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+ Barbareeba

Babareeba Store Denver gets a good name at this stylish Highland shop featuring trendy togs and jewelry and classic vintage wear. Approximately 70 percent of clothing and shoes reflect modern fashions from well-known stores like Ann Taylor and Banana Republic, as well as designer brands from hip boutiques. The rest is high-quality vintage like Jackie O-style St. John knits that lend themselves to current tastes.

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+ Starlet: You Go, Girlie

Release your inner girlie-girl at this sweet-as-candy boutique in Highlands Square. Hardly bigger than a shoebox, the crayon-bright space is lined with framed photos of seductresses from the golden era of the silver screen, beneath whose scarlet smiles racks burst and shelves spill with all kinds of finds at generally reasonable prices: belts, hats, shades, bags, scarves, and costume baubles complement a smaller selection of apparel. And the easygoing staff strikes the perfect balance between helpfulness and the hands-off approach, so you can browse at your leisure.

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+ Savory Spice Shop: A Sanctuary of Seasonings

With its extraordinary array of herbs, spices, extracts and more, this Denver-based franchise has caught the attention of everyone from avid local home cooks to the Food Network, which produced a 2010 miniseries called Spice & Easy starring owners Janet and Mike Johnston (who have also made guest appearances on Paula’s Best Dishes and Down Home with the Neelys). Looking for white, green or black cardamom pods? You’ll find them here. Black, brown or yellow mustard seeds? They’re here too. What about asfoetida, epazote, charnushka or grains of paradise? Never even heard of them? Rest assured the knowledgable employees can share their secrets for usage.

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+ Sartorial Stampede at Buffalo Exchange

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+ EVOO Marketplace: A Gourmet Gallery

In its airy, almost starkly modern elegance, EVOO Marketplace could almost be mistaken for an art gallery. Or maybe that’s no mistake: given the stunning array of olive oils from all over the world—Greece, Chile, Australia—stored on tap in silver kegs, it’s a condiment connoisseur's studio. Infusions come in eye-opening flavors: blood orange, cilantro and roasted onion, even wild mushroom and sage. The same goes for the balsamic vinegars from Modena: think cinnamon-pear, dark chocolate, and honey-ginger. You’ll get excellent pairing advice from the friendly owner, who also stocks a small selection of  imported pastas and sauces as well as accessories for proper storage of your new purchases (and there will be many).

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+ Let Izba Spa Whisk You Away—Literally

First they beat you with whisks made of birch and oak, then they rub you down with honey—it may sound odd, but you won’t knock it after you’ve tried it at Izba Spa. Izba means “log cabin,” and this beautiful Russian banya, wood-lined and painted with frescoes, indeed transports you far from the grind of City Park. Although there are more basic options, a two-and-a-half-hour deluxe package includes a dip in the hot tub, a full-body massage, and a body polish as well as two traditional sessions in the sauna—yet costs only $135. So go for broke, or you may be kicking yourself for passing up a bargain later, which will be far more painful than the  treatment itself (really, it's very gentle).

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+ Let Studio Bini Dress Your Child in Style

There's a saying that if you want something done right you have to do it yourself. Voila- Studio Bini was born! Frustrated with the lack of cute kids clothes, new mom Linde Schlumbom began stitching and sewing unique, sophisticated children's clothes in her basement. After partnering with artist Sandy Brudos, Studio Bini went from a basement boutique brand to a main street boutique showcasing their own clothes and the work of local designers like themselves. No hokey teddy bears or big-eyed bunnies will be found here- this kiddy boutique is not only for kids to have unique, sophisticated clothes, shoes, and accessories, but for adults to have a fun experience buying them. With adorable designs like the "Marilyn" dress for the girls and a WWII styled bomber jacket for the boys, you may (secretly) wish they came in adult sizes too! Studio Bini also offers private label clothing, toys, books and infant equipment. Sizes are from newborn to 4T.

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+ A Literary Landmark: The Tattered Cover

The name evokes dusty shelves and cobwebbed corners, but the Tattered Cover Book Store is a sprawling, gleaming, three-location Denver institution—and its owner, Joyce Meskis, a local hero. No mere literary retail outlets, the trio of stores are veritable community centers, boasting in-store coffeehouses and hosting everything from film and lecture program series to book clubs for adults and kids alike to the city’s best readings (think Dave Eggers, rising star Joshua Ferris, and Barack Obama!). Yet another bonus: a mind-boggling magazine selection. But it's Meskis' involvement in the community beyond the bookstores’ walls that really stand out, from making donations to local charities through the Tattered Cover Gives Back program to her participation in the annual citywide literacy promotion event One Book, One Denver.

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+ 2 Stores + 100s of Bright Ideas = 5 Green Boxes

Housed in two separate storefronts on Old South Pearl, 5 Green Boxes spilleth over with the stuff of great splurging. In the larger home boutique, you’ll encounter the likes of wastepaper baskets shaped like Chinese take-out containers, floral-patterned garden tools, chunky embossed belt buckles, and all kinds of rugs, pillows, place settings, candles, and carryalls made from unexpected and recycled materials and one-a-kind chairs made from the in house design studio. The smaller shop, meanwhile, is fashion-filled, emphasizing colorful knits and tunics in exotic prints along with a wealth of funky accessories, from cool costume jewelry to scarves and tights to crayon-bright eye frames.

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+ Garbarani Goes Fashion Forward

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+ Putting the Decade in Decadence

Along a stretch of South Broadway where they’d have sounded downright foreign a few short years ago, the adjectives “quirky” and “luxury” are becoming not only apt, but synonymous with the area thanks to finds like Decade. A fixture in the gentrifying Baker district, this funky apparel and accessories boutique is a browser’s (not to mention buyer’s) dream, filled wall to wall with the likes of colorful handknits and Audrey Hepburn–retro wool trenches, cheeky piggy banks and cheekier lingerie, coffee table–worthy cookbooks and sumptuous Shiraleah handbags with all the bells and whistles (or, as the case may be, straps and buckles). In the back room, tot-sized togs and trinkets abound. The collection is as varied as the kudos it receives from local publications, from "Best Paris-Flea-Market-Style Store" to "Top Maternity." As you take it all in, keep your eyes out for Stella the Fella, the feline mascot in the gem-studded collar.