StoreAdore.com Boutique Shopping in the North End (Boston)

Boston, MA

by Store Adore Store Adore

StoreAdore.com Boutique Shopping in the North End (Boston)
  • Sep 22, 2008
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From www.storeadore.com: Step into Boston’s North End and enjoy the old world charm of a hemisphere hundreds of miles away. Historic houses and bustling Italian restaurants line the narrow, winding streets (watch out for cobblestones), while the aromas of capuccinos and freshly baked cannolis tempt from cafes. Boston’s own Little Italy hasn’t changed much over the years, but a smattering of chic shops have been popping up here and there—from the cutting edge Casa di Stile to denim mainstay In-Jean-ius. You just have to know where to look. Get the North End tour here! Read more at www.storeadore.com, the web-based guide to the best boutique shopping around the country and online.

Places on this Skoot

  • Velvet Fly

    424 Hanover St , Boston, MA

    What do you get when you cross two hip 30-somethings with a penchant for vintage finds? A boutique that’s like your coolest friend’s closet crossed with your grandma’s jewelry box. Or The Velvet Fly, yet another North End new addition. Lorrinda Cerrutti and BethAnn Hoyos—who met while waiting tables and tending bar at a popular Harvard Square hangout—have thrown in their aprons for rags of an entirely different type. The duo scours antique fairs, vintage shows and thrift shops so you don’t have to. (As if you’d ever have the time.) We snatched up vintage Whiting & Davis snake-coil bracelets; oohed and ahhed over gold-tone stretchy belts with leafy detailing; and coveted a Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress that came straight from a Palm Beach socialite’s closet. The owners pay homage to their shop’s name with a varied assortment of bug brooches, and also carry youthful little dresses by Soda Blu, Kensie and Plastic Island, plus candles, totes and cards.

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  • Injeanius

    441 Hanover St , Boston, MA

    Most of the boutiques we visit are first and foremost fashion enclaves, with some gifts thrown in almost as an afterthought. Shake the Tree seems to have developed in reverse: Bit by bit, owner Marian Klausner has been adding cute clothes to her eclectic selection of gifts and accessories. We discovered racks here and there of girlie staples like tops by Splendid and Ella Moss, versatile dresses by Susana Monaco, and Missoni-inspired “sweatertees” by Stacia that are great for yoga and the beach. Klausner stocks a plethora of preppy canvas totes and Orla Kiely wallets, plus plenty of candles, beauty balms, decorative housewares and well-priced jewelry. (Lively trunk-show parties showcase a different designer every month.) Finally, there’s a kiddie corner, with “Made in Boston” onesies by Mite Tees and tiny Trumpette track shoes in metallic silver and pink. You’ll visit Shake the Tree intending to stock up on prezzies, which you will—but you’ll also leave with irresistible treats for yourself.

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  • A Matter of Face

    425 Hanover St , Boston, MA

    With all the new clothing boutiques that have sprouted on Hanover Street, it was only a matter of time before someone addressed the matter of your face. After all, a girl’s gotta have makeup when sporting a cute new top. Enter Paula Tierney, proprietor of A Matter of Face, a fresh little space with high-quality beauty lines that you don’t see everywhere. Tierney carries Paula Dorf’s no-nonsense natural-looking cosmetics, mineral makeup from Skin by Alison Raffaele, Caudalie skincare treatments made from grapevines, and adorable printed-cotton makeup cases handily lined in plastic by Simply Sarah. A Matter of Face isn’t just a spot for picking up moisturizer and lip gloss. Tierney, who’s also a makeup artist, loves to give makeovers and will even host girls’ nights out after hours, complete with refreshments for you and your BFFs. She also arranges for reps from the lines she carries to come to the shop and offer goodies like mini in-chair facials, and she even provides lash-extension services by appointment.

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  • Twilight LLC

    12 Fleet St , Boston, MA

    Alison Barnard, the ever-personable owner of denim nirvana In-jean-ius, has opened a “dressy” boutique. Just around the corner from her first baby, Twilight is the fancier and more polished jewel in this entrepreneur’s crown. With black-on-white damask wallpaper and upholstery, jet-black chandeliers, plum rugs and shirred taffeta curtains, it’s just the kind of place you’d like to lounge in—if you weren’t so busy shopping. Dress after dress abounds from Poleci, Corey Lynn Calter, Nicole Miller and Betsey Johnson. It’s astounding how many excuses you can come up with as to why you need another flirty/sexy/sleek little number. While dresses are definitely the focus, Barnard’s aim is to provide everything a girl needs for a night out on the town, so you can also pick up Cosabella thongs (you never know…), beaded Moyna evening bags and dangly earrings.

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  • Nahas Shoes

    285 Hanover St , Boston, MA

    With locations in Beacon Hill and a few blocks up from the row of hip boutiques in the North End, Nahas Shoes stands firm as a longtime neighborhood staple. Although much of the stock sacrifices high fashion in the name of practicality, the shop is a solid resource for seasonal standards we turn to year after year: Havaianas in every color and flip-flops from Rainbow (still the comfiest pair we own) for summer, wintry Uggs, punchy Wellies to cheer you on rainy days, and year-round kicks from standbys Pumas and Converse.

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