The feeling in this boutique is of relaxed elegance, and that extends to the clothing and accessories. Owner Nicole Nutt believes in feminine clothing with classic lines, fashioned from the best materials. Hallmark collections include the after-five lines and petite fashions. Victoria Pappas, Joseph A and Finley are some of the featured brands, and local artists have created a selection of the jewelry.

This huge store sells decorative items for the home, including mirrors, wall hangings, wicker and straw baskets, ethnic artifacts and more. Other sections showcase unique furniture (brightly painted straw and wooden chairs and tables), toiletries and candles, gourmet biscuits and candy, coffee, tea, a large selection of discounted wine, cookware, hard-to-find cooking accessories and a range of colorful tableware. Like a true market, the shop has bare floors and an open-air feel to it.

The fashion accessory and trinket store of Spartan is right next to the clothing shop of Bows + Arrows, and Spartan has it's own front door, sign, and owner.  However, an open doorway within Spartan connects it to Bows + Arrows, sort of making it Bows + Arrows "spouse".  Thus, once you have loaded up on shirts, pants, and shoes at Bows + Arrows, head on over next door to Spartan to complete your look with a bracelet, bag, and/or body fragrance, amongst other accessories.  In addition to jewelry and the like, other items such as Bolivian blankets, serving dishes, Native American incense, wooden tape measurers are also available. - Freddie Obregon

"Urban Cowboys and Concrete-Jungle Native Americans" seems to be the theme for Bows + Arrows (hence the name), a clothing/accessory store for the modern shopper. There are shirts, pants, skirts, and shoes, of course, but what is also worth mentioning is that other items, such as blank notebooks, cookbooks, dinnerware, and even gourmet chocolate bars are up for grabs. - Freddie Obregon

This shop may look small from the outside, but once you step inside you will enjoy exploring 17 rooms full of folk art, antiques, furniture, lighting, imported gifts, Southwestern prints and more. This is a good spot to find quality imports at affordable prices. Explore shopping for retablos, woodcarvings, crosses, saints, icons, mandalas, dream catchers and more. Primitive, rustic Spanish and Southwestern furniture is featured in a variety of materials, including wrought iron, wood and glass.

The owners of Co-Star are not kidding when they say that this boutique is for both women & men; since there is an adequate and equal ratio of high-quality, sleek women to men's accessories and clothing.  To get an idea of the urban funkiness Co-Star packs, here's an example: Amongst other designs, men's hoodies feature vintage Firebird emblems, and men's tees showcase the original covers from literary classics, such as The Great Gatsby. While the inventory in the front two rooms of the shop may seem pricey to some, rest assured that a well-stocked clearance and sale room lies at the back.  At checkout, sign up for their eNewsletter to receive special news and promotions. - Freddie Obregon

Shot glasses, key chains, and postcards from your travels are great souvenirs, but sometimes it's best to get something practical for significant others. Enter Storyville Apparel, a shop dedicated to producing screen tees reflecting the culture of Austin. There are some accessories (such as feather earrings) and other knick-knacks (like coasters with images of Austin landmarks).  Furthermore, you can get other random items, such as an infant bodysuit that shows the spray-painted frog from "The Drag", a tee for your wife that proudly displays her South Austin upbringing with the zip code "78704" stamped on it, even a shirt for your avant-garde boyfriend that says "Hipsters are people, too"! - Freddie Obregon

Who would have thought that vintage stores, which are mostly inexpensive to begin with, would have reduced-price outlets?  Cheap Cheap is one such shop; it is the clearance outlet for both New Bohemia on South Congress and New BROhemia on South First. Behind the main building its address is under, Cheap Cheap carries lots of secondhand to newer accessories, clothing, and shoes (amongst other things) for men and women jam packed within two rooms, but nothing is over $20.  As if that weren't enough, there is even a clearance rack at the back of the men's section that offers clothes for free. The ends of the Earth exist within Cheap Cheap in Austin, TX. - Freddie Obregon

It seems like there are more clothing stores for women than for men.  When you finally find a shop that offers goods for both sexes, the women's selection appears to be wide and diverse. Thankfully, this is not so at New BROhemia on South First, a spin-off of the popular New Bohemia on South Congress.  This vintage store is dedicated to the "fellas", first and foremost.  For example, it has a plethora of hip button-down shirts, funky pearl snaps, Boy Scout uniforms, pants, sunglasses, boots, jewelery, and warm-ups (amongst other things)! GQ was right to feature this shop on its list of "The Top 25 Vintage Stores in America", and you'd have to be insane to resist browsing the sale racks at the very front of the store. - Freddie Obregon

Support local businesses, always (especially boutiques owned & operated by two women)!  Secret Oktober is one such example; nestled next to Sugar Mama's Bakeshop in the dense South First IBIZ District, this shop is Austin's Version of the "Hot Topic" stores. As with virtually all of the businesses in popular parts of this city, Secret Oktober is tightly packed in small quarters. Yet, unlike the majority of these businesses, the shop packs a punch since the non-mainstream inventory is abundant (Steampunk goggles, Victorian-style chokers, and Men's platform boots to name a few).  Not only that, but everything is neatly organized and nicely labeled. Be sure not to pass on the clearance rack outside of the store (articles of clothing starting at a $1). - Freddie Obregon