17 Best Places to Shop in New Orleans, Louisiana

Mignon Faget is the most famous jewelry designer in New Orleans, and her upscale sterling-silver and 14k-gold collections reflect her love and fascination with botany, nature, architecture, and the city's culture. Elements of bamboo, fleurs-de-lis, honey bees, red beans, and iron balconies have all been inspirations. Faget studied sculpture at Newcomb College at Tulane University and started out as a fashion designer in 1969, but she quickly gave up clothing to focus exclusively on jewelry. Her work has been featured in museums and shops around the world, but her biggest fan club remains right here in New Orleans, where her pieces are instantly recognized. In addition to her boutique on Magazine Street, she has a gallery at the Shops at Canal Place.

The Southern Food and Beverage Museum documents and celebrates Southern culinary heritage, so its gift shop, of course, carries some of the best cookbooks from the South. It also has food-related and New Orleans–centric gifts, cooking utensils, and vintage and modern cocktail tools and manuals.

This dreamy cottage of French and English delights has richly scented soaps, vintage and new linens, antique enamelware, collectible plates, and decorative accessories.

The ladies here are focused on ridding the world of sagging bra straps and overflowing cups. With a sharp eye for measurement, the staff specialize in finding the right fit, whether it's something for work or for a more romantic occasion. The store also carries sleepwear and gifts. Next door, at 5515 Magazine Street, is Basics Swim and Gym, a fitness and swimwear boutique from the same owners.

This dog boarding facility has a retail shop that stocks an array of gourmet pet food and treats, designer bowls, toys, health products, canine fashions, and doggie-themed home decor.

T-shirts and bumper stickers with the phrase "Be a New Orleanian. Wherever you are" deeply resonated with displaced residents after Hurricane Katrina. Since then, locals leave it to this shop's shirts, stickers, and hats to both satirize ("New Orleans: So far behind, we're ahead") and celebrate local culture in a clever way. The store has a second location at 713 Royal Street, in the French Quarter.

Silver jewelry adorned with the fleur-de-lis is the main attraction here, but you'll also find items that carry other New Orleans icons such as crowns, masks, hearts, and architectural details. In addition to jewelry, the store sells handbags, handmade paper, glassware, wood and ceramic boxes, batik scarves, ironwork, and more. Another location is at 818 Chartres Street, in the French Quarter.

Founded by stage and television actor Bryan Batt (he played Salvatore Romano on Mad Men) and his partner, Tom Cianfichi, this jewel box of a shop carries gorgeous home accessories and gifts, including New Orleans–themed toile frames, decorative items, stemware, tableware, accent furniture, frames, and more.

Popular for its diverse range of denim brands—the store carries more than 100 styles of jeans for men and women—this busy shop also offers a small collection of tops, jackets, and accessories, as well as T-shirts emblazoned with New Orleans slogans and local lingo. There's another branch at 2022 Magazine Street.

This toy shop, beloved by both children and adults, sells the kind of items you won't find in big-box stores. While they do carry popular toys by LEGO and Playskool, the emphasis is on independent brands. You'll find everything from baby toys to play items for older children to party games for adults. The staff go above and beyond with customer service, and can help with shipping and assembly.

Local and regional blown-glass artists are represented in this Riverbend neighborhood studio, which also carries an eclectic mix of jewelry, pewter, ceramics, lamps, T-shirts, and more.

The building's contemporary architecture stands out, and the attractive layout inside invites customers to leisurely browse a selection with an emphasis on architecture, art, and fiction as well as books of local interest. The store hosts frequent book signings.

Imported porcelain, vases, ceramics, jewelry, and the store's own line of smocked children's clothing are popular gift items. The shop also has a showroom of home furnishings, including accent furniture, lamps, and antique accessories.

The first floor of this venerable New Orleans retail institution is devoted to outfitting men with classic suits (white linen and seersucker are very popular), sportswear, shoes, ties, and accessories, as well as the store's signature crawfish-logo polo shirts. The second floor is filled with dressy, casual, and formal wear for women.

The Italian-leather address books, fancy journals, hand-decorated photo albums, specialty papers, custom stationery, handmade invitations, and high-quality fountain pens sold here are fitting tributes to the art of handwriting. The store also creates gorgeous stationery with New Orleans themes.

Inspired by cheese shops in Europe, the stock here includes massive wheels and wedges of Gruyère, Brie, cheddar, blue, and exotic cheeses from around the globe. Owners Danielle and Richard Sutton pride themselves on the select inventory, which also includes specialty meats and a variety of great foodie gifts, such as cutting boards, preserves, pastas, cutlery, crackers, and more. Sandwiches and salads are served daily, making this a popular, and crowded, spot at lunchtime.

Jimmy Choo, Giuseppe Zanotti, Hoss Intropia, and Marni are just a few of the high-end brands available here. The boutique also carries handbags and jewelry.