Best of the New 2012: Shopping on Newbury Street. Street-chic print dresses, Romygold leather handbags, and understated urban cool.
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FRED PERRY AUTHENTIC SHOP: 301 Newbury Street, 857-233-4698, fredperry.us Named for British tennis legend Fred Perry, this brand is known for preppy-with-an-edge sportswear featuring the company’s signature laurel-wreath logo. There’s a cult-like following for the form-fitting knit polo shirts and skimpy dresses; the men’s messenger bags, scally caps, and work-wear collections are bestsellers in Boston.
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JIBERISH ARMORY: 299 Newbury Street, jiberish.com The Colorado Rockies are the birthplace of Jiberish, a street-savvy menswear line that combines urban design with an outdoorsy vibe. Hence the campground decor of the company’s new Boston shop: stacks of wood logs, real and faux birch trees, and tented changing rooms — all with hip-hop blaring on the sound system.
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DR. MARTENS: 201 Newbury Street, 617-585-1460, drmartens.com Once the badge brand of London punks, Dr. (Doc) Martens have come a long way from those days of in-your-face industrial boots. While staying true to its working-class roots, the company is now a fashion-filled bonanza, with kicky footwear, unisex satchels, and cleaned-up rugged sportswear. The women’s borrowed-from-the-boys looks (with input from hip Brit model Agyness Deyn) are a big draw.
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AESOP: 172 Newbury Street, 212-899-3450, aesop.com Australia-based Aesop brand is a favorite of women who prefer great skin to great makeup. The soothing, largely plant-derived face, body, and hair-care products are antioxidant-rich (and smell yummy) and designed to take on a wide variety of complexion and potential age-related issues. Even the artsy, modernistic store designed by MIT assistant architecture professor William O’Brien Jr. is calming.
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Photograph ©Marimekko CorporatiON
MARIMEKKO: 140 Newbury Street, 617-247-2500, us.marimekko.com Marimekko, the Finnish design company and classic mid-century brand, has had its own store in Cambridge for the last six years, and a presence in the area for even longer. But this August Marimekko brought its iconic bright, patterned textiles and home goods, plus fabulous women’s dresses, to Boston’s most fashionable district. The looks are even more appealing after all these years.





