Archives: Shopping & Style

 

December 2008

 
 

Shopping & Style

Hostel Takeover

No need to let holiday visitors cramp your spare bedroom. Our cheat sheet for outsourcing guests of every ilk at...
Carmen D. Nobel and Emily...
 

Parental Rentals

When only a mother's touch will do, Wellesley's GoodDeeds leases it out by the hour.


Carmen D. Nobel
 
 
 

Shopping

It's the Thought That Counts

Don't let that pesky recession get you down. Using highly sophisticated analytics, our all-but-patented Gifting Wizard™ generates thrifty alternatives to...
 

Secret Santa (With People You'd Actually Want to Play With)

Our second annual round of the classic gift-swapping game, as played by nine creative Bostonians-all of whom have launched a...
 
 

Shop. Smarter.

Seasonal gift tips to help you navigate the retail wilderness.


Rachel Baker
 

The Great Stocking Stuff-off

We gave Boston's savviest personal shoppers three hours and $100 to round up some choice holiday loot.

 
 
 

Fashion

Epic Proportions

The season's most irresistible unconventional silhouettes.
 

Fashion Masochist: Linebacker Shoulders

From shoulder pads to balloon sleeves, women's deltoids haven't been this big since Delta Burke was on Designing Women. Rachel...
Rachel Baker
 
 
 
 
 

November 2008

 
 

Shopping & Style

American Idle

When the heart of a dragster meets the soul of a chopper, it makes for one pulse-racing ride.
Rachel Baker
 

Cash and Carry

The season's hottest wallets speak volumes in style. Photo by Molly Lamb.
 
 

Celebration Stations

Nothing says so-last-year like last year's venues. Our guide to the best in new hosting hot spots.
Mary Flynn
 

Goodie Advice

Seven great party favor ideas from local events king Bryan Rafanelli.
 
 

They've Got Your Back

A new breed of personal trainer is putting fixing posture before toning muscles or shedding pounds.
Alyssa Giacobbe
 
 

Shopping

Consign Here, Please

Frugality meets fashion at the city's premier resale boutiques, where lean times don't have to mean scrimping on style.
Joe McGauley
 

How to Shop: The New Burlington Mall

Making the most of the other suburban supermall.
Rachel Baker
 
 
 

Fashion

Fashion Masochist: The Man Fur

Pimps and flashy concert pianists have donned mammalian outerwear for decades, but can a regular guy rock his inner ermine?...
Wyndham Lewis
 
 

Trends

Getting the Boot

Tretorn's high-performance riding boot could become the next Ugg.
Alyson Sheppard
 
 
 
 

October 2008

 
 

Shopping & Style

A Fitting Beginning

Too broke for bespoke? 9Tailors brings made-to-measure to the masses.


Brittany Jasnoff
 

Neighborhood Watch: Harvard Square

From jewelry boutiques to gourmet eateries, indie spots are taking back Cambridge's prime browsing destination.


Donna Garlough
 
 

Order in the Court

More social than tennis, more grueling than racquetball, squash is enjoying a renaissance as Boston's play date of choice. A...
Joe McGauley
 
 

Shopping

Creature Comforts

The Back Bay's swank new linens outpost has sleepyheads covered.


Rachel Baker
 

How to Shop: Dorothy's Boutique

When it’s time to play dress-up, this Back Bay costume emporium is a blessing in disguises.


Rachel Baker
 
 

Much Ado About Mulching

Local pros test-drive the latest in leaf blowers and other autumn time-savers.


Francis Storrs
 

The Waiting Game

Refreshing your wardrobe month by month takes the pressure off your wallet, and may even get you a price break...
Rachel Baker
 
 
 

Fashion

Fashion Masochist: Extreme Beauty

This season's hair and makeup trends push the envelope, ranging from spooky to kooky. Rachel Baker gets into the spirit.
Rachel Baker
 
 
 
 

September 2008

 
 

Shopping & Style

Connected Four

The VIPs-in-residence you’ll want to know when Boston’s $300 million Mandarin Oriental Hotel opens next month.
Brigid Sweeney
 

Court and Bark

The top area dog parks for meeting a mate.
Lisa Lombardi
 
 
 

Shopping

How to Shop: Front

The recently arrived Fort Point Channel home boutique nails the form-function balance.
Rachel Baker
 

Neighborhood Watch: Concord

When outdoor strolls and hayrides get old, this historic burg’s shops provide indoor thrills.
Brittany Jasnoff
 
 
 

Fashion

Digging the Trenches

The season’s best takes on a transitional classic.
 

Fashion Masochist: Prep School Chic

With uniforms making the shift from fashion handicap to fashion advantage, Rachel Baker classes up her look.
Rachel Baker
 
 

Hooked on Classics

For the next generation of an old-school menswear house, it's back to the basics.
Brigid Sweeney
 
 

Trends

Aesthetically Pleasing

Local skin-care pros debut a facial treatment that delivers top-notch results—gently.
Alyssa Giacobbe
 

Animal Magnetism

MIT techies' dog-collar device aims to fetch new friends.
Jason Schwartz
 
 
 
 
 

August 2008

 
 

Shopping & Style

A Hop, Skip, and a Pump

Five excursion options for making the most of your fill-up, whether you’re pinching pennies or throwing MPG to the wind.
Sascha de Gersdorff
 

Not Your Average Dive

A savvier way to take in the Hotel Indigo's swish pool scene.
Brittany Jasnoff
 
 

Solid Options

With scores of deodorants and antiperspirants on the shelf, choosing the right one can be a sticky proposition. A half-dozen...
Joe McGauley
 

What a Gas!

