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Boston's Trendiest Boutiques That Opened In 2012

While the politicians spent the year debating the economy and the state of small businesses, entrepreneurs were busy opening up new stores across Boston. 2012 saw the start of several shops and boutiques that are already becoming Boston favorites. They run the gamut from luxury goods to cutting-edge fashion technology to a nod to the past for vintage collectors. If you're looking to expand your shopping repertoire, check out these trendy new boutiques that just opened in Boston this year.
vira
(Photo Credit: VIRA)

VIRA Boutique
107 Charles St.
Boston, MA 02114
(617) 367-0305
www.facebook.com/

Boston fashion went global this year thanks to VIRA Boutique opening in Beacon Hill. Owners Radhika Rana and Vivek Patel stocked the gorgeous light-filled space with luxurious clothing from everywhere from India to Australia, London to Singapore. It is truly the place to go to buy something you can't find anywhere else in Boston. VIRA Boutique offers casual, work and party-ready looks for the fashionista who wants to stand out from the crowd. The shop has been such a hit that plans are in place to expand into menswear and home goods in the near future.

Ministry of Supply
(Photo Credit: Ministry of Supply)

Ministry of Supply
105 South St.
Boston, MA 02111
(617) 651-2340
www.ministryofsupply.com

Ministry of Supply has been getting a lot of national attention (including here at CBSBoston.com), despite being a brand new Boston-based company. This menswear boutique hit the headlines when it earned 12 times their $30,000 goal on Kickstarter.com, the highest amount ever raised by a fashion project on the website. The start-up capital it earned through the crowd-funding site was put into research and design for a whole new approach to men's clothing and to open its Leather District showroom. The brainchild of three MIT grads, Ministry of Supply offers classic men's styling but with an altogether decidedly modern twist. Ministry of Supply uses science to create an all-new approach to clothing. Work shirts from Ministry of Supply are not only wrinkle resistant, they are breathable, help regulate body temperature, are odor resistant and even have technology built in to keep them tucked into your work pants.

Related: Boston's Best Shopping Malls

noa
(Photo Credit: NOA)

NOA Jewelry
88 Charles St.
Boston, MA 02114
(857) 233-4912
www.noagifts.com

NOA Jewelry takes the idea of shopping local to an all new level. The new Charles Street boutique offers unique jewelry from more than 200 local artisans and craftspeople. The small window-lined space on Charles Street is filled with glass cases of jewelry and also a small selection of other accessories and home goods such as handmade mirrors, scarves and glass bottles. The shop has already earned itself a Yankee Editor's Choice Award for best artisan gifts in New England.

Related: Boston's Best Shops for Discounted Designer Purses

Project Repat
(Photo Credit: Project Repat)

Project Repat
100A Warren St.
Roxbury, MA 02119
www.projectrepat.com

You know how it goes, go to a concert and get a T-shirt, go on vacation, get a T-shirt, go to a company picnic, get a T-shirt. Then you never wear the T-shirts that collect in the bottom of your closet. Enter Project Repat. Concerned with creating jobs right here in Boston, and with keeping this plethora of shirts out of landfills, it hit on the great idea to turn these tees into something a little more practical. Simply contact Project Repat and it will send you one of its blanket boxes. Fill the box with old T-shirts and it returns them sewn into a t-shirt quilt, a circle scarf, a tote bag or even men's ties. It's a great way to preserve T-shirts that might hold great memories for you but that you'd never wear anymore.

Haberdash Vintage
(Photo Credit: Haberdash Vintage)

Boho Bus
Sowa Market

460 Harrison Ave.
Boston MA 02118
(508) 753-7303
www.facebook.com/

Vintage lovers throughout the city will be happy to hear 2012 saw an all-new mobile vintage store hit the streets. The Boho Bus is the latest mobile boutique by Haberdash Vintage founder Amy Lynn Chase. The lemon yellow bus that houses Boho Bus boutique is filled with vintage clothing, accessories and home goods inspired by Chase's mother, a woman Chase describes as a "huge hippie." The psychedelic '60s fashions of the Boho Bus can be found at Boston's SOWA Marketplace. The bus is also available to appear at any event or marketplace.

Renee Mallett is the author of several books about art, culture, and New England. She was the owner and director of an art gallery and has written about arts and entertainment on a national level for several print and online journals. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

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