This little store is cute and full of hidden treasures! There are all kinds of knickknacks to be found and many that sport Arizona pride. A good place if you need a tiny gift for someone or want to treat yourself. The women who rang me up was friendly but other than that I wasn't approached by any other employees. The parking situation is also not the best. read more

Frances is an adorable little shop in the heart of midtown Phoenix. The owner brings in tons of unique items, many you cant find anywhere else. The staff is knowledgeable and the gift wrapping is chic. A must-stop-shop in the valley! read more

When I have the dollars to spend, Frances makes my list of local shops with fun finds. Between the jewelery, accessories, dresses and home essentials, this is one of the great local Phoenix boutiques hidden within Central Phoenix. Frances isn't a big store, but bigger isn't always better. Everything is placed perfectly and I can tell that the merchandise is chosen with care. As I browse through the clothes, I know where to go the next time I need a cute outfit or dress that every other person won't also own. Here, the clothes are unique and many are one of a kind. The same goes for the jewelery. Even on days when I don't have the pennies to spend, I love walking into Frances and window shopping for a future visit. The staff is friendly and the shop is located in a small shopping center full of other unique stores. So Frances is being added to my list of Live and Love Local! read more

I feel conflicted about this store. I've gone there on and off over the years and have over that time spent hundreds of dollars there, but I still feel irked about some really sub-par customer service. Every time I pass it and consider going in, I find that the bad taste still remains, and continue on my way. The items have range, from the absurdly-priced to the reasonable, from wallets for guys to baby stuff to seasonal home decor. I have found a lot of cute jewelry pieces which have made great little gifts for gal pals. Some of them have even been affordable. That said, the owner is particularly rude and snotty. I purchased a dress there once that I decided was too unflattering to keep once I got it home. Imagine that, a 2x2 dimly lit dressing stall steered me astray! I brought it back several days later at my leisure and was immediately asked (by the owner) if I had worn it. I was taken aback but said no, that it was visibly unworn, and the tags were even attached in such a way that to hide them would have been impossible. She clearly did not want to return the dress yet did so anyway, but only after informing me that, "We are not Nordstrom." Outrageous! I like to shop local first as much as the next guy, but this woman can suck it, and so can her business. Your mileage may vary, however, as I have found the service from her employees to be far more courteous and helpful. read more

I'm not a girl but if I were, I'd shop at Frances every week! I wish someone would make a guy-like version of Frances for me, but alas I'm fine with shopping here nonetheless. Frances is a true boutique: unique, nifty finds, collectibles and lots of funky clothing & jewelry. They have some lotions & potions but the main focus is on fashion. At Xmas time they have an awesome assortment of funky ornaments and decor and lots of fun finds for Xmas gift giving. A lot of what I loved about Frances moved over to Smeeks, and I'm equally happy to visit that magical candyland any day of the week. These bad-ass boutiques are nestled into the coolest corner on Camelback & Central, right off the lightrail & docked by the new Dutch Brother's Coffee Drive-Thru joint. If your wifey or GF wanna do Frances, there's plenty for guys at the neighboring Red Hot Robot, Stinkweeds Music Shop & HALO Body Piercing next door. When you need a unique, one-of-a-kind or hard-to-find gift or fabulous frock just for you -- hit up Frances and their kick-ass neighbors. read more

I want to love this place, I do, but it's a masochistic kind of love. The merchandise is great- unique gifts, adorable clothes, and precious baby gifts. I love the card rack, because you can't find cards that cool in Hallmark, and the jewelry is so pretty that even a plain jane like myself is tempted to dress up a little. I am charmed, Frances, until I look at the price tag. I would have to be a bumbling idiot (or a spoiled Xavier student with mommy's credit card) to pay $200 for a cotton sun dress, or $48 for a tank top. $35 for a baby onesie is insane, and $30 for that candle that smells like perfume- doused ass isn't much better. I will concede that the sales are decent- i've picked up a few things for under $10, but they were small things- a pair of baby booties, a pair of Chinese mary janes- and not representative of the general merchandise population of the store. I am nothing if not a sucker for cute independent shops though, and this means that I will be back. I will certainly walk out with the bitter taste of a lower income bracket in my mouth, but hey- I enjoy the torture. read more

This shop is super cute, and I wanted to buy everything that I did not need but wanted. They are certified retailers for state fortyeight clothing which is how I wound up here. The staff were super friendly and did not ask me a thousand questions or refold folded shirts ! nice, I think the realized I was a lost cause when i walked in and bumped into something or the other ! Jokes aside, they were very helpful and courteous and helped me figure the right size for the shirt I wanted. (Clearly how much help i need is evident here!) They had some sale or the other going on at the time which I was blissfully unaware and I got 20% off. In retrospect I should have got more stuff , but I am quite sure I will go back and get more thing I clearly do not need ! read more

I hate that my first negative review had to be on a place where I expected so much more. I walked in to the shop, the front counter person was helping another customer. The customer was on her way out I stood LITERALLY in front of the counter looking at jewelry and not a single greeting. I proceeded to walk around the front area for a few minutes...still nothing. I went into the next room of product and looked at everything. I already had my eye set on a few things. I walked up towards the front counter area and another employee comes walking up, looked directly at me, and said nothing. She did however get into a conversation with the person behind the counter. Very chatty. Perhaps you should be more chatty with your customers. Here is a tip for you Frances people, if you want customers to actually buy things from you and return to your shop, GREET THEM! You both deserve a fish to go with that chip on your shoulder. read more

