ReadyMade: Instructions for everyday life

Boutiques We Love

In the latest issue of ReadyMade, we brought you the story of Wendy Yao and her eclectic clothing-and-music store, Ooga Booga in Los Angeles ("Shop Girl," August/September '09). Here's an expanded look at boutiques we adore.

Kick Pleat
918 W. 12th St., Austin; 512/445-4500, kickpleat.com

Owner: Wendi Koletar

Modus Operandi: Named for the slit in a skirt that allows a woman to kick her legs up, Koletar’s five-year-old boutique aptly focuses on clothing and shoes. For the former, the emphasis is on effortlessly modern-yet-playful sensibility with the likes of asymmetrical shifts by Clu and louche little jackets by Monrow. The latter manifests as buckle clogs by Rachel Comey and Opening Ceremony wedge booties.

Local Flavor: Koletar’s super excited to add new label Apiece Apart to her racks, a genius capsule collection of 11 pieces that can be worn 30+ ways. One of the two designers, Laura Cramer, even hails from Austin. She is also a long-standing supporter of local designer Alyson Fox’s exuberantly patterned, super-popular collection, Fox in Mociun.

Little-known Fact: Koletar is fluent in Spanish and used to live in Mexico—where she worked for Austin-based Dell Computers.

Looc
12 Union Park St., Boston; 617/357-5333, loocboutique.com

Owner: Audra Boyle

Modus Operandi: Occupying a space that feels more like a windswept Cape Cod cottage than a boutique, Looc is one of those transporting shops that will make you want to adopt a completely different lifestyle—one that meditates on a citified, yet island-inspired preppy aesthetic. Almost everything in the two-year-old, multiroom store leans toward a neutral palette, whether it’s a navy blue shift with a jeweled collar by Lerario Beatrez or a soft beige T-shirt dress by Christina Lehr.

Local Flavor: Looc sports an accessories bar, where you can stock up on statement necklaces by area talent. Highlights include bold pendants by Adriana Unnareal and Millie and Me’s decadent stone pieces.

Little-Known Fact: Boyle’s family started French’s Mustard, which is completely appropriate considering how well Looc blends a louche Parisian sensibility with classic American style.

MAC
387 Grove St., San Francisco; 415/863-3011, modernappealingclothing.com

Owners: Ben, Chris, and Jeri Ospital

Modus Operandi: A moniker for Modern Appealing Clothing, this Hayes Valley stalwart was one of the first boutiques of its kind in the country when it opened in 1980. It offers labels like Martin Margiela and Dries van Noten, prompting people to fly across the country to find them. Nothing in the space is cheap, but it’s all beautifully constructed and intended to last forever. It’s also highly whimsical, whether it’s a kookily-printed Tsumori Chisato dress or a bejeweled Liberty key fob in the shape of an iridescent beetle.

Local Flavor: The entire Ospital family (brother, sister, and mother) is extremely involved in the local art and design scene. Beyond hosting gallerylike exhibits, there’s always at least one rack of affordable clothing by area designers, including Dema’s trim corduroy jackets and Lemon Twist’s skirts with oversize pockets.

Little-Known Fact: MAC will tailor clothes for free.

Madley
1227 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, California; 310/450-6029, madley.com

Owner: Coryn Madley

Modus Operandi: The interior of this store feels a bit like you’re inside a psychedelic jewelry box—giant knit spiderweb-like wall hangings are arranged behind the cash register, and the shelves are dotted with miniature cacti. The racks offer an equally riotous blend of textiles and colors, like hyper-colored tops from Octopi and Luxury Jones one-of-a-kind sequined lace bed jackets alongside loads and loads of pristine vintage.

Local Flavor: Madley’s own line of chunky-knit sweaters and decadently festooned necklaces are the shop’s bestsellers (her collection can be found at a range of boutiques across the country). In fact, she makes it all at a worktable in the back of the store.

Little-Known Fact: Madley grew up in a log cabin in Northern California, which partially explains the folkloric spin to most of her pieces.

Odessa
410 SW. 13th Ave., Portland; 503/223-1998, odessaboutique.com

Owner: Susan Tompkins

Modus Operandi: Named for the old resort city on the Black Sea, Odessa takes a far-flung approach. Almost every label on the rack is sourced from abroad, whether it’s Isabel Marant from Paris, Zero + Maria Cornejo with roots in both New York and Brazil, or Sweden’s Fjallraven backpacks. Currently, Tompkins is obsessed with Italian label Local. While the pieces on her racks have global appeal, they all subscribe to the same slightly bohemian, slightly deconstructed aesthetic. 

Local Flavor: Tompkins, a Los Angeles transplant, was one of the first people on Portland’s now bustling fashion scene. She launched her boutique in 1996, and in the intervening years, Odessa hasn’t lost its edge one bit.

Little-Known Fact: Before Odessa, Tompkins worked in a photography gallery.