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Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
French Trotters, Paris
Of all the cute little boutiques in Paris, this is probably my favorite, and if it were in New York I’d be blowing untold sums of cash there on the regular. This
Kick Pleat, Austin
Kick Pleat’s aesthetic is best described as downtown chic married to Austin funk, and if it’s extreme low-key cool you’re after, this is pretty much a one-stop shopping destin
Totokaelo, Seattle
Totokaelo is far and away the best indie boutique in Seattle, and if it was in New York or LA, it would be one of the top stores in those cities as well. The aesthetic here is phenomenal
Ann Mashburn, Atlanta
I surprise myself with my enthusiasm for this super-preppy Atlanta-based boutique, because that’s not especially my thing. Still, Ann Mashburn is deeply appealing, like Stev
Canoe, Portland
Portland’s got any number of cool shops—Standup Comedy, Frances May, Alder & Co.—but my favorite is design store Canoe, where I go to find items for the home aren’t the same pieces
Heist, Venice
One of my favorite stores ever, anywhere. Heist feels like the kind of place where that woman you know who always looks spot-on chic without really trying shops. I am always discoverin
Mohawk General Store, Silver Lake
Another great resource for indie designers, this one out of East LA. The silhouettes are on the voluminous side; the prints subtly ethnic-inspired, and th
Liberty of London, London
I’m the world’s biggest fan of Liberty of London prints, and am always on their site searching for inspiration, and checking out their recent collaborations (every seas
Some people visit museums when they travel to other cities; some hit the streets for a run or hop on a bike; still others sample the local cuisine. Me, I shop. Not just because of a pressing desire to acquire more stuff—although I can not lie, there's certainly that—but because I always find it inspiring to see how women in different places interpret style for themselves. What follows is a rundown of stores I've been to in other cities, and continue to romance from afar via ecommerce; there are a couple thrown in that I've only ever visited digitally, but my affection for them burns just as strong. —Kim France