At first glance, American Apparel's assortment of men's and women's casual gear doesnt look all that revolutionary, until you discover the thing that sets American Apparel apart from such chain stores as The Gap: It's a sweatshop-free enterprise.

Indulge in metal tables, Barcelona chairs or just a roll of wrapping paper with a mod pattern.

While at B-Bam!, inject some originality into your wardrobe with the store's abundant inventory of T's, hoodies, tanks and undies ready for your personal touch.

This woman-owned, grown-up adult boutique offers a nearly matchless assortment of sexy bedroom toys, books of erotic fiction, contraceptives and much more. Workshops are also offered on topics that we can't really discuss here.

Here you'll find hand-written book recommendations, all the latest must-reads and lots of gay/lesbian reading, along with a generous selection of alternative comics and sexy art books.

It has great floral and animal print stretch capris for around $20 and low-cut disco jumpsuits.

This vintage and limited-edition shoe store operates by the rules set down by Run-DMC in the classic track, "My Adidas": Wear your sneakers, but don't be a sneak.

This California-based trading company has made an art of buying and selling clothes.

If you dare look into the world of the occult, Edge of the Circle stocks hundreds of "books of arcane, forbidden knowledge" that will help take you there -- texts on Wicca, neo-paganism, Santeria and voodoo.

From lines such as Camper, Diesel and MOD, the shoes and boots here are practical, fun and futuristic.

This Northwest chain is as good as its name: It serves your everyday music needs, and serves them well. Their selection of used CDs and DVDs is extensive.

Brian McGuffey and Leif Holland moved their singular Capitol Hill gallery and studio, Square Room, down the road a piece in 2009 and restyled it as FoxMaid.

Goods sells retro "kicks" -- slang for sneakers -- as well as limited-edition and hard-to-find designs from brands like Nike, Vans, Reebok and Adidas.

Specializing in international, dance, and rare import titles, this is a cool little niche store where they're always eager to order anything they don't have in stock for you.

The price of learning is always high, but sometimes you can shave a few bucks off the top by shopping at this chain. Check out an enormous stock of books, both new and old, priced far below retail.

Where fashion is "all about the music." Outrageous, bodacious lingerie for the rock star at heart. Turn up the music and slip on some booty shorts, a naughty nurse dress or a pair of 4-inch dancer heels.

This jewel of a shop carries clothes and shoes from the past 70 years or so, right up to designer samples from yesterday.

The fashions here might make even Gene Simmons blush. You can dress from head to toe in PVC vinyl  bikinis, skirts, corsets and catsuits that even come in "extra-luscious" sizes.

Panache is a place when flashy looks mean more than labels. Its selection of fairly disposable club clothing goes well with deep tans and street-suped import cars.

New and used CDs, tapes and records.

Unlike some vintage stores with prices so high you'd be better off investing in a time machine and going back to buy things new, the tags are shockingly fair.

Red Light has brought the art of used duds to a new high, to feed right into your every disco diva/fashionista/cowgirl-with-an-attitude/street punk/goth goddess/heroine-in-a-halter fantasy.

If you're looking for the most recent album by that band you saw at Neumos or want to get your hands on some of the funky beats you heard last weekend at Chop Suey, Capitol Hill's Sonic Boom will set you up right.

Steve's carries newspapers from major cities and hundreds of magazines, but it also carries the latest 'zines, Stella Marrs postcards, Shag greeting cards and the latest Taschen art paperbacks.

Contemporary clothing and housewares.

At Halloween, the store is a veritable treasure trove of costuming elements waiting to be assembled into a kitschy whole.

Easily the most eclectic and definitely the coolest record shop in Seattle, Wall of Sound carries a small but wide array of music, from Ethiopian groove to hillbilly folk, from deep blues to minimalist electronic music.

If Japan's is hippest culture on the planet i, then logic dictates that one of the hippest stores in Seattle is Zebraclub. Here, distressed denim and Manga-style cartoon T-shirts rule the day.