Best of the New: Stores

Page 4 of 4 -- Renaissance Room

Don't you hate when someone asks, "Do you really need that?" Ignore the question and proceed straight to Renaissance Room, which has been peddling hard-to-resist women's clothing since July. In a setting above Newbury Street, the lushly furnished boutique resembles a French atelier, with art-to-wear designs as elegant as they are special. Day-to-evening separates range from bohemian to edgy, with one-of-a-kind accessories that can reinvent your wardrobe. Most styles are easy fits - like kimonos, asymmetrical jackets, and bias-cut tunics - but prices can be a bit less user-friendly. Hey, go ahead. You only live once. 215 Newbury Street, Boston, 617-859-9700; www.renroom.com

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Stil

For stylish fashionistas of moderate means, Stil (pronounced "steel") is the antidote to chain-store-itus. You'll be the only kid on your block wearing the shop's whimsical, print-crazy designs from Copenhagen, Finland, and London. Most are Boston exclusives, as are the collections from emerging new talents whom owner Betty Riaz tracks down in New York. Riaz even managed to buy the sample line of quirky clothing featured on the second season of the hit TV show The Apprentice. Though small in size, this Scandinavian-inspired boutique has been packing 'em in since it opened in June. 170 Newbury Street, Boston, 617-859-7845; www.stilinc.com

Susan Sargent

Alas, Boston can be a very gray city. That's why we love Susan Sargent's delightfully colorful home-design store that appears positively Oz-like against Newbury Street's brick and slate. Since its unveiling in January of 2004, the store's light-filled window has been mesmerizing passersby with a kaleidoscope of brightly colored furniture, pillows, rugs, and dinnerware. Author of the cheerful books The Comfort of Color and New Country Color, Sargent develops artistic home products for the rest of us, meaning the decorator-deprived. Attend a color workshop or use the complimentary in-store design service to select paints and fabrics. The store's designers are wizards with color. 132 Newbury Street, Boston, 617-262 2226; www.susansargent.com

Shag

Rock-star treatment and rock-star hair can be yours at Shag, Sandy Poirier's spacious South Boston hair salon that's been around since July. The tattooed, motorcycle-riding stylist seats his clients in Italian chairs with burled-walnut arms. Poirier crafts his cuts working first on wet hair with scissors and then on dry hair with a razor. 840 Summer Street, Boston, 617-268-2500; www.shagboston.com

Sean /// Stores that feature a single designer - think Marc Jacobs and Ralph Lauren - tend to bear the name of the person behind the label. But while Sean, a hip men's store that hit Newbury Street in March, is named for owner Sean Cassidy, it exclusively carries cool duds by Paris fave Emile Lafaurie. Dress shirts and ties are colorful, sweaters are sophisticated, and slim-cut suits are sold as separates to minimize alterations. 154 Newbury Street, Boston, 617-399-3993; www.seanstore.com

Persona Jewelry +

Persona is to jewelry what Louis is to fashion - a world-class place to shop in Boston. This little jewel box, opened in June, is tucked away on the second floor of the Hotel Commonwealth in Kenmore Square. Owners Gary Shteyman and Margarita Druker have an eye for the unique, including simple sterling-silver items priced as low as $20 and fabulous estate pieces by Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, and Cartier. Shteyman's own designs are contemporary and stunning. The "plus" includes cashmere baby blankets and leather goods by Aspinal of London. Hotel Commonwealth, 504 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, 617-266-3003; www.personastyle.com

Body By Brandy Fitness Center

Owner Brandy K. Cruthird is the juice of her gym - her glutes, abs, and smile make us want to stay on the elliptical machine extra minutes just to impress her. Cruthird says she launched the Body by Brandy Fitness Center in Dudley Square in September for the health of her neighborhood. With unique programs like PHAT Camp, which teaches kids physical-fitness awareness, and low membership fees, Cruthird is giving fitness chains a run for their money. 2181 Washington Street, Roxbury, 617-442-2187

The Lizard's Tale

Once upon a time - actually, in September - Tim Huggins, the proprietor of Newtonville Books, opened a cool kids' bookstore called The Lizard's Tale. There we found piles of Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and Olivia-the-pig books ready to fly off the shelves. We also noticed a nice collection of test-prep texts, and, in the teenage boys' section, near The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, we spotted The Portable Henry Rollins! The Tale has a kid-friendly decor: big bean bags, a table with markers and scrap paper, and stuffed animals. A great place for the junior literati to get their read on. 296 Walnut Street, Newtonville, 617-244-6619; www.newtonvillebooks.com