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Best Gift Shop

Olives & Grace

Mona Miri

If you’re looking for Red Sox mugs or Revolutionary War gimcrackery, look elsewhere: Paul Revere is not here. Trust that you will find thoughtfully arranged displays and artisanal goods that this garden-level shop’s loyal legion of Instagram followers—more than 30,000 strong—simply crave. Whether shipping a present to the happy couple whose wedding you couldn’t attend or treating yourself to a locally made treasure, purchasing a gift from Olives & Grace comes with the added joy of plugging into your community. 623 Tremont St., Boston, MA 02118, olivesandgrace.com.

Best Sunglasses

Lunette Optic

Bruce Peterson

We’re all spending more time outside these days, which means a good pair of shades is practically required. Thank goodness, then, for this local chainlet, which celebrates two decades in business this year. The sleek optical shops, including a recently opened outpost in Chestnut Hill, are stocked with hard-to-find statement sunnies (pictured) from the likes of Chrome Hearts and Jacques Marie Mage, with the option to add prescription lenses so you don’t have to sacrifice sight for style. 121 High St., Boston, MA 02110, lunetteoptic.com.

Best Swimwear

Sinesia Karol

Marco Amaral

Sinesia Karol’s playful yet sophisticated bikinis, one-pieces (pictured), and cover-ups were born out of her desire to help buttoned-up New Englanders feel as comfortable and confident in swimwear as the women she knew growing up in her native Brazil. Her eponymous brand’s signature style? Artful prints and unexpected cutouts guaranteed to have you strutting in the sand like it’s your personal runway. sinesiakarol.com.

Best Skin Care

Follain

Courtesy of Follain

Skin-care purists searching for the most natural of products need only step into this sunny, subway-tiled boutique to make their dreams come true. After all, if an item contains any one of 31 ingredients barred by the company, including parabens, animal fats, and synthetic fragrances, it never hits the shelves—so you can rest assured that every cleanser, eye cream, and face serum has passed the company’s extensive review process. All that’s left to do is start pampering. 65 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114, follain.com.

Best Shoe Designer

Chris Donovan

James T Murray. Stylist, Yuco Lacovara

Who knew that Boston’s newest fashion superstar would be a retired telephone repairman? After years of dreaming about designing shoes, last year Chris Donovan officially took the plunge and launched his eponymous brand of footwear—and we’re so glad he did. Made in one of Italy’s most famous luxury shoe factories, Donovan’s bold, sculptural boots (pictured) and chic heels are investment-quality pieces that stand the test of time. chrisdonovanfootwear.com.

Best Clothing Designer

Nathalia JMag

Found fabrics, spice and vegetable dyes, upcycled materials, and a zero-waste approach—this Project Runway  alumna and proud Framingham native isn’t just envisioning a more sustainable future for fashion, she’s making it a reality. Each piece sold through her website is made to order, so while it might take a few weeks to reach your doorstep, the pretty dresses, statement coats, and patchwork denim jeans are absolutely worth waiting for. nathaliajmag.com.

Best Handbag Designer

Sophie Truong, Stitch & Tickle

The best handbags become extensions of who we are, and fiber artist Sophie Truong’s leather creations are no exception. Her SoWa storefront—which just celebrated its one-year anniversary—is an accessory lover’s paradise, stocked with hand-stitched hobo bags and adorable shearling cross-bodies that you’ll never want to put down. 63 Thayer St., Boston, MA 02118, stitchandtickle.com.

Best Potter

Jeremy Ogusky

You get a CSA box from your local farm and you’re on a first-name basis with your butcher, but what about the plates and bowls you set the table with every day? A worthy addition to any Boston cabinet, potter Jeremy Ogusky’s durable, unpretentious pieces can be purchased on Etsy; biannual open-studio days at his J.P. workspace, meanwhile, welcome all to come learn the art of pottery. claycrocks.com.

Best Style Instagrammer

Lisa Jean-Francois, @lisaalamode

Zach Wesler

Few lifestyle influencers approach their craft with the same joie de vivre as Lisa Jean-Francois, whose posts strike the perfect balance between aspirational and relatable. This mother of two’s feed is packed with shots of her adorable family, envy-inducing outfits, creative beauty tutorials, and—as she puts it on her blog—“a sprinkle of petty every now and again.” Now that’s a lifestyle we can get behind. lisaalamode.com.

Best Custom Jewelry

Adamas Fine Jewelry

Adamas Fine Jewelry

Brother-and-sister team Anto Aboyan and Veronica Sagherian know that the first rule to making one-of-a-kind jewelry for discerning customers is simple: sit back and listen. Next come hand sketches, computer-generated images, and even a 3-D wax model before the piece is hand-cast and gems are skillfully set. Feeling a little less creative? No pressure—you can’t go wrong with a selection from the store’s own line of bracelets, rings (pictured), earrings, and necklaces. 22 Lincoln St., Newton, MA 02461, adamasfinejewelry.com.

Best Statement Jewelry

Nouveau Fashion Gallery

Wallflowers need not apply: Made from materials such as Lucite and even recycled paper, the bold, chunky necklaces at this Copley Place boutique owned by the ultra-stylish Ophelia Bakon and her sisters are conversation pieces that can turn even the simplest outfit into a showstopper. Throw one on with a pair of jeans and a T-shirt or your favorite LBD, and you’ll be hearing “Where did you get that?” all day long. Copley Place, Boston, MA 02116, stylenu.com.

