Roundabout

606 Post Road East, Westport
48 West Putnam Avenue, Greenwich

If $60 Manolo Blahniks and $150 Gaultier suits send a riotous, teeming pack of non-sexual pheromones to your brain, then Roundabout is going to make you very, very happy.

Robin’s note: Try on everything before purchasing and make sure the shoes stay on your feet: just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean it’s wearable. And they don’t return ANYTHING.

Who you’ll see shopping here: Moms who love to shop.

Their specialty: Chanel suits and overstock Shin Choi.

What you should buy: The mint condition Etro/Prada/Gucci/de la Renta (etc.) hiding in the racks on the left side of the store.

What you may not know but should:
1. Consignments are only accepted with original sales receipt.
2. Cut-rate deals are even crazier when they’re clearing out seasonal merchandise, so go late fall/late spring.
3. Chanel rarely, if ever, gets further discounts. So don’t hold your breath.

Dovecote

56 Post Road East, Westport

A gorgeous interior design boutique, yes, but lets focus on the key attraction: luscious, scrumptious, over-the-top and just-perfect jewelry.

Robin’s note: Many of the designer collections are rare birds for this neck of the woods, so whims of comparison shopping are just that: whims.

Their specialty: Statement bracelets and necklaces.

What you should buy: Delicate drop necklaces and chandelier earrings.

What you may not know but should: You’re probably familiar with Dovecote’s near-legendary warehouse sales. If you decide to fight the maddening throngs for cut-rate prices on home décor, do so—but know the best baubles never go bargain basement. http://www.dovecote-westport.com

Wave

107 Main Street, New Canaan

Boutique with gobs of terrific jewelry (much of it designer, some if it fine) at all price points, and drips and drabs of almost everything else.

Robin’s note: Fun store, but crowded and lacking focus: jewelry, dishes, glassware, a few racks of clothes, cluttered wall o’ baby gifts, etc.

Who’ll you’ll see shopping here: People who need gifts for women of all ages.

Their specialty: Jewelry.

What you should buy: Jewelry or baby gifts.

What you may not know but should: I found the exact same shirt I admired in a store a block away - $8 less at Wave.

Madewell

256 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich

If Lucky Jeans and J. Crew had a fully-formed love child, Madewell would be it.

Robin’s note: Their striped cardigans are perfectly roomy.

Who you’ll see shopping here: Women 20 to 50 who want something more casual (and cheaper) than J. Crew, but less “I wish I were a hippy” than Lucky.

Their specialty: Jeans and boots.

What you should buy: Long striped cardigans and Hunter rain boots.

What you may not know but should:
  1. Madewell and J. Crew share a CEO: Mickey Drexler.
  2. In Greenwich, the longest inseam measurement is 34. In Manhattan it’s 36. Evidently legs grow longer in the city.

Lucy’s

48 Post Road East, Westport

A lovely boutique with pricey day-to-evening attire and a solid designer selection. I wish someone would re-write their website copy, but I digress.

Robin’s note: I bought a pair of Paige Denim jeans at a whopping 13% discount. Their sales rarely qualify as such.

Who shops here: Moms who need a cocktail dress for themselves or a hip, expensive prom dress for their daughters.

What’s their specialty: DVF dresses and colorful silky tops.

What you should buy: They have an impressive selection of chic hard-to-find blazers and jackets.

What you may not know but should: Girls’ Night Out! Lucy’s will entertain you and your friends while you shop with drinks, snacks, and mini-manicures. Yes, manicures. While you try on clothes. Not sure how that works, but I trust their judgment.
http://www.lucysanswers.com

Tina Dragone

1687 Post Road, Westport

This oddly located store houses fun bits and pieces of “now” designers, as well as costume jewelry, ever-popular Alexis Bittar, and lots of t-shirts. The staff is helpful if you don’t have kids.

Robin’s note: I found the same chic Robert Rodriguez jacket at Roundabout—within the same week—for a fraction of Tina’s price.

Who you’ll see shopping here: Women 30-55 who enjoy dressing up more than they enjoy bargain shopping.

Their specialty: Cocktail party separates.

What you should buy: Unique designer cardigans.

What you may not know but should:
  1. Lots of candy dishes and a small coffee bar.
  2. Their merchandise is better than their window displays.

Snappy Gator

1438 Post Road, Fairfield

I was, understandably, wary of this store, as the name simultaneously evokes the haunting legacy of ‘80s prep-school “fashion” and its lockjaw vernacular. So I was very pleasantly surprised to discover a jewel of a store with a beautiful collection of flirty party clothes.

