Photograph by Katherine Bish

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University City

U. City reigns as the go-to place for vintage shopping. Home to jazz joints, indie bars and staples like Blueberry Hill, the Loop is lined with eclectic boutiques, as well—and the number continues to grow.

Basik Boutique, 6370 Delmar, 314-727-3647. This trendy boutique sells the latest fashions, handbags and accessories for the hard-partying night owl.

Blues, 6301 Delmar, 314-863-2121. With a sports team by the same name, Blues is a fitting moniker for a St. Louis–based boutique. But this shop offers not soulful music or hockey gear, but—what else?—jeans. With brand-name denim, customers can find the perfect style and fit—and leave with anything but the blues.

City Sprouts, 6354 Delmar, 314-726-9611, citysprouts.com. City Sprouts offers trendy kids’ clothes, furniture and toys. The store even has camo-covered Diaper Dude diaper bags ($62), designed specifically for dads. In this bright showroom, helped by friendly staff, shoppers might just feel like a kid again.

Melrose to Manhattan, 6161 Delmar, 314-863-5959, melrosetomanhattan.com. After growing up in Laguna Beach, Calif., owner Patti Brown has the Melrose part down. Melrose to Manhattan, located beneath the glow of The Pageant’s neon lights, offers fashions by everyone from Free People to Lucky, as well as designer handbags and eyewear, at surprisingly affordable prices.

Pitaya, 6632 Delmar, 314-725-2233, pitayaonline.com. Pitaya likes to mix it up, boasting a selection of new items every week. From comfortably casual to high-fashion dressy, the store showcases the latest trends in clothing for work, everyday wear and eveningwear.

Rag-O-Rama, 6388 Delmar, 314-725-2760, ragorama.com. Assembling the perfect hipster look doesn’t require tons of cashola. You can find current, classic and vintage styles—plus costumes, wigs and accessories—at this new-and-used clothing store. Because Rag-O-Rama customers are continually swapping clothes, there are new treasures
every day.

Rina Wear, 6104 Delmar, 314-863-7462, rinawear.com. You know those attention-grabbing T’s worn by passersby with clever lines that make you stop and chuckle? If it’s a St. Louisan wearing one, there’s a good chance the T came from Rina Wear. In true St. Louis style, the store sells T-shirts with localized messages like “Shannonism” (a tribute to Mike Shannon) and “Edmonds Drinks Wine Coolers.” Rina Wear also encourages aspiring shirt designers to send in their ideas to win prizes.

Tantrum, 6635 Delmar, 314-783-0527, tantrumstl.com. Don’t throw a fit about your wardrobe; instead, hit Tantrum, which houses the latest fashions from L.A., with new shipments each week. Many of the looks (skinny jeans, ankle boots, jackets, leggings, dresses) translate to almost any situation, whether on a shopping spree during the day or sipping a drink with friends at night.

Ziezo, 6394 Delmar, 314-725-9602, myspace.com/ziezo. Ziezo is where you might shop before that hot date with a hipster on a Thursday night. (Hipsters don’t do weekend dates.) The corner store located on the Loop has a mix of the most interesting clothing and shoe designers, from Betsey Johnson and Miss Sixty to Free People and Fornarina.
 

How Did They Find That?

Inside a typical buying trip with one St. Louis boutique owner

Any successful boutique owner knows it’s essential to keep a finger on the fashion scene’s pulse. But what exactly does this entail? We asked Todd Weinhaus, the owner of—where else?—Pulse, the Chesterfield women’s boutique. He regularly makes ventures to L.A., Vegas and Dallas to keep the store’s racks lined with hip threads. He walked us through a typical visit to the City of Angels, one of the largest fashion markets in the country:

Any buying trip starts long before Weinhaus boards the plane. “You do your homework,” he explains. “I’ll know who I want to buy ahead of time, but I’m always looking for something new, something different.” Once he lands in L.A., he spends three long days hitting showrooms and the 13-story, 3-million-square-foot California Market Center. There’s no formula for sifting through the array of fashions; for Weinhaus, it comes down to instinct. “If it doesn’t give me a gut feeling of ‘This is unique, this is different,’ then I won’t order it,” he says. It’s no easy feat. Buyers must consider price, anticipate future trends and predict what will be popular among the St. Louis crowd. Does all of this make for a stressful venture? Not for Weinhaus. “I like the atmosphere,” he says. “I like the hunt.” But don’t be misled: This is no vacation. The success of Weinhaus’ business—and that of any other boutique owner—rests on these buying trips. “You always have to keep looking forward because things will pass you up so quickly in this industry.”