect Park West to the east, Fourth Avenue to the west, Flatbush Avenue to the north, and Prospect Expressway to the south. Generally, the section from Flatbush Avenue to Garfield Place (the "named streets") is considered the "North Slope", the section from 1st through 9th Streets is considered the "Center Slope", and south of 10th Street, the "South Slope".  The neighborhood takes its name from its location on the western slope of neighboring Prospect Park. Fifth Avenue and Seventh Avenue are its primary commercial streets, while its east-west side streets are lined with brownstones and apartment buildings.

Pilgrim

This brand-new endeavor on the outer edge of the Lower East Side is home to Bonnie Cashin who designed Coach bags and Courrèges shifts, along with a house collection of '60s-inspired silhouettes. 70 Orchard St. on the Lower East Side.

Shareen Vintage

The original Shareen occupies a gigantic warehouse in L.A., and though it only opened in 2006, it's quickly become the place in town to score affordable vintage. Owned by a former stylist, the selection at the New York store is slightly more pared down but just as spot-on, like perfectly turned out winter coats and printed shirtdresses.. 13 W. 17th Street, Second Fl. Chelsea.  If you are not yet aware, Chelsea is a neighborhood on the West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The district's boundaries are roughly 14th Street to the south, 30th Street to the north, the western boundary of the Ladies' Mile Historic District – which lies between the Avenue of the Americas (Sixth Avenue) and Seventh Avenue – to the east, and the Hudson River and West Street to the west. To the north of Chelsea is the neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen, also known as "Clinton," to the northeast is the Garment District, to the east are NoMad and the Flatiron District, to the southwest is the Meatpacking District and to the southeast is the West Village.

Stella Dallas

Packed to the rafters, this long-standing store is best-known for trafficking in party dresses, which makes it one of the first places to go if you need a special-occasion, one-of-a-kind gown. 218 Thompson St. in Greenwhich Village. Greenwich Village, often referred to by locals as simply "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, in the U.S. state of New York. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families. Greenwich Village, however, was known in the late 19th to mid-20th centuries as an artists' haven, the bohemian capital, and the East Coast birthplace of both the Beat and '60s counterculture movements.

Topshop

When this famed High Street retailer from the U.K. finally unveiled its three-floor emporium earlier this year, crowds lined up for days to get inside. The wealth of affordable, envelope-pushing items, from leather jackets to floral-print tube dresses, rarely disappoints.478 Broadway SOHO topshop.com

In God We Trust

What started as a small operation in 2005 has quickly grown into a mini boutique empire. While the house clothing label used to be available in a wealth of stores across the country, these three spots are now the only sources for snapping up the line's smartly turned-out jackets and Peter Pan-collared blouses. They also sell choices from labels like Eskell. 265 Lafayette St. SOHO 212-966-9010; 153 Ludlow St. LES 212-228 1055; 135 Wythe Ave. located in Williamsburg. ingodwetrustnyc.com

Inventory

This warehouse-size outlet carries a constantly rotating cast of designers at steeply discounted prices. At last check, there were ample picks from Cheap Monday, Quail, and 
Devotte, though the stock is switched up weekly.237 Lafayette St. SOHO 
212-226-5292, inventorynyc.com

New York Adorned

Part tattoo parlor, part jewelry boutique, this East Village stalwart—which just unveiled a new outpost in Brooklyn—is where fashion-industry insiders get inked or at the very least snag exotically worked necklaces. Turn here for intricate hammered gold earrings by owner Lori Leven and rough-cut gems set into gaping claws by Elizabeth Thompson. 47 Second Ave. EAST VILLAGE 212-473-0007; 376 Bedford Ave. in Williamsburg 718-782-0007

Bird

Jennifer Mankins, who started her career at Barneys before becoming the head buyer for Steven Alan, opened her first Bird in 1999, and over the last decade she has steadily established three of Brooklyn’s most compelling boutiques. Mankins has a visionary eye for mixing offbeat fabrics and textiles, positioning exuberantly patterned Tsumori Chisato blouses alongside madras skirts from A.P.C. and printed dresses from Jackson, Johnston & Roe. 220 Smith St. COBBLE HILL 718-797-3774; 316 Fifth Ave PARK SLOPE 718-768-4940; 203 Grand St. Williamsburg, 718-388-1655

