32 Best Places to Shop in The Back Bay, Boston

This two-story shop with windows overlooking Newbury Street is known as much for its eclectic collection of books and magazines as its all-day breakfast menu. Follow the pack and order either the lemon-ricotta-stuffed French toast or homemade corned beef hash and then settle in with a favorite read. Feel free to stay through lunch, dinner, and beyond, as the store's open until midnight daily, making it a popular spot with students. A full slate of events, from game nights to author talks, is scheduled almost daily.

Inside the Prudential Center this large branch of the popular bookseller chain carries a diverse selection of hardcovers and paperbacks, American and international magazines, music, and small gifts, like soap and candles.

Tucked inside Copley Place, Boston's denizens scope the lofty, two-story space to load up on cutting-edge lines like Comme des Garçons and Nina Ricci. Men and kid needs are covered too, as well as your yen for beauty products and funky home goods.

This small, personal store showcases well-made, comfortable lines that cater to women who cannot walk into a fitted size-4 suit—in other words, most of the female population. The designers found here, such as Nicole Miller, Autumn Cashmere, and Cambio, are fashionable yet realistic.

In addition to plenty of porcelain and silver, Brodney claims to have the biggest selection of estate jewelry in New England. Shoppers will also find plenty of antiques, furniture, clocks, paintings, and more.

Founded in 1818, Brooks still carries in its nationwide shops the classically modern styles that made it famous—old faithfuls for men such as navy blazers, summertime seersucker, and crisp oxford shirts and similar styles for women and kids (4–16 years). Its Newbury Street store offers the hipper Fleece collection with both a bright affordable line and a high-end designer line aimed to appeal to less conservative shoppers. There's another location at 75 State Street.

Chanel purses, Rick Owens jackets, and Hermès bracelets have all graced this jam-packed couture-quality consignment shop, located on the second floor, which finds gently worn gems from fashion lovers across the country. Its picky choices are your gain.

This spacious 10,000-square-foot branch of the Parisian couture house (complete with custom sofas upholstered in Chanel tweed and a 20-foot-high strand of cascading glass beads) carries suits, separates, bags, shoes, cosmetics, and, of course, a divine selection of little black dresses.

The large selection of works for sale in this gallery, established in 1937, includes paintings, prints, drawings, watercolors, and sculpture from the 1500s to the present. For a special memento with more weight than a Red Sox hat, pick out a piece from the gallery's impressive collection of Boston expressionism and Boston School impressionism art.

An indoor shopping mall in the Back Bay, Copley Place includes such high-end shops as Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton. It is anchored by the pricey but dependable Neiman Marcus and offers a few dining options, such as Legal Sea Foods and Caffè Nero.

After more than a century, this nonprofit membership organization continues to present the works of well-known and aspiring New England artists, as well as out-of-town and foreign members. Styles of artists range from traditional and academic realists to contemporary and abstract painters, photographers, and sculptors. Each year, the gallery hosts between 15 and 20 exhibitions.

While the boots you usually see in Boston are made to tackle the snow, this new outpost for boots is kicking that notion to the curb. With sizes ranging from tiny tots to adults, they offer the best in hand-crafted leather Western boots, booties, and bold strappy sandals.

Specializing in contemporary paintings since 1977, primarily oil, watercolor, acrylic, and mixed media, this striking gallery in the neo-Gothic stone Church of the Covenant also displays sculpture, and furniture beyond your everyday tables and chairs.

Many male and female clubgoers have at least one pair of these oh-so-hip shoes in their closets, perhaps because of the company's claim that their Angel soles repel all kinds of nasty liquids "and Satan."

Founded in 1907, this national men's chain has crisp suits, dress shirts, and leather shoes for the conservatively well-dressed male everywhere. And gents, should you need a tuxedo at the last minute, rest assured: the store rents them.

Trendsetters go wild for Kate's colorful and classically whimsical dresses, as well as her handbags, shoes, PJs, accessories, and travel and cosmetics cases.

If there's a style trend out there, this small women-led, minority-owned shop sells it. Full of flirty frocks from the likes of Free People, For Love & Lemons, and Blank NYC, along with accessories like jewelry, hair clips, and bags, the packed racks of fun pieces can add confidence to chic shoppers' closets.

Somewhat overstuffed with merchandise for men, women, children, and infants, this Boston branch of the popular national chain stocks classic clothing by such designers as Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren, along with accessories, cosmetics, and jewelry.

Inspired by the temperature-regulating materials used for NASA's astronaut clothes, three MIT students started this men's and women's clothing store that features stretchy, moisture-wicking, wrinkle-free, machine-washable slacks, shirts, blouses, blazers, and jackets designed by a former Theory designer (think clean and elegant). Interested in creating a bespoke blazer on-site? The store's 3-D print knitting machine can finish a garment in about two hours.

Set in the dynamic SOWA (South of Washington Street) district, this 10,000-square-foot showroom dishes forth an exotic visual feast: cabinets, tables, chairs, and lamps from Thailand, India, China, and Indonesia, along with contemporary and antique Oriental rugs and silver and gem jewelry. The undecided can ponder what to buy over a breakfast sandwich or lunch salad in the store's café.

At its Back Bay location, the flashy Texas-based retailer jokingly referred to by some as "Needless Markup" has three levels of swank designers and a jaw-dropping shoe section, as well as cosmetics and housewares.

This renowned pop-culture store carries vinyl, CDs, DVDs, novelty tees, quirky gifts, and an especially good lineup of independent pressings. You'll find three other locations nearby: two in Cambridge (Harvard Square and the CambridgeSide Galleria), as well as one inside Faneuil Hall Marketplace.

As a contemporary art gallery located in Boston, Pellas Gallery's primary goal is to discover the best new emerging artists with a focus on local talent. Challenge your concept of "art" by exploring the rotating NFT collections.

A skywalk connects Copley Place to the Prudential Center. The Pru, as it's often called, contains popular chain stores such as Vineyard Vines, Canada Goose, Kate Spade, and Sephora and is anchored by Saks 5th Avenue. The giant food hall, Eataly, offers plenty of options for eating, from to-go sandwiches to sit-down dining, as well as shopping for items like olive oil and wine.

Come here to snag the perfect designer dress, a vintage Chanel bag, or some Manolo Blahnik heels to complete your outfit. The store receives designer booty every day, which they sell for about one-third of the retail price. Handbag hounds regularly stop in to peruse the store's generous selection.

The clothing and accessories at this posh national department store run from the traditional to the flamboyant, making this Prudential Center location an excellent place to find that one-of-a-kind outfit that will set you apart from the crowd in a tasteful, elegant way. The store also carries an impressive collection of shoes and cosmetics and conveniently stays open late during the week.

This industrial-looking shop has some of the finest modern furniture in town. Collections from Italian lines like Flexform and Poliform are set up in roomlike designs on the floor to give shoppers an accurate visual of their future interior design.

Since 1796, Shreve has specialized in high-end treasures, including gems and handcrafted platinum rings, as well as men's and women's watches and high-quality antiques. But don't get the impression that you can't afford anything here: one of the store's best-selling items is a $99 ceramic pitcher called "The Gurgling Cod," in honor of the state fish.

From Victorian-era tourmaline cocktail rings to mint-condition pocket watches, vintage lovers should not miss the antique and estate jewelry that fills these cases. The staff is notably helpful and informed. The shop also offers jewelry and watch repair, restringing, and custom jewelry design.

This boutique is dedicated to all things cat and dog. Choose from the enormous selection of collars, toys, and food. Of note, none of the food the shop carries has artificial dyes, flavors, or preservatives.