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The Crescent City's shopping is as eclectic as its music, food, and culture. In local boutiques and specialty stores, you’ll find everything from rare antiques to novelty T-shirts, artwork, jewelry, fashion, and foods that represent the city's varied flavors. Up and down Magazine Street and throughout the French Quarter, you'll spot old-world influences intersecting with modern trends, making it easy for even the most discerning shopper to find something new to treasure.
New Orleanians have a deep love for their city and its culture. For shoppers, this translates into pride-centric merchandise, including jewelry and clothing bearing city emblems, such as the fleur-de-lis—the stylized iris design associated with New Orleans since its early days—and Mardi Gras masks, black-and-gold Saints symbols, and humorous statements about political issues and local personalities. Residents strongly support local entrepreneurs, and there are many homegrown stores selling locally made goods.
Make sure to pay attention to some of the city's artwork. Posters designed around Jazz Fest and other special events, for example, often become collector's items. In the thriving arts districts, you'll find contemporary works by local artists alongside renowned names in the art world. The sounds of New Orleans—Dixieland, contemporary jazz, rhythm and blues, Cajun, zydeco, rap, hip-hop, and the unique bounce beat—are available in music stores, such as Louisiana Music Factory and Peaches Records, and at live-music venues including Preservation Hall, Snug Harbor, and House of Blues. Bookstores stock a plethora of local books on photography, history, cooking, and folklore. Clothing stores focus on items that wear well in New Orleans's often intense heat and humidity, with styles ranging from the latest runway fashions to vintage frocks and styles by local designers.
You don't have to pay admission to enter this part of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, where you can buy ceramics, glasswork, decorative pieces, books, scarves, and jewelry by Southern artists. The museum itself is filled with contemporary and folk paintings, mixed-media artworks, photography, and sculpture.
Live music and after-hours events are held on Thursday.
One of the city's premier men's stores has been selling high-end suits, tuxedos, casual wear, and made-to-measure apparel since 1924. Brands range from Brioni and Zegna to Ralph Lauren, Prada, and Hugo Boss.
This century-old, locally owned jewelry store carries upscale watches, engagement rings, gemstone jewelry, wedding gifts, top-of-the-line china, silver, crystal, and more.
Mostly local and Gulf Coast artists are represented in this gallery, featuring high-end and reasonably priced contemporary crafts and fine art, including jewelry, blown glass, sculpture, furniture, photography, paintings, ceramics, and decorative accessories.
Master clockmaker Josef Hirzinger repairs and restores all types of new, vintage, and antique watches and clocks at his two-story shop. He also sells many brands of new watches and clocks, ranging from miniature and mantel styles to large grandfather clocks.
One of the South's largest hat stores has been in operation for more than a hundred years and is currently run by the fourth generation of the Meyer family. A favorite of locals and out-of-towners, the shop carries a large selection of fedoras, tweed caps, Kangols, cowboy hats, and just about any type of topper you can put on your head.
One of the South's largest glassblowing and printmaking studios has a viewing room where visitors can watch glassblowers at work. The gallery also displays and sells functional and decorative art and sculptures.
The name stands for Right Here In New Orleans, which is where most of the artists involved in this upscale co-op live and work. You'll find original paintings in a variety of styles, metalwork, sculpture, ceramics, glass, functional art, jewelry, fashion accessories, and artwork made from found objects. The gallery also holds art classes for children and adults.
Built in what was once the International Pavilion for the 1984 World's Fair, the Outlet Collection at Riverwalk is an upscale outlet mall with shops such as Neiman Marcus Last Call, Johnston & Murphy Factory Store, and outlets for Coach, Forever 21, Carter's Babies and Kids, Chico's, and Steve Madden. Outside the mall is Spanish Plaza, the scene of frequent outdoor concerts and special events.
This high-end shopping center focuses on national chains, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Michael Kors, Anthropologie, Banana Republic, J.Crew, Lululemon, and BCBG Max Azria. But the mall also includes quality local shops. A highlight is the Mignon Faget jewelry store, which carries the renowned local designer's full line of upscale, Louisiana-inspired creations.
This hybrid institute, best known as "WINO," is part wine school, part wine store, and part high-tech wine-tasting experience. Walk around with a glass and sample this shop's more than 120 wines, available to taste for a fee by the ounce, half glass, or full glass using Enomatic serving systems (the machines resemble a soda fountain or beer taps). Buy the wines you like by the bottle, or just continue to taste to your heart's content—just make sure you keep tabs on your credit card tally, as it's easy to get carried away. Charcuterie, artisanal cheese, and other small plates are also on offer. The Thursday-evening wine-tasting classes fill up quickly, so plan ahead if you are interested.
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