Robin’s note: All of these clothes make me desperate for a dazzling party, from Trina Turk frocks to Johnny Was tunics and, of course, the requisite ruffled cardigans.

Their specialty: Colorful day-to-cocktail dresses

What you should buy: Patterned and embroidered tunics.

What you may not know but should: They carry a chic line of affordable jewelry.
http://www.snappygator.com

Mitchells/Richards

670 Post Road East, Westport
359 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich

Connecticut’s highest-end department store, Mitchells is infamous for their apocryphal $450 t-shirt on sale, spectacular designer frippery, and free M&Ms. While Mitchells focuses on popular designers, Richards, the (larger) Greenwich offshoot, tends toward the classic.

Robin’s note: While shopping for my husband, I overheard Brian Williams encouraging a baffled sales associate to visit Iraq.

Who you’ll see shopping here: Men and women who love clothes and have an unlimited budget, and men and women who don’t care about clothes so entrust a stylist with their unlimited budget.

Their specialty: Aspirational designer clothing.

What you should buy: Just one Missoni or Pucci dress can improve your social life, so if you have the funds, buy the frock.

What you may not know but should:
  1. Each season they ship the sales merchandise to the tent sale in Westport and cut off an additional 60%.
  2. They now carry a small collection of more reasonably priced clothing (Theory, Vince, Wang, Burch, etc.)
http://www.mitchellsonline.com

Tanah Kalb

http://www.workshop61.com

Nothing says “I’m a selfless, loving mom” like a solid gold necklace. Putting your children’s initials on a 14K gold (or silver) charm and stringing them around your neck symbolizes your commitment to family and looks great with just about any outfit.

I’m proud of my family and wanted to, for want of a better term, advertise it (public tantrums attract plenty of attention, but not positive attention), so I set out to find my favorite signet-necklace designer. Though I ventured out of Fairfield County, my favorite designer, Tanah Kalb, was right under my unadorned neck in Westport.

A jewelry designer since 1983 and former creative director for Barneys NY and Eileen Fisher, she works in sterling and 14K gold. Her charms have just the right heft, and the initials are beautifully hand-stamped. She’ll customize a necklace with stars, angels, and precious stones and string them on a leather or gold chain. Best of all, the prices are very reasonable, especially given the cost of gold these days. Fortunately, you can’t put a price on motherhood.

Robin’s note: You can see Tanah’s fabulous, understated designs at Dovecote in Westport, or contact her directly to customize necklaces, earrings, and rings.

Who you’ll see wearing her jewelry: Moms, sometimes daughters.

Her specialty: Charm necklaces.

What you should buy: I fell in love with her rectangular pendants on gold chains.

What you may not know but should: Tanah’s jewelry has been featured in many prestigious magazines, including Vogue.
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Ralph Lauren

265 Greenwich Avenue

UPDATE: Check out “What you may not know but should” for exciting, new information!

The thing about Greenwich is – and please stop me if I’m stereotyping – no one really loses their money. It simply shifts to some other soon-to-be-resident through an intricate web of financial transactions. Now, even though money never actually leaves this town, the tastes change, causing some smaller boutiques to go out of business. But if we’re to believe Greenwich Avenue reflects the town’s predilections, then one thing is clear: rich people love Ralph.

Yes, while tiny retailers routinely wave teary good-byes, Ralph Lauren has snapped up one of the most lavish retail spaces on the avenue, polished it to sparkling, and packed it full of gorgeous, breathtakingly expensive clothes. They don’t stock Lauren (“Oh, that’s only our department store line.”), but everything from vintage gems to runway collection, home, and all the purple, black and blue labels for men and women are at your fingertips. Just don’t leave fingerprints.

Robin’s note: Am I the only one who never noticed his chandelier earrings before? I love the diamond, ruby and oxidized gold made-to-look-vintage danglers. Holy cow, they’re fabulous!

Who you’ll see shopping here: Women ages 40-60 and men with wives or small children in tow.

Their specialty: Labeled collections, assorted by color.

What you should buy: Jewelry or select items from their athletic-inspired RLX line.

What you may not know but should:
  1. If you’re shopping, associates are happy to make restaurant or salon appointments for you, walk and feed your pooch, run errands, provide your meals, and keep you caffeinated. They’d probably get you drunk, too.
  2. ALERT!!: Sorry, Big Spender: the fabulous earrings on the mannequins aren’t for sale (if they don’t have a price tag.) No, they’re not from Ralph’s personal antique jewelry collection—they’re from Claire’s right down the street for $12.50!

http://www.ralphlauren.com