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Springify your closet with Columbia's best boutiques

Become Stacy London-approved with picks from these boutiques.

By Kaylen Ralph

Published March 12, 2010

As the weather warms up and girls shrug out from under heavy knits and layers and pull off their knee-high boots, Ninth and Broadway gets a little more foot traffic. These two streets, which feature an almost nonsensical number of fashion boutiques, are abuzz with spring fever and fashionistas anxious to slip into something, well, a little more comfortable.

Britches
130 S. Ninth St.

Walk anywhere within a 10-yard radius of Cherry and Ninth streets, and you'll hear the pop music blasting from Britches. The top 40 and bubblegum pop songs playing are a good indication of the styles found inside the store — very trendy, very now. Although there are some casual-wear options, the bulk of Britches' pieces would be classified as party attire. Loud patterns, shiny sequins, metal studs, beaded embellishments, neon accents and faux fur collars can all be found in the various sections of the store. Its shoe department features several towering choices as well as some flats and sandals for the coming months.

General pricing: tops for $20; dresses from $30 to $50; jewelry for around $5
Top brands: Audrey, Renee C., Enti, Double Zero
Jean Brands: William Rast ($185 to $225); Citizens of Humanity

Belle
22 S. Ninth St.

Perusing through Belle is probably one of the more calming shopping experiences you could hope to have this time of year. Imagine an exposed brick loft downtown then inject artfully scattered pine cones and branches, the faint smell of incense and celestial tunes. This is Belle. The shop, which features several international brands from Japan and Korea, offers many stylish and modern choices for varying price ranges. Belle would definitely be the place to get your standard "little black dress" and many variations on this staple wardrobe item.

General pricing: $30 to $400, no sales
Top brands: Super Lucky Cat, Big Buddha, Latico, KOBO candles
Coming soon: an exclusive, signature line coming from a Belle sales associate this summer

Breeze
908 E. Broadway

Probably the most diversified store product-wise would be Breeze. The shop is two large rooms — one featuring formal wear, accessories and shoes, the other casual wear, denim and business attire. High school girls looking for prom dresses and college girls looking for formal dresses can all find something at Breeze. On the other side, someone can find all of the basics, such as leggings, V-necks, cardigans and camis, as well as going out pieces, such as minis and dresses. For business-wear, there are many mix-and-match options of blazers, pencil skirts and tasteful dresses.

General pricing: affordable, with a varying price range
Top brands: Nine West shoes, Kensie Girl, Vintage Havana, Velvet Heart
Jean Brands: Fidelity, Freedom of Choice (all organic cotton)

Elly's Couture
914 E. Broadway

Elly's Couture could be best described as the perfect mash-up of Hollywood glamour and a pinkalicious girls' night out theme. Red velvet dressing rooms imitate the red carpet of the stars and fake flowers and enlarged couture sketches on the wall give it that something extra. Perhaps best known for its Betsey Johnson party dresses and Lacoste products, Elly's definitely has the brightest and most colorful offerings. There is a great selection of jewelry, big cocktail rings, leather wrap bracelets from employee Lily Dawson and a new Betsey Johnson jewelry line every month.

General pricing: excluding Betsey Johnson dresses, the average item is between $65 and $70
Top brands: Betsey Johnson, Lacoste, Whitney Eve, Voom by Joy Han, Poetic Licence shoes

Swank
921 E. Broadway

It's all in the name for Swank. The boutique — which features several brands from New York and Los Angeles, as well as designers, such as Free People, French Connection, True Religion and 7 For All Mankind jeans — is definitely your best high-end stop. The store, which isn't large but full of racks, is loosely organized by color. The back wall is painted blue and full of denim. Purses adorn the walls and several glass cases of jewelry beckon tempted customers. Swank also has exclusivity clauses regarding all of its brands, meaning they are the only place to go in Columbia for several of the brands.

General pricing: varied, but generally on the higher side
Top brands: Juicy Couture, Free People, French Connection, Matt & Nat bags, TOMS shoes, Splendid
Jean brands: True Religion, 7 For All Mankind
Shop from home: Swank has an e-commerce site