Best Work-from-Home Wear, Tops

French + Italian

Just because your couch is now your office doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style. The well-curated selection of soft, wearable tops at this Beacon Hill boutique includes colorful knit tees from Marni, flowy organic-cotton blouses from Apiece Apart, and collared button-downs from Acne Studios that look just as good on your Monday-morning Slack call as they do on your favorite restaurant patio come the weekend. 119 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114, frenchitalian.com.

Best Work-from-Home Wear, Bottoms

Outdoor Voices

Outdoor Voices

No matter if you’re hosting a Zoom meeting or clicking over to a virtual lunchtime yoga session, you won’t want to hide Outdoor Voices’ (pictured) bold, eye-catching leggings and ultra-soft sweats. The company’s sustainably sourced activewear, after all, was designed for “doing things,” whether those things are running for miles or running your business (and your life) from your kitchen counter. 31 Northern Ave., Boston, MA 02210, outdoorvoices.com.

Best Bookstore

Frugal Bookstore

Looking to bolster your collection of anti-racist literature and books about the Black experience? This Nubian Square mainstay has you covered. But what makes owners Leonard and Clarrissa Egerton’s shop an irreplaceable part of Boston’s literary scene is its role as a hub for book groups and social gatherings where both authors and readers of color can feel welcome and be celebrated. Bostonians across the city are vowing to finally listen to Black voices—Frugal has been amplifying them for 12 years and counting. 57 Warren St., Roxbury, MA 02119, frugalbookstore.net.

Best Craft Store

Gather Here

While the rainbows of yarn and yards of pretty-patterned fabric at Gather Here have kept Cantabrigians crafting since 2011, the hybrid sewing studio/fiber-arts supply store became particularly valuable to the community this year. Case in point: When face coverings became a required part of daily life, the shop posted simple DIY tutorials, assembled mask-making kits, and even rallied their dedicated customers to make thousands of masks for healthcare workers. If that’s not neighborly, we don’t know what is. 1343 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA 02139, gatherhereonline.com.

Best Locally Made Hand Sanitizer

Organic Bath Co.

Who knew that 2020 would be the year of the hand sanitizer? It seems like every beauty company and alcohol distillery has entered the category in recent months, but Charlestown-based Organic Bath Co.’s 2-ounce spray bottles are the clear winner. With a hint of glycerin to keep hands soft and essential oils such as lavender and Moroccan rose, this vegan, cruelty-free formula keeps germs at bay without smelling like a hospital room. organicbath.co.

Best Suits That'll Make You Want to Get Back to the Office

9Tailors

Founder Samantha Shih is out to prove that custom suits (not to mention shirts and blazers) are an attainable—and necessary!—luxury for men and women of all shapes and sizes. It all starts with a painless one-hour consultation at 9Tailors’ Leather District studio or via video chat, during which time you’ll choose design details and materials ranging from rich velvet to Glen plaid. By the time your made-to-measure masterpiece arrives five to seven weeks later, you’re guaranteed to have come up with more than a few places to wear it. 132 Lincoln St. , Boston, MA 02111, 9tailors.com.

Best Shoes

December Thieves

Time and again, this Beacon Hill concept shop delivers on its reputation for stocking the city’s most exciting selection of high-end shoes thanks to founder Lana Barakat, who scours the globe for handmade, unique footwear from around the world. Whether you’re looking for a gravity-defying platform bootie, the perfect metallic fringe sneaker, or an ultra-mod leather sandal, one thing’s for sure: These kicks are designed for some seriously fancy footwork. 51 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114, decemberthieves.com.

Best Eyeglasses

Eye and Eye Optics

It’s not easy finding a pair of frames that harmonize with your face just so. But if anyone can do it, it’s father-and-son opticians Bobin and Tariq Nicholson, both of whom studied music in college and now bring their artistic vision to this one-stop shop for glasses, contacts, and eye exams. Whether you prefer your specs colorful and funky or sleek and understated, you’ll find them in the cases here—along with warm, personable service that turns a chore into an outing to look forward to. 2271 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester, MA 02124, eyeandeyeoptics.com.

Best Pot Shop

Pure Oasis

Despite having to temporarily close due to COVID-19 just two weeks after opening its doors, Boston’s very first pot shop has already begun building a loyal customer base. And for good reason: Thanks to the knowledgeable, friendly budtenders; the wide selection of gummies, flower, pens, and joints; and the always stress-free shopping experience, you’ll find yourself chilling out before you’ve even made a purchase. 430 Blue Hill Ave., Boston, MA 02121, mypureoasis.com.

Best Makeup

Neiman Marcus

Where else in town can you score cult faves from hard-to-find lines such as Augustinus Bader, Supergoop!, and Lilah B., not to mention free facials, makeup consultations, and basically all things trending in beauty? It’s Neiman all the way. The department store’s curated high-end cosmetics selection, as well as tools and accessories, can always be found online, but we’re looking forward to making our way through the Copley Place outpost’s recently redesigned beauty department ASAP. Copley Place, Boston, MA 02116, neimanmarcus.com.

Best Lingerie

Forty Winks

Handsome, flirty, and extremely supportive: No, we’re not talking about our latest flame, we’re talking about the underpinnings from this one-stop Cambridge shop. Situated outside the store, Forty Winks’ new walk-up bra bar is an easy, safe way to upgrade your lingerie drawer—or opt for a gratis 30-minute virtual fitting and browsing session with a sales associate and pick up curbside. 56 John F. Kennedy St., Cambridge, MA 02138, shopfortywinks.com.

Best Masks

Which Locally Made Face Covering Is Right for You?

Courtesy photos

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