Bentley’s in town, and cruising for Prius-phobes.
Jason Schwartz
 
 
 

Shopping

Major Minors

The Red Sox kids score big in back-to-school fashion. View the slide show!
 

Money Bags

A peek inside Sari Brown's exotic handbags.
Brigid Sweeney
 
 

Neighborhood Watch: Marblehead

This North Shore beach town has the goods for an afternoon of sun and shopping.
Sascha de Gersdorff
 

What's in Store: Leokadia

A homegrown shoe boutique with sole soul.
Rachel Baker
 
 
 

Trends

Fashion Masochist: Hammer Pants

When it comes to unflattering styles, it doesn’t get much worse than this. Rachel Baker walks in the pants that...
Rachel Baker
 

Picking up the Slacks

The season’s best bets for every body.
Rachel Baker
 
 
 
 
 

July 2008

 
 

Shopping & Style

In Record Time

A highly evolved turntable spins vinyl into digital.
Kayleigh Donahue
 
 

Shopping

Cape Crusader

It’s 115 slow-moving miles from Boston to Provincetown. Save your sanity at these choice pit stops along the way.
Sascha de Gersdorff
 

The Smell of Commerce in the Morning

Thrifty but thrilling, these four area flea markets make for a recession-friendly alternative to a Newbury Street spree.
J. Sybylla Smith
 
 
 

Fashion

Fashion Masochist: The Paparazzi Treatment

With a Boston company now offering tabloid-style ego boosting, could a pack of rabid photogs be the newest status accessory?...
Rachel Baker
 

High Heels, Low Price

A Boston fashion maven expands her brand with comfort-chic footwear.


J. L. Johnson
 
 

What's in Store: 344

At Jasmine Sola’s successor, the trendy threads don’t run cheap. The déjà vu, though, comes free of charge.
Rachel Baker
 
 

Trends

Adventures in Manscaping

Can a beauty shop aiming to be studly really make you a stud? Jason Feifer cleans up at the new...
Jason Feifer
 

Hard and Fast

Gas prices finally have you considering a two-wheeled commute? Remember: Tough streets demand equally tough headgear.
Joe McGauley
 
 
 
 
 

June 2008

 
 

Shopping & Style

A (Practically) Free Ride

BoltBus redefines cheapo travel.
Kayleigh Donahue
 

A Supercar for All Seasons

In New England's schizophrenic climate, one hot rod trumps all other rides. Peter Manso develops a rather serious man-crush on...
 
 

Couples That Shave Together…

Tasked with finding the best shareable shaving products, one Back Bay twosome turned their bathroom into a trial lab. Of...
Jason Feifer and Lisa Korf
 

Fashion Masochist: Surrealist Shoes

In the trippiest of this season’s trippy footwear, Rachel Baker succeeds in turning heads, not her ankles.
Rachel Baker
 
 

Happy Holliday

As most of the business world cuts back, one swanky ad firm gets pedicures.
Brigid Sweeney
 

Hostess Cupcakes

This summer, good houseguests think inside the box.
Rachel Baker
 
 

Resistance-Band Camp

Get your adolescent svelte by September with a fitness program tailored to teens.
Brigid Sweeney
 

Yours for the Basking

Beach chairs for every bum.
Rajat D. Singh
 
 
 

Shopping

Ladies of the House

The owners of décor stores Hudson and Koo de Kir are taking their businesses to the next level. We decided...
Sascha de Gersdorff
 
 

Fashion

Summer Fashion: Bay State Watch

Amid a statewide lifeguard shortage, a few brave, tanned souls remain. We recruited a dozen to show off the season’s...
 
 
 
 

May 2008

 
 

Shopping & Style

Party Central

In 12 years of throwing supercustomized, over-the-top bashes for Boston's revelry-minded elite, Rafanelli Events has acquired an impressive résumé—and a...
Daisy Shaw
 

The Breakdown: A Private Island

As splurges go, buying an exclusive offshore enclave like Scituate's Horse Island is a doozy. But bragging rights may be...
Kimberly Jones
 
 
 

Shopping

What's in Store: Grand

A design-savvy trio brings a quirky mix of inventory to an unlikely patch of Somerville.
Sascha de Gersdorff
 
 

Fashion

Fashion Masochist: The Beehive

This spring, hairdos are on the up and up. Rachel Baker goes big—and gets stung.
Rachel Baker
 

Haute to Trot

A status accessory you won't see coming and going.
Rachel Baker
 
 
 

Features

Idol Chatter

Questions for Hermès hype–buster Michael Tonello.
Brigid Sweeney
 
 
 
 

April 2008

 
 

Shopping & Style

Pony Up!