Blueberi

Occupying a refurbished industrial space, the globally infused Blueberi offers an eccentric array of items you'd be hard-pressed to find elsewhere—or at least hard-pressed to find sold together in one store. There are Karen Walker tunics painted with images of roosters, trade beads from Africa, bright patent belts, and Victorian-era hats. 143 Front St. DUMBO.  No, Dumbo is not a reference to the Disney elephant.  Dumbo, an acronym for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It encompasses two sections: one located between the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges, which connect Brooklyn to Manhattan across the East River, and another that continues east from the Manhattan Bridge to the Vinegar Hill area.

Dear Fieldbinder

Dear Fieldbinder specializes in effortlessly chic, beautifully modern pieces like tailored Lauren Moffatt blouses and chunky Twinkle by Wenlan sweaters: the type of items that will quickly become favorites. 198 Smith St. in Cobble Hill area of Brooklyn.  dearfieldbinder.com  Cobble Hill is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA. Bordered by Atlantic Avenue on the north, Hicks Street to the west, Court Street on the east and Degraw Street to the south, Cobble Hill sits adjacent to Boerum Hill and Brooklyn Heights with Carroll Gardens to the south.

Dear Rivington

Shopping at this newly relocated spot feels akin to visiting the closet of an avant-garde Miss Havisham: It's washed with white paint, and a giant Victorian birdcage sits in the front, overflowing with yards of frothy tulle. There's a mix of vintage, plus the house line of interestingly cut ivory-hued vests and slouchy dresses. A slick second level hosts an array of home pieces, like lighting fixtures and stationery. 95 Rivington St. Lower East Side 212-673-3494

Début

Set up like an art gallery on an overlooked stretch of Mulberry Street, Début gives each item its own placard, detailing its designer and materials. As the name suggests, the emporium specializes in the sort of emerging talent that can't be found elsewhere. 298 Mulberry St. NoHo, debutnewyork.com  NoHo is not a mis-spelling of Soho.  NoHo, for North of Houston Street (as contrasted with SoHo, South of Houston) is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is bounded by Mercer Street to the west and the Bowery to the east, from East Ninth Street to East Houston Street.  NoHo is primarily made up of loft apartments, which in turn makes it one of the most expensive and desirable neighborhoods in Manhattan.

Eva

Eva's exciting re-emergence on the Bowery this March (it shuttered its Mulberry Street location last year) brings a much-needed shopping infusion to the underserved East Village. Filling a sliver of a space, the selection reflects a slick, indomitably progressive aesthetic, as evidenced by brands such as Henrik Vibskov, Staerk, and Samantha Pleet. 355 Bowery East Village

If you want to read blog posts and news articles that claim to know the best NYC has to offer, you can search for them on Bing or Google, or check out a few listed below:

www.timeout.com/newyork/best-shops-in-nyc

www.nymag.com/visitorsguide/shopping/boutiques.htm

www.nyc.com/best-of-new-york/best_clothing_boutiques_in_new_york.s1904/

www.luckymag.com/shopping/stores/guides/new_york_city/neighborhoods/top_100

www.elle.com/life-love/travel/best-stores-in-new-york-city

If you enjoy our NYC recap, you may want to learn about other stylish destinationfrom around the globe.  Fortunately, we have a section for this right here on Apparel Search.  In our consumer section, you will find a destination section that will guide you to locations such as Milan, Paris, Rome, London, and more.  Hopefully, you will find the information educational as well as entertaining.

Enjoy your experience in the big apple.  Make sure you look both ways before crossing the street.  Cabs move very fast.

Please let us know your favorite clothing boutiques in New York.  List your suggestions and thoughts in the discussion area below.

Thank you for taking the time to read our fashion blog post.