American Apparel's basic, no-nonsense T-shirts, tank tops, swimwear, jackets and underwear are comfortable, durable and smart-looking. And did we mention inexpensive and guilt free?

This chain store specializes in elegant but affordable women's apparel and accessories.

When you get name-checked in a Rufus Wainwright song, as B&N has been, you know you've really made it. This store has virtually every kind of cultural artifact you could crave, from books and movies to CDs, plus calendars counting down the days until we have a new president.

One of the city's largest buy-and-sell used clothing boutiques, with a huge selection of tank tops, going-out clothes and your occasional full-length fuzzy neon-green coat.

A healthy selection of arts, style and other hard-to-find publications.

With cheap used CDs and stacks of vinyl, it's a worthy shop.

A great hangout for animation and comic fans, where you can get a cup of coffee too.

This shop features witty greeting cards, desk accessories, frocks, lingerie, baby clothes and other pretty gifts by new and established designers.

Impress is a crafts mecca that sells rubber stamps galore and offers several classes per week, per location, that help students learn the fine art of rubber stamping, die-cutting, paper folding and more.

This small independent toy store/children's boutique/kids' hair salon in the heart of University Village carries a well-edited and high-quality selection of baby gear, toys, games, puzzles and books as well as fashionable clothing, shoes and accessories.

Lucy is a stylish sportswear store for women of all sizes, shapes and fitness levels.

Women's apparel at Lululemon is centered around yoga-ready attire such as Lycra and organic cotton cropped pants and shorts, tanks with built-in bras, long- and short-sleeved T-shirts and other Downward Dog-friendly fashions.

A Birkenstock palace.

You'll find hip jeans and assorted other women's apparel at this U Village store.

At this national chain, you'll find most anything you need for the bedroom, bathroom, home office, dining room, living room... you get the idea.

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.

Good-looking, useful stuff for the home, from fans and deck chairs to bedding collections.

A dazzling boutique of jewel-toned makeups, high-end skin-care lines and delicious fragrances.

Stacked high with paper lanterns, kimonos, tea sets and other Asian Imports.

Simple elegance is the best way to describe Spa Scotta. There aren't a bunch of chatty bridesmaids running all over the place; it's low-key with little to distract you. The spa recently moved to a bigger space and added a boutique filled with luxurious bath and body potions.

The coolest bookstore in the city, with floors of literature and nonfiction, strong academic shelves and a basement of textbooks and art supplies.

With its leafy walkways, benches, fountains and boisterous playground, the U Village is an enticing upscale chain mall popular with young parents, neighbors and college students.

If you like cooking, you're going to like this kitchen store, which stocks dinnerware, bakeware, cookbooks, bar tools, linens and much, much more.

Shoes popular with the earthier set.