160 Best Places to Shop in Argentina

These Argentine leather bowling sneakers and boxing-style boots are the heart and "sole" of retro. All the models are variations on a classic round-toed lace-up, but come with different-length legs. Plain black or chestnut uppers go with everything, but equally tempting are the two-tone numbers—in chocolate and orange, or black with white panels, for example. Even the store is a nod to the past, kitted out like a 1950s living room.

Local design hero Celedonio Lohidoy has created pieces—often with frothy bunches of natural pearls—for Kenzo and Emanuel Ungaro and his work has even been hung around Sarah Jessica Parker's neck on Sex in the City. He favors irregular semiprecious stones, set in asymmetrical, organic-looking designs such as butterflies and daisies. 

A fair-trade agreement links this luminous town house to a team of craftswomen in northwest Argentina who spin, dye, and weave the exquisite woolen goods sold here. Some of the handmade rugs, blankets, and throws follow traditional patterns and use only natural pigments (such as yerba mate or beetroot juice); others are contemporary designs using brighter colors. Packable souvenirs include sheep-wool table runners, alpaca scarves, and knitted cacti. Ask about designing your own rug.

Sunlight and the smell of solder fill the rooms of this old San Telmo house, which doubles as a store and open workshop for celebrity silversmith Marcelo Toledo. A huge silver mosaic of Evita gives away who Toledo's main muse is: he has created replicas of her own jewelry (he is the only silversmith authorized by her estate to do so) as well as pieces inspired by her. Eva Duarte Perón isn't the only crowd-pleasing politician Toledo's been associated with: a local magnate commissioned cuff links as an inauguration gift for President Obama. He also designed a mate gourd especially for Prince William and his bride, the Duchess of Cambridge.

Rainbow vinyl, fake snakeskin, truckloads of nylon, and faux fur: seen anywhere other than under a strobe light, the clothes here might be hard to take. Guys can check out the men's collection down the road at Gurruchaga 1715.

The soaring art deco architecture of what was once the city's central market is as much a reason to come here as the 250 shops spread over its three levels. Abasto has many top local chains, so it isn’t as exclusive as other malls, so bargains await at retailers like Ver, Yagmour, and Markova. Women can dress up at Paula Cahen d'Anvers, Akiabara, and Rapsodia, while men can hit trendy shops such as Bensimon, Prototype, and Old Bridge, or go for the estanciero look with smart La Martina polo wear. There’s a food court on the top floor. The mall is also home to Museo de los Niños (a hands-on children's museum) and a 12-screen movie theater, and many Buenos Aires International Independent Film Festival (BAFICI) films are shown here. You can pick up tickets for entertainment elsewhere in town at the Ticketek booth near the food court, too.

"Yes" is pretty much guaranteed if you propose with one of the period engagement rings that dazzle in the window of this antiques dealer. If you're not planning on popping the question any time soon, surely you can find a home for a pair of art deco earrings with the tiniest of diamonds or a gossamer-fine bracelet?

This is one of the few Adidas shops in the world to stock limited-edition items, though there may only be one in the shop at any given time. If you're less fussy about other people owning the same clothes as you, there's a great range of shimmering tops and gold-accented sneakers that would do you proud on the dance floor—and possibly at the gym as well.

Pâtés, cheeses, smoked fish, and wild game are among the viands on offer at this gourmet delicatessen.

Slick skinny jeans, pants, and suits attract sharp twenty- and thirty-something women to Akiabara like metal to a magnet. The slinky tops and soft, asymmetrical knits come unadorned—no prints, no embroidery, just plain lines and good draping.

Trashy but attractive is the best way to describe Allô Martínez's designs. Skinny satin pants and studded layered tees with plenty of leopard print will get you ready to rock, but you could go glam or formal in full-skirted, slightly Gothic ball gowns.

A prime location, choice shops, and an aggressive marketing campaign have turned Alto Palermo into a popular destination. Giggly teenage hordes are seduced by its long, winding layout; ladies who lunch, conversely, are drawn to the cafés in its top-level food hall. The 150-plus shops are strong on local street-wear brands—including Bensimon and Bowen for the boys and Akiabara, Ona Sáez, Las Pepas, and Rapsodia for the girls. Check out Argentine trendsetters María Vázquez and A.Y. Not Dead for way-out party clothes, and Kill for simple yet effective staples. Cristóbal Colón specializes in surfer- and skater-wear, while Cheeky has a great range of clothes for kids and babies. Paruolo, Sibyl Vane, and Lázaro are the best of the mall's many good shoe and handbag shops.

