Alan Rouleau Couture
Photograph by Pat Piasecki If you're going to drop a few grand on a suit, you might as well have it built from the ground up. Alan Rouleau—called one of America's finest suit makers—can design, cut, and sew a custom ensemble made from your choice of fine Italian and British fabrics. Select the lining, buttons, and lapel, then consider a pair of custom python boots, sold exclusively through Rouleau. 85 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, alanrouleau.com.
Drybar
Why fight your tresses when a professional can do it while you sip a latte? At Drybar, highly skilled hair wranglers create polished manes regardless of how their clients looked when they walked in. We love that it's easy to book online in 15-minute increments, that they start so early (beginning at 7 a.m. every day but Sunday), and that the products smell delightful. Warning: could be habit-forming. 234 Clarendon St., Boston, MA 02116, thedrybar.com.
Rebecca Pacheco
Photograph by Jonathan Pozniak Rebecca Pacheco, a South End resident whose first book, Do Your Om Thing, was recently published by HarperCollins, teaches her brand of traditional yoga mixed with modern philosophy at Equinox and in private practice. (She also posts videos on runnersworld.com and on her popular blog, Om Gal.) Her classes are fun and perfect for all experience levels, with absolutely zero judgment. rebeccapacheco.com.
Natural Cleaning Service
We dislike the cloying odor of synthetic perfumes. But finding a cleaning service willing to vigorously attack the cat hair, bathtub scum, and shelf dust without resorting to chemical warfare is always challenging. Flavia Abranches has been in the cleaning business for 17 years, offering a detail-oriented approach to every space (including the inside of your refrigerator) using old-fashioned soap and elbow grease.
The Liberty Hotel
Built into the former Charles Street jail, the Liberty was designed to cleverly highlight the original building's mid-19th-century monumentality. Despite its jailhouse origins, the hotel's rooms are captivating (in a good way), with floor-to-ceiling windows and plenty of amenities. There's also complimentary yoga on Saturdays and bicycles for touring around Beacon Hill. Skipping either would be criminal. 215 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114, libertyhotel.com.
Eyestarr
Not to be confused with those glue-on falsies of yore, lash extensions are painstakingly applied, one by one, to your own lashes. Sound extravagant? Perhaps, but skilled lash masters like Andrea Starr, of Eyestarr, have begun taking extensions from special-occasion accessory to daily must-have. Starr's work is both meticulous and natural-looking. From her bright, sunny shop on Newbury Street, a boldface clientele emerges batting a thousand. 291 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02115, eyestarr.com.
Row 34
Photo by Morgan Ione Yeager Steely Chablis and minerally Muscadet are natural seafood pairings. But at Row 34, wine takes a back seat to beer director Megan Parker-Gray's phenomenal suds selection. Her rotating cast of rarities includes stouts and sours from around the globe, small-batch collaborative projects from the likes of Hill Farmstead and Mikkeller, and the latest IPAs from next-door neighbor Trillium Brewing Company. 383 Congress St., Boston, MA 02210, row34.com.
Alden & Harlow
Chef Michael Scelfo's first solo outing was an instant success thanks to its vegetable-forward fare and ungodly rich, smoky burger. But Scelfo also deserves a pat on the back for his staffing skills. In particular, bar manager Seth Freidus has assembled a cocktail list that rivals the dinner menu in creativity and ambition, with drinks incorporating vegetables like squash; a house-made amaro on draft; and, come winter, a boozy take on hot chocolate topped with absinthe-and-orange whipped cream. 40 Brattle St., Cambridge, MA 02138, aldenharlow.com.
The Druid
Within the enormous spectrum of Irish-ish spots in Boston, what ultimately sets the Druid apart is its unwavering commitment to the basics (a perfectly poured Guinness, traditional live music sessions, an affable barkeep), plus some surprises, including a seasonal braised oxtail soup, Pretty Things Meadowlark IPA on draft, and trivia nights that pay cash prizes. 1357 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA 02139, druidpub.com.
Centre Street Café
This newly revamped neighborhood café is effortlessly sexy—no mood lighting or drippy molten chocolate cake. Instead, it offers cozy seating (especially at the prime table by the exposed kitchen) mixed with warm hospitality, plus shareable Italian-inflected plates from Rialto alum Brian Rae. Follow up the house-made pastas—rich buckwheat lasagna with sage pesto; chestnut-and-goat-cheese ravioli with squash and brioche crumbs—with a bottle of Italian wine and a plate of braised chicken thighs with pistachio-glazed pork belly. 669A Centre St., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, centrestreetcafejp.com.
Artists For Humanity EpiCenter
A garage-style door opens to a courtyard at the Artists for Humanity EpiCenter. / Courtesy photo For those who prefer to color outside the lines, this vast venue provides the ultimate blank canvas. And the EpiCenter is about to get even more epic—this fall, the AFH unveils a revamped 5,000-square-foot event space. Walls are no obstacle here: Just raise the floor-to-ceiling garage-style door to let your soiree flow seamlessly into the landscaped courtyard. 100 W. Second St., Boston, MA 02127, afhboston.org.
Maryelle Makeup & Hair Artistry
Maryelle O’Rourke and her team of artists are pros at making brides "I woke up like this" beautiful, traveling to venues in Boston and beyond to give you and yours perfectly dewy skin and fluttery lashes. For proof, take a look at the company’s roster of celebrity clients, which includes Her Royal Highness Meghan Markle and Westworld’s Shannon Woodward. MA maryelleartistry.com.
Sidney Thomas
A single Akoya pearl bordered by diamonds. A vintage solitaire set gracefully on a band of 14-karat white gold. A trio of emerald-cut sapphires, azure as the ocean blue. Whatever your style, you’ll find the selection at this Prudential Center jeweler sparkles. Choose from modern and traditional pieces by Mikimoto, Henri Daussi, and Simon G. Prudential Center, Boston, MA 02199, sidneythomas.com.
Parlr
Shutterbug and makeup artist extraordinaire Rachael Rubin has relocated her industrial-chic salon/photo studio concept to an 11,000-square-foot location in the same loft building, adding a full roster of spa treatments to her menu of services (think: microblading, reiki, lash extensions, and the very best blowout around). Bonus points for the chance to strike your best model pose after a day of pampering. One Watson Place, Framingham, MA 01701, theparlr.com.
Beauport Hotel
The North Shore isn’t exactly tourist-averse, but upscale hotels are still surprisingly hard to come by—which made the Beauport a particularly welcome addition when it debuted in 2016, rendering the site of a Birds Eye frozen-foods plant unrecognizable. Boasting beachfront access and a roof deck with a pool and fire pit, the hotel is a short walk from Gloucester’s downtown. But why would you want to leave when Wellfleet oysters and local craft beer are moments away at the in-house restaurant? 55 Commercial St., Gloucester, MA 01930, beauporthotel.com.