Neighbors got their brood a basset hound? This'll show 'em.
Rachel Baker
 

Stride Right

You won't run faster. You still might not even finish. But put some effort into your marathon getup, and you'll...
 
 

Think Fit

Three strategies to stave off boredom—and work your cerebrum—while going the distance.
Kayleigh Donahue
 
 

Shopping

Family Jewels

An accessories line helmed by bicoastal brothers finds its sea legs in Boston.
Brittany Jasnoff
 

Gust Busters

Umbrellas tough enough to withstand even the most ferocious spring deluge.
 
 

Hot Little Numbers

Where to splurge—and where to skimp—when buying into trends for spring.
Rachel Baker
 

Neighborhood Watch: Newburyport

Proving there's more to Cape Ann than clam shacks and lighthouses, a bevy of sweet boutiques have set up shop...
Donna Garlough
 
 

What's in Store: Achilles

If looks could kill, the highly anticipated debut would knock 'em dead. Unfortunately, it deals in clothing, not design.
Rachel Baker
 
 

Trends

Fashion Masochist: Undies as Outies

In bra-inspired tops and sheer frocks, lingerie has stepped out of the boudoir this season. Rachel Baker gives the new...
Rachel Baker
 

Flash Backs

An abridged history of putting it all out there.
Jeremy Savlen
 
 
 
 
 

March 2008

 
 

Shopping & Style

Green Chic

With a new book as her inspiration, former queen of convenience Rachel Baker sacrifices her budget and (temporarily) her hygiene...
Rachel Baker
 

The Lap of Luxury

Cambridge’s new PetsHotel is the cat's meow. Dogs like it, too.
Alyssa Giacobbe
 
 
 

Fashion

Baggage Check

What three jet-setting Bostonians lug in their carry-on luggage.
Rachel Baker
 

Big Bang Theory

What says high fashion better than a bunch of sweaty rock stars? With local metal sensation Bang Camaro playing backup,...
 
 

To Dye For

Shara Porter gives vintage accessories fresh purpose.
Brittany Jasnoff
 
 
 
 

February 2008

 
 

Shopping & Style

Vase Off

This Valentine’s Day, stash your stems in a vessel worth admiring.
 
 

Shopping

Delicates Undertaking

Lingerie-buying advice for guys from the new Miss Massachusetts USA, Jacqueline Bruno—a woman who knows something about parading around in...
Jacqueline Bruno
 

Retail Showdown: The Battle of the Bras

Boston-area women (and men) in the market for unmentionables have two new options: Intimacy, an underthings boutique in Copley Place...
Rachel Baker and John Gonzalez
 
 

The Breakdown: Designer Wedding Gowns

Never mind the flowers: The true centerpiece of any wedding is the dress. But do you really need to spend...
Blythe Copeland
 
 

Fashion

Gem Dandies

Lately it seems anyone with free time and a Beadworks habit is calling herself a jewelry designer. Here are three...
Brigid Sweeney
 

Such a Charmer

For inspiration (and materials) for her multifaceted jewelry line, Adriana Unarreal turns to her homeland.
Brigid Sweeney
 
 
 

Trends

Fashion Masochist: The Extreme Headband

With celebutantes taking a shine to crown-inspired headgear, Rachel Baker sees what it's like to be queen for a day—or...
Rachel Baker
 
 
 
 

January 2008

 
 

Shopping & Style

Extreme Manscaping

Colder weather requires closer attention to your skin care—and that’s true for guys, too. Our chapped male staffers unmask the...
Sarah Crane
 

Smoothing, Hardly Moving

Tone up the way the French do—without lifting a finger.
J. Sybylla Smith
 
 

The Breakdown: Synthetic Diamonds

One of these rings gets its sparkle from a foreign diamond mine, the other from a lab in a Boston...
M. Elizabeth Roman
 
 

Shopping

Shopping Strategy: The Louis Boston Sale

How to beat the crowds—and score big—at the markdown spectacular.
Rajat D. Singh
 

Travel Patterns

A former flight attendant’s line of high-end bags works for everyday—and the overhead compartment, too.
Brittany Jasnoff
 
 

What’s in Store: Motley Shoes

A South End mini-empire takes a solid, if predictable, stride into the sneaker biz.
Julia Kaganskiy
 
 

Trends

A Is for Aesthetics

At chic-baby outfitter Magic Beans, you’re never too young to learn the art of sitting pretty.
J. L. Johnson
 

Fashion Masochist: The Silver Fox

After a milestone birthday, J. Sybylla Smith finds a gray future isn’t so bleak.
J. Sybylla Smith
 
 
 
 
 
 
December 2008
Cover: Top Docs 2008: The Enlightened Patient
November 2008
Cover: The Food Fanatic's Shopping Guide
October 2008
Cover: The Envy Issue
September 2008
Cover: The Best Schools 2008
 
Boston Buzzworthy

Best of Boston® Party Pics

See online party pics from the following Best of Boston® events: North, South, West, Dining, and Style.
 
 
 
 

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