8 local boutiques in nyc
All boutiques have their own individual curation of items with a unique point of view, providing the perfect opportunity to discover new designers and items you wouldn’t have known about before. Here are the 8 best independent boutiques to shop in New York City for unique clothing, accessories, and more.
west village / designer
If you love oversized silhouettes, then this upscale store is for you. With billowing dresses from Ulla Johnson and roomy trench coats from Rejina Pyo, oroboro will help you craft the idyllic, effortless, comfy-chic style so essential to aspirational living. A beautiful selection of handcrafted ceramics, as well as apothecary goods, shoes, artisanal jewelry, and other accessories complete the space.
*Woman-owned business
meatpacking / designer
Owned by 27 year old Telsha Anderson, t.a. is carefully hand-curated with a selection of brands from all around the world, t.a. features cool, unique pieces you won’t find elsewhere.
*Black-owned business / woman-owned business
williamsburg / contemporary apparel
With outposts in Beverly Hills, Soho, and Brooklyn, Tags is another delightful bicoastal boutique. Filled with elevated basics, Tags features curated fashionable, packable, and easy-to-wear pieces that are perfect for people who love to travel.
*Woman-owned business
lower east side / vintage + designer clothing + accessories
Assembly features an elevated but eclectic assortment of vintage and designer pieces. Located in the heart of LES, Assembly fully embodies the gritty downtown cool, edgy upscale, and diverse cultural vibe of the neighborhood. Expect to find the full gamut of women’s and men’s clothing, shoes, accessories, beauty, jewelry, and bags in this funky, minimalist space. I found my favorite pair of tortoiseshell sunglasses here a few years ago from the Swedish brand Sun Buddies.
soho / clothing, accessories, beauty + home / $$$
An e-commerce marketplace first, Wolf & Badger’s New York physical outpost is one of two (the other store is located in London). A marketplace of independent designers, Wolf & Badger functions as a mini, highly curated modern department store. With an abundance of vibrant prints, brightly colored jewelry, sparkly bags, and more, Wolf & Badger would be an ideal store for Emily from Emily in Paris.
soho / elevated contemporary clothing + accessories
With sister stores in San Francisco, Isalis is officially bicoastal, and the merchandise it features reflects this east coast/west coast sensibility. Puff sleeve smocked mini dresses are offset by cozy sweater dresses, and brands like Nanushka, Intentionally Blank, Just Female, Lisa Says Gah, and Agolde all live together in this small but inviting space.
*Woman-owned business
murray hill / designer department store / $$$
Part modern department store and part interactive art gallery (one could argue), Dover Street Market’s New York location provides a heady retreat into the world of Comme des Garcons, Maison Margiela, and Supreme (if you’re lucky).
brooklyn heights / clothing + accessories
While many boutiques in the city are extremely pricey, Article& has a cute selection of clothing, accessories, and shoes that are available for affordable prices (for reference you can find dresses for around $100 or less, and sweaters that range from around $40 and up). When you actually want to shop, come browse the indie labels at this Cobble Hill gem (your wallet and closet will thank you later).
For even more shops, check out NYC Vintage Map, which has a complete guide of 270+ vintage, resale, and retail shops across NYC.