Fashion

Bettina

That little black dress: Owner Doretta Boehm, who’s been in the fashion business more than 18 years, stocks a perfectly edited collection of dresses that aren’t found in every shop on every corner. In fact, Boehm frequently travels to Thailand to score designs by up-and-coming Asian designers. The shop’s named after her sister Bettina, who runs the Sausalito location. 501 Caledonia St., Sausalito and 415.563.8002, 3615 Sacramento St., SF

Target
Shades that don’t break the bank: Online reviewers call the Novato Target the best they’ve been to, and for good reason: the well-stocked sunglasses section has styles for under $20 that could easily be mistaken for expensive designer shades. (Novato) 415.892.3313, 200 Vintage Way

Lea Designs
Find a custom wedding dress: You may have seen Lea Ditson’s frocks at the symphony or opera, but her mother-of-the-bride and wedding dress designs have been winning over locals who want custom made-to-order gowns. Ditson, who has been in the business for over 20 years, has clients first make a “look appointment,” wherein the bride tries on different styles of dresses to see what suits her body the best, looks at swatches of fabric the designer imports from Italy and France, and discusses what type of wedding—formal or casual, outdoors or in—the event will be. Once the bride and Ditson have collaboratively come up with a design for the dress, many more appointments will be needed in order to nip and tuck the material until the fit is just right. “A lot girls go out looking for a dress and try on things that don’t fit, or the color doesn’t work, or they like the front of one and the back of another,” says Ditson. With a custom wedding dress, imagination and the wallet are the only limitations. Gowns run from $1,500 to $5,000. (San Anselmo) 415.461.4804, 324 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.

Jaylina’s
Consignment, anyone?: On any given day this fashionista’s paradise might feature Manolo Blahnik mules, Pucci scarves, Coach handbags and Missoni tops, but the real draw is the collection of designer jeans—Frankie B, Blue Cult, Diesel and Rock and Republic, at sometimes less than one fourth the original price. (Mill Valley) 415.388.4682, 19 E. Blithedale Ave.

Number 5
Where to get a handbag: Maureen Vogel’s Ross boutique has been open less than two years, but she’s already getting calls from customers across the United States in search of limited-production purses from obscure designers. Vogel doesn’t carry items that are stocked in department stores and in fact, there’s a chance you’ve never heard of many of her brands such as Anya Hindmarch, Piatonna or Barbara Bui.

But that’s what makes Number 5 so special. The Corte Madera resident has scoured Europe for under-the-radar finds, which means sometimes she’s the only boutique in America to carry a particular brand or that specific bag. (Ross) 415.925.9555, 5 Ross Common

Gene Hiller
Where to buy a suit: Gene Hiller’s namesake store has been around for more than 50 years, but men still can’t get enough of the elegant garb from stylish names like Brioni, Canali and Zegna and the concierge-like service—the staff has been known to make hotel and restaurant reservations and arrange limousine services for clients. (Sausalito) 415.332.3636, 729 Bridgeway

Proof Lab
Where to find beach sandals: Owners Will Hutchinson and Nate McCarthy, surfers themselves, have stocked some of the best styles by brands like Reef, Havaianas and Ocean Minded. (Mill Valley) 415.380.8900, 254 Shoreline Hwy.

Gala 484
Where to find a pair of boots: For almost two years, owner Gala Hart’s three namesake boutiques have been giving Marin footwear fiends a fashionable leg up, but for one of the best boot selections in town, try her Gala 484 location, which features Frye, Dolce Vita and Kristen Lee. (Larkspur) 415.924.3300, 484 Magnolia Ave.

Item Shoes and Accessories
Where to finda pair of heels: Styles by the likes of Luciano Padovan, Tory Burch, Bettye Muller and Sigerson Morrison fill the shelves of owner Joy Goldberg’s Larkspur boutique. Insiders will tell you to stop by on select dates in January and August, when there’s a big sale on almost everything in the store. (Larkspur) 415.925.0109, 1102 Magnolia Ave.

Tony's Shoe Repair
He brings shoes back to life: His name isn’t Tony, but owner Misak Pirinjian, who took over the shop from his father in 1986, is still one of the most recognizable characters in Mill Valley. His customers, who drive in from all over the Bay Area to get their shoes fixed, swear by the Terra Linda resident’s work. He is so good at it and his prices so low, one Yelp reviewer reports that her friend in Las Vegas mails her shoes here to be repaired. (Mill Valley) 415.388.5935, 38 Corte Madera Ave.