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The city's true shopping experience dwells in its plethora of independently owned, unique boutiques. To get a real feel for the city, browse the funky stores along South Congress, the record shops on South First, or the vintage boutiques around North Loop. For something more upscale, visit the hip downtown storefronts of 2nd Street District and explore the high-end galleries, antiques, and home-furnishings emporia of the West 6th. Out in Northwest Austin and Round Rock, upscale shopping malls and outlet stores are plentiful.
In the 2nd Street shopping district, Prize has branded itself as “an urban department store” where you’ll find women's clothing and menswear, ultra-modern furniture, and super-chic coffee table books. Although you likely wouldn’t trade a trip to Prize for one to, say, Texas-grown Neiman Marcus for basics, the store has boutique-like finds that, we'll say it, take the prize.
Blend in with the locals at this carefully curated boutique, featuring men's, women's, and children's vintage clothing, plus heaps of hats, sunglasses, shoes, and jewelry. The back room has full racks of unisex T-shirts, and there's a great selection of denim. Feathers, located next door, is another fun shop to pop into.
Austin runners frequent this shop as much for its selection of everything from Asics to Adidas shoes as for the expert advice on which pair to pick. Starting out as a training program back in 2004, Rogue opened a storefront after rousing success and today has two other Austin training centers and another in Cedar Park. Runners can join clubs to train for anything from a 5K to a full marathon, or just join a free community-run with other local runners. The store has a full fuel bar serving smoothies and even beer and wine, along with the hydration and energy snacks you’ll need to hit the happy trails.
Spend a few hours wandering around this vintage wonderland, open daily just north of downtown. You’ll find everything from striking mid-century decor and goofy Texas-themed tchotchkes to classic belt buckles, jewelry, and vintage denim. While you’re there, pop across the street to check out other local shops, Ermine Vintage, Big Bertha’s Paradise, and, down the block, Blue Velvet, for a perfect afternoon of thrifting.
Sharp dressers take note: some of the coolest guys’ clothes and grooming products around are on display within the industrial-chic walls of Service. The open space has been designed to fit racks of tailored blue blazers, graphic tees, selvedge denim, and designer footwear and cases of rock-star Ray-Ban and Super sunglasses. If you find yourself without the right thing to wear on your travels to Austin, this is the place to fix that.
For guys who like that American-made look, search no further than this upscale boutique that's been named one of the top ten menswear stores in the country. Start with a pair of good-fitting denim—STAG stocks brands like imogene + willie and RRL—then move on to a flannel shirt, which come in endless color combinations here. Finish with a cool pair of Red Wing boots and accessorize from a selection of watches, wallets, and belts galore. Best yet? Once you’re dressed, Home Slice is next door, so you can grab some pizza on your way out.
It’s not that you’ll find anything out of the ordinary at this east Austin boutique, it’s just that everything you find will be extraordinary. Take the kitchen wares, for instance, like porcelain mugs from Japan beside the shop’s artisanal wooden serving tools. Knickknacks from here in town and across the country, such as wooden toys and mobiles, blend impossibly well with vintage items, almost as though they were curated to live in the gallery-worthy space. The store has a beautiful assortment of hand-pressed cards by local artists if you’d like to write home.
Make-believe has never seemed as real as it does in this hometown toy store. Imaginations ignite amid shelves of dump trucks and rainbow-bright kites, pretty pink castles and music sets, and an unreal amount of children’s books. Nostalgic adults will love the selection of novelty candy: Razzles, Smarties, and Pop Rocks instantly bring to mind sunny summer childhood days. The staff is full of kids at heart, who are helpful and knowledgeable about the store’s inventory and who are always ready to make suggestions or, if you twist their arm, play for a while.
Run by Project Transitions (an organization providing hospice, housing, and support for HIV/AIDS patients) as a funding source, this large store is fun and funky as all thrift shops should be. Go for posters, vintage costume jewelry, bric-a-brac, and even used computer and stereo components. The selection is in a state of constant flux, and, as you'd expect, everything is dirt-cheap.
This fantastic place is so much the ultimate toy store of your childhood fantasies that it's too good to save for actual children—don't be embarrassed to come in even if you don't have little ones of your own. It's the place to get things like Edgar Allan Poe and Beethoven action figures, vinyl dinosaur figurines, reproductions of vintage toys you played with as a kid, and floor-to-ceiling diversions for all ages, including science toys, metal robots, stuffed animals, costumes, hard-to-find candy, baubles and bangles, and more.
With ample trails and roads with generous bike lanes, Austin is home to many serious bicyclists, and this homegrown shop has been outfitting them for more than three decades. Seasoned athletes use Trek as a resource. Not only is the store stocked with clothing and accessories from brands like Pearl, Bontranger, and Endura, it also hosts mountain, road, cyclo-cross, and triathlon clubs so that bicyclists can ride with others in the community. Newer riders will find a helpful staff of bike pros, who are ready and willing to answer questions about their wide selection of bicycles.
The beating burnt-orange heart of Longhorn Nation is on display at this emporium of UT paraphernalia, located in the middle of the Drag on campus. You can find Longhorn-logoed everything at this three-level department store founded in 1896 after a similar co-op at Harvard, from Crocs and floral dresses to $350 pairs of burnt-orange Lucchese cowboy boots. Even if you have no direct (or indirect) connection to UT, stop in if you're in the neighborhood to snag your own UT memento.
Get yourself outfitted for your sun- and fun-filled Austin adventures, whether its paddleboarding on Lady Bird Lake or running the greenbelt trails, at this beloved local sporting goods, clothing, shoes, and overall outdoor preparedness store. The local branch of a Texas chain, it carries a lot of the same things you'd find at any REI—backpacks, sun hats, running shoes, rugged clothing—but it's much more entertaining. Jazz is on the speakers, the front space is filled with kids' toys (and a few for adults), and there's a good variety of books, gifts, and gadgets for all ages. The staff is laid-back, friendly, and ever-willing to help.
