Tess & Carlos
Feeling in need of a foreign fling? Come dally among the handsome imports at Newton's Tess & Carlos—at 4,000 square feet, the biggest and most temptation-filled of the retailer's three stores. Co-owner Tess Enright has a gift for sifting Euro treasures from Euro trash, yielding Hoss Intropia dresses fit for American gamines, stern-but-chic work separates by Jil Sander, classic Etro knits, and baby-soft Majestic tees. Save yourself the airfare and put that useless phrasebook away: A Bostonian's tour of the world's fashion capitals begins, and ends, right here. 1241 Centre St., Newton Centre, MA 2459, tessandcarlos.com.
Alex & Co.
The way it wriggles off a finger or pops out of its setting, you'd think jewelry had a mind of its own—one that knows how to roll juuuust out of reach under the refrigerator or, worse, straight down the garbage disposal. Capricious gems need a strong hand, which is where the dexterous staffers at Alex & Co. come in. They can restring, reset, or resize anything quickly and securely; if more-drastic measures are needed, owner Alexander Zamsky will pour his European design training into creating a brand-new piece guaranteed to fit, and look, a hundred times better. 100 Needham St. #1, Newton, MA 2464, alexandcompany.com.
Mr. Sid
In the 21st century, Boston's been getting used to the idea of dynasties, what with the Red Sox winning two World Series championships and the Patriots a trio of Super Bowls. Mr. Sid has similarly dominated its field: Since 2000 the family-owned men's clothing mainstay has taken the hardware every year this Best of Boston category has been judged. Add that streak to its continued strong performance in custom fitting (with seven in-house tailors), selection (running from Agave to Zegna), and amenities (free cocktails enjoyed before vast flat-screens), and it's clear why men are still walking out of Mr. Sid looking like winners. 1211 Centre St., Newton Centre, MA 2459, mrsid.com.
Trident Booksellers & Café
Any old Store 24 or CVS has the household names—GQ, Vanity Fair, Wired, a certain city mag you may have heard of—and yes, it surely is convenient to load up on required reading and toothpaste all in one go. Trident's draw is that, instead of toiletries and Slim Jims, it supplements its big titles with the coolest niche publications around. The racks are dense with the surprising and quirky (2600 and Heeb being a combined purchase, perhaps, for the techie hipster Jew in your life), and sampling the wares is encouraged: Just take a copy to the store's mellow café and peruse it over a cup of equally mellow joe. 338 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2115, tridentbookscafe.com.
Fresh
Going on a fashion bender along Newbury can leave even hard-core shoppers feeling a tad wilted. Good thing Fresh is close at hand: With white-tiled walls and elegant white fixtures, the locally based chain's recently renovated Back Bay outpost soothes like a Victorian powder room, while simultaneously offering pep-promoting potions. Perfumes are touched with intriguing notes like Moroccan basil; skin care is punched up with lemon oil and cucumber extract; and a number of body products (even deodorant) feature real sugar in the mix. Just when you thought you'd lost your will to buy, it's back. 121 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, fresh.com.
Newbury Comics
Parents may feel better about parking their offspring with an electronic babysitter when there's more to choose from than the Wiggles or Baby Einstein. In a chain renowned as a playground for adult music fiends, the Fresh Pond outlet of Newbury Comics does right by ankle-biters, dedicating plenty of real estate to kiddie DVDs and CDs. From Pixar flicks to the Smurfs, Laurie Berkner to They Might Be Giants, there's a slew of entertainment options to be had. Much of it is sold gently used, too, which means indulging ADD inclinations (theirs or yours) is less of a budget strain. 211 Alewife Brook Pkwy., Cambridge, MA 2138, newburycomics.com.
Curious George & Friends
Founded with help from Curious George coauthor Margret Rey, this Harvard Square mainstay doesn't rest on pedigree. It livens up the calendar with frequent author signings, stays timely with additions like an "environmental awareness" section, and balances its bountiful classics with acclaimed new releases. And since sifting through thousands of titles for all reading levels can be daunting, the seasoned staffers are ready to help you locate, say, the perfect horse-themed series for your equine-obsessed nine-year-old niece. Though here's betting no assistance will be required to spot books and toys featuring a certain mischievous monkey. One JFK St., Cambridge, MA 2138, .