The shiny Annuar Shopping mall may stock regular high-end fare, but it's worth popping into for two reasons: first, to cool off with an ice-cream and some AC on a hot day, and, second, for a different perspective of the Cathedral's steeple from the top floor. The mall also houses a movie theater showing latest releases.

This three-story Recoleta town house sells chaps and bridles alongside asado steak knives, maté gourds, and silver jewelry. Racks stuffed with boots begging to be scuffed up gleam temptingly at the back of the shop, and if you find the supple canvas and leather sports bags too conventional, check out such novelties as leather rifle cases. Price tags are sky high, but the quality is superlative.

Naturally-dyed weavings and hand-hewn wooden basins are some of the items made by indigenous craftsmen at this shop-slash-gallery, which prides itself on being a socially responsible business. Owner Ricardo Paz handpicks pieces such as tables carved from a single tree trunk; exquisite woolen rugs are the most transportable of the shop's temptations.

An artist-and-architect duo is behind these singular works, which are inspired by native Argentine art. They use an unusual papier-mâché technique to create boxes, frames, tapestries, and freestanding sculptures. The primitive-looking pieces, a vision of rich rusts and earthy browns, make highly original gifts.

This shop on Plaza San Martín sells high-quality textiles and wooden handicrafts made by local Mapuche communities.

Fine, strappy tops in bold fuchsia and tangerine tell you that women who wear Ayres don't mind standing out at the bar. For sweeter wallflowers there are tailored pant suits in dove gray or white, screen-printed cotton sundresses, and retro-inspired winter coats in candy colors. As if that wasn't enough, local jeans lovers give Ayres denim top marks.

Everything a modern gent needs—and plenty he didn't know he wanted—is sold inside this discreet Palermo town house. Find top-notch shirts, suits, cuff links, and even driving gloves. The bright handwoven alpaca scarves in color blocks or stripes are bestsellers.

The adorable collection of kitchen ceramics at Bartolomea is hard to resist. Pastels breathe new life into vintage-inspired dinnerware, while the colorful penguin wine jugs make unique (and useful) souvenirs.

Erstwhile purveyors of exuberant floral shirts and other metrosexual menswear, Bensimon has prepped up its act. Its new-look garments—think checked shirts, well-cut chinos, and corduroy jackets—are selling as fast as ever. Thinned-down Scandinavian-look sweaters are tempting in winter, while the hipster jeans beg to be taken home year round.

Wooden shelving and layers of Persian rugs make Bokura look part general store and part 1,001 nights. Levi's-style jeans are reasonably priced; match them with slick leather jackets, shirts, and screen-printed, aged tees.

Porteño dandies know that Bolivia is the place for metrosexual fashion. Expect floral prints on shirts and leather belts. Aged denim, top-quality silk-screen T-shirts, vintage military jackets, and hand-knit slippers are among the items that fill this converted Palermo town house to bursting. A bright, breezy store nearby at Costa Rica 4670 stocks women's wear and accessories, too.

Follow your nose to this cocoa Mecca, where the scent of chocolate wafts out onto the sidewalk. The sweets and ice cream here rank among the very best in Villa La Angostura.

Part of a bookstore chain, this branch specializes in Patagonian and polar exploration. Along with dozens of maps and picture books, postcards, and posters, it offers adventure classics detailing every southern expedition from Darwin's Voyage of the Beagle to Ernest Shackleton's incredible journeys of Antarctic survival. Although books in English are hard to come by in the rest of Argentina, here you're spoiled for choice, and the Antarctica trip logbooks on sale at the counter might inspire you to extend your travel farther south.

Just next to the plaza, Calchaquitos sells cookies (buy alfajores to take home as souvenirs) and chocolates, local jams such as cayote squash, wine, and clothes.

The fun household items in this warehouselike shop are proudly Argentine: quirky cowhide chairs, patchwork placemats, funky leather rugs, and geometric cushions nestle alongside mini-parrillas (barbecues), maté gear, and retro pingüino wine jugs.