The Baltimore Sun’s readers and staff have weighed in on what’s the best in the region from art galleries to urgent care.
First, you’ll find critics’ picks from The Sun’s editorial team.
Then, you’ll see what readers think; the readers’ choice winners received the most votes during an online poll in March.
(Winners of the Readers’ Choice ballot were selected by readers.)
Find more categories at baltimoresun.com/best.
Costume shop
Artistic Costumes & Dance Fashions
There’s no pretense in this masquerade shop. What you see is what you get — nearly 5,000 costumes for sale or rent, from Edgar Allan Poe to the Easter Bunny. And from Darth Vader to Donald Trump.
“You name it, we have it,” says owner Harriet Berlin, 69, who has been outfitting the public for parties and plays for 39 years. There are Southern belles and scary clowns, superheroes and Sacagawea. Baltimore Ravens players have come looking to be someone they’re not. For instance, lineman Tony Siragusa (all 340 pounds of him ) left the shop happy as an oversized Lawrence of Arabia ―or was it Arabia itself?
304 Goucher Blvd., Towson. 410-321-1121. artisticcostumes.com
Window display
Ruth Shaw Inc.
The windows of Ruth Shaw Inc. remind you of the shop-until-you-drop days of old when retail was booming and fashion reigned. The windows make you feel better even if you didn’t make it to New York Fashion Week or to the shows in Paris, London and Milan. Peter Pilotto, The Row, Etro, Alexander Wang, and Aquazurra. All of the great names are here — artfully displayed — and ready to be purchased. It’s good to see that some boutiques still care about aspiration, glitz and glam. And Ruth Shaw Inc. certainly does.
800 Kenilworth Drive, Suite 852, Towson, 410-532-7886, ruthshawinc.com
Menswear
Gian Marco Menswear
Having owners who also design collections in collaboration with European fashion houses is one way to ensure that you have fashion-forward items to offer. Owners John Massey and Marc Sklar continue to stock their Mount Vernon menswear boutique with fashion trends that are typically a couple of seasons ahead. They offer bold colors, luxury fabrics and a curated selection of clothes that include everyday wear and special occasions.
517 N. Charles St., Mount Vernon, 410-347-7974, gian-marco-menswear.com
Thrift store for home items
Wishbone Reserve
You never know what treasures you will find at Wishbone Reserve. One day it could be a set of 11 Bayel Bacchus champagne glasses. The next it could be a Barbie-pink sofa. The 2,000-square-foot space on Falls Road in Hampden is jam-packed with plenty of drool-worthy finds. From taxidermy and chairs to quirky, contemporary art to a comfy pile Hamadan rug, this place is a trove.
3811 Falls Road, Hampden. 443-961-3376, wishbonereserve.com
Shoe store
Sassanova
One of the last remaining locally owned stores in Harbor East, Sassanova has remained relevant and in business by offering carefully selected designer shoes. That means offering bigger names such as Sam Edelman, Loeffler, Dolce Vita and Marc Fisher with rarer finds like Cecilia NYC, Andre Assous and the family-run Spanish line, Gaimo.
805 Aliceanna St., Harbor East. 410-244-1114
Children’s clothing
The Pied Piper
When you want your youngster to be fashion-forward, The Pied Piper should top your list. With designers such as Lilly Pulitzer, Juicy Couture and True Religion for girls and Ralph Lauren Polo, Vineyard Vines and Ben Sherman for boys, the boutique is a must for fashionable children, whether for playwear or dressing up.
32 Village Square, The Village of Cross Keys, 410-435-2676. piedpiperkids.com
Street fashion influencer
Natalie Graham
Baltimore resident Natalie Graham isn’t afraid to take fashionable risks. She’ll wear a deconstructed and repurposed denim jacket one day and a tulle skirt the next. As a fashion designer, Graham bucks the stereotype that designers are dowdy and draped in black. She’s known for wearing color, sparkle and plenty of texture.
Prom wear
The Doll House Boutique
With their constant desire to stand out from the crowd, it’s no wonder that high schoolers flock to Doll House Boutique during prom season. The Mount Vernon boutique specializes in one-of-a-kind pieces and custom orders. Although it takes a couple of months from sketch to completion of the garments, the boutique also has a number of unique dresses right off the rack. Prices range from $250 to $900. Expect plenty of sparkle, feathers, bustles, tulle skirts and dramatic design-mixing fabrics, colors and silhouettes.
525 N. Charles St., #1, Mount Vernon. 443-874-7900. shopdollhouseboutique.com
Gifts
Trohv
From the outside, the window at Trohv on Hampden’s Avenue is a bright-colored display eliciting smiles and wonder. Inside, the boutique home and gift store is the area’s go-to for cards, mugs, Scottish wool blankets, clever baby onesies and items that will have people saying, “Where on Earth did you find this?” (But, you know, in a good way).
921 W. 36th St., Hampden. 410-366-3456. Trohvshop.com
Maryland-themed gifts
E.C. Pops
Chances are, you didn’t realize that you needed an embroidered crab keychain or an Edgar Allan Poe T-shirt or a pair of Old Bay socks until you saw them at E.C. Pops in Fells Point. The store, which also has a branch in Ellicott City, where it originated, offers a delightfully over-the-top take on Maryland Americana that’s sure to please the Old Line State resident on your shopping list.
723 S. Broadway, Fells Point. 410-750-7677. 8143 Main St., Ellicott City. 410.988.5406. Ecpops.com
Houseplants
B. Willow
If houseplants are millennials’ answer to pets and children, B. Willow is their house of worship. The Remington shop with a stand at Fells Point’s Broadway Market offers indoor plants, terrariums and flowers, as well as, workshops and plant design classes to help individuals create the indoor landscape of their dreams.
220 W. 27th St., Remington. 443-873-8414. bwillow.com
— Mike Klingaman, Christina Tkacik and John-John Williams IV
Readers’ choice winners
Active adult/retirement community
Broadmead
Antiques
Bazaar
Barbershop
The Beatnik Barbershop
Barre class
INLINE Barre – Perry Hall
Bike shop
Joe’s Bike Shop
Bookstore
Protean Books
Boot camp
Unboxed Strength
Bridal shop
K&B Bridals
Brow threading
ELV8 Brows & Beauty
Car dealership
CarMax
Clothing boutique
Octavia Boutique
Consignment/resale shop
Uptown Cheapskate
Core class
Pilates House
Co-working space
Function Coworking Community
Dance lessons
Centre Pointe Performing Arts
Day spa
About Faces Day Spa & Salon
Grocery store chain
Wegmans
Gym
Merritt Clubs
Hair salon
Headlines Hair Salon
Health food/supplement store
MOM’s Organic Market
Jeweler
Lakein’s Jewelers of Hamilton
Kid parties
B&O Railroad Museum
Liquor store
The Wine Source
Martial arts classes
Kanjizai Academy of Jiu-Jitsu
Medical marijuana
GreenLabs
Medispa
LifeMed Institute
Mobile store/fashion truck
Gogo’s
Music lessons
School of Rock Baltimore
New store
Found Studio
Pet goods store
Mutt Mart
Pick-your-own produce
Weber’s Cider Mill Farm and Peachberry Farn
Pool
acac Timonium Fitness & Wellness Center and Roosevelt Park Pool (tie)
Specialty grocer
MOM’s Organic Market
Spin class
REV Cycle Studio
Yoga studio
Aluma Yoga