Magic Beans
If you didn't even know you needed a baby-care timer, pee-pee teepee, or pacifier pod, make a beeline for local chainlet Magic Beans to get a primer on modern-day parenting supplies before the stork touches down. The married-with-kids owners, Sheri and Eli Gurock, and their gung-ho employees have done all the research for you (exhaustively reported on their blog, at spillingthebeans.net), testing hundreds of products in deciding what to stock. The result: everything your own parents never had when you were little, but wish they did. 200 Linden St., Wellesley, MA 2482, mbeans.com.
9 Months
Think the rise of mommy chic is rooted in the Hollywood baby boom? A swing through 9 Months will change your mind. Here you'll find the real force behind the phenomenon: seriously great fashion, as in sexy silk cocktail dresses by Liz Lange, smart but ever-so-comfy trousers by Japanese Weekend, gotta-have jeans from Citizens of Humanity, and gauzy floral numbers by Maternal America. All this, and a cute little play area to distract the tykes while the shopping is under way? No wonder so many local moms-to-be are glowing. 286 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, .
French Dressing
The sheer variety of intimates from Aubade, Eberjey, Cosabella, Skin, and Hanky Panky (still the most comfy thongs around) that you'll discover at this pretty, boudoir-size boutique, discreetly located in the flat of Beacon Hill, would be enough to set it apart from the competition. It's the honest, practical, and rather sweet caretaking by proprietress Brenna Graham, though, that's truly prizewinning. If you bring in your gauziest blouses and slinkiest dresses, she'll even help you avoid a Tara Reid moment by assisting you in choosing the appropriate underpinnings. 49 River St., Boston, MA 2108, frenchdressinglingerie.com.
Cohasset Jewelers
With online wholesalers operating round the clock and big-box retailers claiming their slice of the bauble trade, you can buy jewelry almost anywhere, anytime, these days. Unless, that is, your gift needs to transcend mere trinket. In that case, you're going to want a more personal shopping experience before you surrender a few months' salary. And that's just what's provided by the friendly faces at Cohasset Jewelers, which has been helping its customers choose just the right piece for more than 75 years. Not only is its cache of new and estate jewelry stunning to behold, it's priced beautifully, too. 790 Chief Justice Cushing Hwy, Cohasset, MA 2025, cohassetjewelers.com.
Dolly Bilzerian-Kelly
There's more to upscale salesmanship than strategically doled-out snootiness. In her 30 years at the ring-for-entry Alan Bilzerian boutique, Bilzerian-Kelly (Alan's sister) has developed a knack for divining what customers want and, better yet, what they need. She'll know, for instance, to break the news gently but firmly that, alas, that fabulous Alexander McQueen corset is not a good look for your untoned upper arms—but that you might give this Rick Owens tunic a try. Her unfailing candor doesn't crowd out her dry sense of humor, though, which can turn a quick shopping stop into a memorable event. 34 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, .
Vizio Optic
Galina Rabkin can't stand a smudged lens any more than she can abide a crooked frame. The petite Russian-born optometrist is a perfectionist through and through, and she's arranged her spare Brookline Village boutique accordingly: Polished specs by Chanel, Prada, Face à Face, and the cleverly kooky XIT decorate the backlit walls and fill the neat wood-and-glass cases. Behind the scenes, her spotless exam room and state-of-the-art vision equipment are organized and unintimidating. And should Vizio not have your preferred pair, Rabkin will go to great lengths to order or import them. 11 Harvard St., Brookline, MA 2445, viziooptic.com.
Polka Dog Bakery
Puffy's not the best shopping companion: drooling on merchandise, constantly demanding attention, invading strangers' personal space. Any place that overlooks —welcomes, even—such unseemly habits scores big with us. This year Polka Dog expanded to accommodate its lines of animal gear with voluminous bins of squeaky cupcakes and rubber telephones, walls of collars, piles of beds, and accessories for literal clothes hounds. As if all that weren't enough, there's the popular buffet of inventive edibles, for when your guests' shoes are no longer an option: liver chips, salmon coins, and catnip "pawbreakers" for delicate breeds; cow thigh bones for those with heartier appetites. 256 Shawmut Ave., Boston, MA 2118, polkadog.com.
Brussels Sprouts Kids
Relax, kids: This store doesn't have any of those icky vegetables you like to dispose of in your napkin. What it does have is loads of great clothes you can't get at the mall. That's because the owner, Molly Moncreiff, orders them from faraway places like Denmark, Israel, and Cabot, Vermont. For girls, there are down-to-earth print tops and dresses that any Anthropologie-loving big sis would kill for; for boys, relaxed Charlie Rocket tees and dress-up wear that's not dorky. There's even something for Mom and Dad: sale signs galore. 855 Washington St., Newton, MA 2460, .