Stil

While most specialty clothing boutiques are inviting enough, it's increasingly hard to find ones that risk stocking merchandise that is, in fact, special—that is to say, not all over Barneys, Neiman's, and Saks. In the mall but still in the vanguard, Betty Riaz's Stil satisfies fashion individualists with such off-the-grid labels as Copenhagen's Bruuns Bazaar and Munthe Plus Simonsen and mold-breaking looks from otherwise more-mainstream designers. Rounding out the mix are local talents like casual-cool Nirva and couture wunderkind Sam Mendoza (whose workshop in Stil's second outpost, at the Pru, is a draw unto itself). RUNNERS-UP: Dress, Looc LAST YEAR: Stel's