The Best Places to Shop in New Orleans

After reading last week’s New Orleans travel guide, you might have thought “really?! nothing about shopping?!” Don’t worry, I wouldn’t disappoint you like that! I knew I could talk for ages about the shopping in NOLA, so I wanted to dedicate an entire post to the best places to shop – the must-visit stores – in New Orleans.

1. Bella & Harlow

Bella
& Harlow (located on Magazine street) is one of those rare
boutiques where you really feel that each and every item was carefully
selected. It is not an exaggeration to say I liked almost every single
item in store. The primary focus is women’s fashion – focusing on tops
& dresses from brands such as Eliza J, Greylin and Gentlefawn. There
are also though a few hand selected items of jewelry and home decor.
(My personal favorites were the mugs and hilarious greeting cards).

As
an added bonus, the owner, Sarah, is a fantastical, wonderful, lovely
human being. A born and raised New Orlinean (tell me that’s a word?) she
is a veritable fountain of knowledge on all things New Orleans. Need
good restaurant suggestions? Want to know some local history? Wondering
how on earth you pronounce the inevitably weird name of the street your
hotel is on? Sarah’s got you covered. In fact, part of me thinks Sarah
should really open a side gig and start charging people to learn from
her 😛

But
back to the fashion – I would describe the general style of the
boutique as feminine meets hippy chic with a dose of practicality added
in there. There is definitely something for everyone here. Three of my
personal favorite items that I tried are pictured below.

middle dress: c/o

Overall: if you only have time to hit one store in New Orleans – this should be it!

2. Shop Trendz

 Shop Trendz is a must-shop if you are looking for affordable accessories. It is an accessory store that is really inexpensive – perfect if you need to pick up some souvenir gifts! There is a Shop Trendz on the same block as Bella & Harlow (yay for convenience) and there is also a location in the French Quarter. Pro tip though: shop the magazine street location as they carry identical products, but the items are cheaper at that location. I can only assume this has to do with the high rent they must be paying at their French Quarter location, but still, I was shocked how significant the price differences are. For example, one ring I looked at was $9 at the magazine street location and $12 at the French Quarter location.

This is the place to go if you are looking for some fun, on-trend items that won’t break the bank. This is costume jewelry though so don’t be expecting the items to last you from season to season. With affordable trendy items though, you can buy them knowing you’ll get your money’s worth even if you only wear them once or twice.

3. Jackie’s

Jackie’s boutique, located in the French Quarter, is a mid-range boutique focusing on women’s fashion (with some select accessories). Jackie’s was established a few years ago and is owned/run by all women (it’s a family business!) which is really great to see.

One of my favorite parts about Jackie’s is the number of mannequin displays with full looks/outfits. There were a number of tops styled with necklaces that I never would have thought to combine and ended up loving them and buying both the top and necklace! The owners have a great eye for style, so if you need a bit of inspiration on what to wear with a shirt or skirt that you love, Jackie’s is great for that.

Pro tip: because it is in the French Quarter it is quite (uncomfortably) busy. Try to go first thing in the morning, or end of day in order to shop with a bit more relaxation and calm.

Honorable Mentions:

A few other boutiques worth checking out are as follows:

1. Buffalo Exchange: This is a high-quality thrift shop chain, located near Bella & Harlow and Shop Trendz on magazine street. This is great if you are into thrifting with the added bonus that if you bring your own bag instead of needing to get a plastic bag for your purchase, you get to donate 5 cents to one of three non-profit organizations; one of which is a personal favorite of mine- the Innocence Project. It’s (obviously) a small donation, but it’s really cool seeing a company take this approach to charitable giving.

2. Violet’s: Violet’s is a high-end boutique located just around the corner from Jackie’s. It is owned by the same women. There are stunning, stunning dresses in this boutique, but they are definitely expensive, designer items. I fell in love with the most beautiful printed Milly dress, but as it was $500 it was unfortunately not meant to be mine. If you are looking for a designer piece though, this boutique is a great choice.

linking up with: mix it mondays // hello monday // #howispring