 |
 |
| Photograph by Katherine Bish | |
|
|
(page 4 of 8)
Clayton
Clayton has it all—peaceful residential neighborhoods, a bustling downtown, and some of St. Louis’ best restaurants. Between the Clayton Art Fair, Taste of Clayton, Parties in the Park and, of course, all the eating, what else is there to do here? Oh, right. Shop.
Byrd, 8117 Maryland, 314-721-0766, shopbyrd.com. Margo Kopman, the brains behind Byrd, promises “the atmosphere of your best friend’s closet.” If only we all had a friend with a closet like this. The store carries women’s clothing from lines like Paige Premium Denim, M Missoni and Rachel Pally. While Byrd doesn’t quite resemble a closet (unless you’re Carrie Bradshaw), it’s always fun to pretend.
Elements of Denim, 173 Carondelet Plaza, 314-721-9022, elementsofdenim.com. Elements of Denim takes that “long, tall drink” saying seriously. The store claims its place as the city’s first and only “jean bar,” with a menu of denim rather than drinks. You can take a seat at the bar and browse more than 20 styles of jeans to find the pair that best fits you. And don’t miss “Happy Hour,” every Friday from 4 to 6 p.m., when you can get special offers and a complimentary glass of wine.
Laurie Solet, 8228 Forsyth, 314-727-7467, lauriesolet.com. Since this store opened in 2003, it has been a St. Louis favorite. Owner Laurie Solet spent 10 years living in Los Angeles before returning to her hometown. She’s used her West Coast experience to create a space that stocks some of the most unusual, well-chosen merchandise in town. Customers can find labels such as Foley + Corinna, Tracy Reese, Milly and Gorjana jewelry.
Lusso, 165 Carondelet Plaza, 314-725-7205, lussohome.com. Lusso is Italian for “luxury,” and customers will find just that at this lifestyle store. The boutique, which moved to its current location last October, is filled with distinctive gifts like super-decadent candles from D.L. & Co., one-of-a-kind jewelry and clothing from Nanette Lepore, Odd Molly
and more.
Margaret’s Lingerie & Swimwear, 8103 Maryland, 314-725-4033. Family-owned for three generations, Margaret’s has a wide lingerie selection from lines like Natori, Priamo and Faire Frou Frou. The store also carries an array of swimsuits—brands like Ralph Lauren, Gideon Oberson and Sunflair—throughout the year, so you can plan for that midwinter cruise.
Petunia, 169 Carondelet Plaza, 314-721-3133, babypetunia.com. At one time you had to make the trek to St. Charles or O’Fallon to visit Sweet Petunia, Ellen Proffit’s too-cute kids’ clothing store. No more. Located in The Shoppes at The Crescent, Petunia sells clothes for newborns to tweens. Along with lines like Fable & Lore and ZAZA Couture, the boutique carries its own line of retro-style clothing. Note to moms and little girls: Check out Sweet Petunia’s line of “twirl skirts.” Nothing beats the swirl of a twirl.
Play, 8109 Maryland, 314-498-0921, shopplaynow.com. Founded on the idea that shopping is supposed to be fun, Play offers styles from fashion shows around the world. The store stocks trendy, eclectic clothing for almost any occasion. Customers looking for one-of-a-kind pieces will find brands such as dVb by Victoria Beckham and local brand Nodbod.
Queen Bee, 14A N. Meramec, 314-727-8484, queenbeematernity.com. Expecting a child is often equated with a drastic decline in chic clothing options. Fortunately, that’s far from the case at Queen Bee. Co-owner Jennifer Dunaway opened the maternity clothes store after she was unable to find mod garb during her own pregnancy. Co-owner Nicole Moore Wohlford later joined her, and together they’ve expanded the business to include maternity wear (with brands like Chaiken and Paige Premium Denim), baby clothing and crib bedding.
Su-Ellen, 8115A Maryland, 314-862-5050. For more than 20 years, Su-Ellen Serkes has dressed St. Louis women who might not look like the models you see on billboards (who does?). Most of Serkes’ customers are 40 or older, and they keep coming back to her shop because of her superior service, which includes in-store alterations and custom ordering.
Valerie Mills Fine Apparel, 139 Carondelet Plaza, 314-727-4545, valeriemills.com. As of press time, St. Louis native Valerie Mills planned to open Valerie Mills Fine Apparel, an elegant boutique offering hip brands such as White + Warren, Anna Sui and Thread Social.
Finding the Perfect Gift
Lusso co-owner Drea Ranek loves gifts for their most innate purpose: to make people happy. Her job at the Clayton lifestyle store is stocking the shelves with unique, thoughtful gifts. So what exactly makes the perfect present? “A great gift is something that has a little thought put into it,” she says. “It’s important for the giver and the receiver to both love a gift; it has to have a personal edge to it.” We decided to test Ranek’s gift-giving prowess by offering her a few scenarios and asking her to suggest the perfect gift.
Baby Shower: A soft, beautiful blanket ($30–$76). Wrap a toy or book inside the blanket, then tie a rattle or hat to the outside of the gift as a finishing touch.
Housewarming: Candles. Lusso sells signature Archipelago candles ($9–$44), such as the lemon verbena-scented Luna.
Groomsmen: Red Monkey leather watches ($145–$250). “Hefty leather watches are very cool and rock ’n’ roll,”
Ranek says.
Dinner Party Host: John Derian plates ($38–$200) are great gifts for both men and women. Decorated with decoupaged, pre-1900 prints, each is hand-signed.