Such a charming adorable store! Really you can get anything you want here- men and women's clothes, paper goods, cards, stickers, jewelry, housewares, baby stuff, etc. I love the way this store is curated to include amazing arizona artists. I find it impossible to leave this store without a pair of earrings. also the barrettes! read more

I really wanted to love this shop- I had been following them on Instagram for awhile before checking it out. The store is adorable- filled with fun knick knacks and gifts. I could totally find some art to put on my walls here. As a plus-size person, I wish they offered more sizes of clothing. I found the prices really affordable, especially for a indie store. It is the kind of place that I would love to check out again to see how the merchandise changes. AND I would happily put money into the local community! The aesthetic of the store is sort of a funky/millennial/hipster vibe. I'm not mad at it. I loved some of the quirky details like the photo booth and the retro "find a date" machine in the back. Everything is clean lines, bright, and airy- basically you should come here if you're planning on instagramming like your life depends on it. However, I could never really get over the directives not to steal all over the store (and I see that I am not the only one from other reviews). I personally was not followed around the store but the signs up about being "friends with the police" freaked me out. In my community, the police shot an innocent man dead at a traffic stop-I just don't find jokes about the police funny. read more

If I had more money, I would shop here more often. There isn't a whole lot to write that hasn't been mentioned in other reviews. I hope the owner reads her Yelp reviews, because most other reviewers are absolutely right. The prices are a bit high and most items are national brands you can find elsewhere. The locally made jewelry is amazing, but a lot of it a little too "granola" for my tastes. And itty bitty gold earrings for $88? I've gotten an adorable t-shirt with the word "love" on the front and thank goodness I picked it up for half price- it was originally $80! Also picked up some Free People shorts, cute Havaianas- both at half off. Are you sensing a trend here? Love me a sale. It's fun to stop in and just browse the jewelry, clothing, and home items. I don't know, maybe I'm missing something here...where did the sale rack go??? read more

Does it make me less of a man to say that I LOVE Frances? Vintage, hip, different. I have been to this store many times with my girlfriend. They have very little in the way of men's items and what they do have is generally for the more petite men than myself...but... I could easily shop here for every gift giving occasion for my girlfriend or any of the other women in my life. They have far out jewlery, and clothes, the most attractive item of clothing i have ever seen my girlfriend wear was a dress from here that she tried on and decided she would never wear so didn't purchase it. bummer. I enjoy looking around...it is like a museum set up to display all the things that a woman I date should fancy and wear. The prices can be up there but some items are very fair and frankly for the quality and origionality of the items I find them worth the price if you can pay it. read more

I had a little time to kill, so when I saw the sign for Frances out of the corner of my eye, I pulled a U-Turn and turned into their lot. I'd just read about Frances the other day and I'd wanted to check it out. For some reason I thought it was in Ahwatukee, but maybe that is because these boutiquey places have been popping up here lately. Turns out Frances just celebrated their 5 year anniversary this month. I can see why. They have a lot of kitschy stuff in there. And most of it is really cool! I like the Tyvek wallets and kids' stuff, especially. I also like their sister store, which has home goods. I couldn't leave this place without buying SOMETHING because I'd browsed for so long. I ended up buying a dog toy for my shih tzu... on sale for $5... and a $1 eraser from Japan that looks like a Geisha. My dog loved her toy and my daughter will be surprised when I pop that eraser in her school bag in a couple months. As for the clothing, it is not my style. Nor is most of the jewelry. But they have a lot of very nice (and pricey) items that would make great gifts for any occasion. I will definitely take my sister in here when she is in town, but I'm just not cool enough to wear these clothes. ;) read more

Hell yeah, I love this place. It's like our very own local, neighborhood Anthropologie...but cooler. Super-friendly staff, smiley and helpful every time I go in. Beautiful, gorgeous, luxurious clothes - worth the higher price for sure. Funny and funky home decor and adorable kids stuff in the boutique. Unique jewelry and trinkets. This is the perfect place to find a gift for your girlfriend, wife, mom, or apparently for a really gay guy (see Gary G.) read more

What a great little boutique. I have been wanting to stop in here for years and finally got the excuse to last night. I love that it carries so many local artists, gives me a good reason to throw my money at them :) They have everything from great jewelry, to clothing, soap, stationery, and more. If you are looking for a unique gift for someone, for sure check out Frances. They also hold workshops here, I'd definitely recommend checking out their schedule and stopping by for one. I was lucky enough to attend TERRARIAN, a terrarium making class led by Ian and it was awesome. Not only did I make a bad ass terrarium, I also learned a lot about moss, mini ecosystems, and more. I can't wait to go back to Frances to buy more goodies (i have my eye on a few tops and bracelets) and support local as well as check out some more workshops. There is a button-making class in July that sounds like a blast. Shout out to to Sara, she's a sweetheart! read more

This is THE place for gifts for the girl in your life with unique taste. You're guaranteed to find something that can't be picked up just anywhere, and they'll wrap it for you in charming little papers. I love shopping the displays at Frances-- the merchandising there is so creative that shopping is like a archaeological dig. Look closer, look up, look around, and you find something you may have missed at first glance. This is how a "quick trip to get a gift" ends up as an epic shopping experience. My gripes with Frances are minimal. One, some of the merchandise is highly overpriced. I've found the exact same items online for much, much less (I remember a necklace in particular that was marked up to a ridiculously high price), but I do like to support local businesses so I typically don't fuss over it too much. Two, the women's clothing is not for women but rather it is for bipedal sticks. Perhaps these are actual mammals, perhaps they are shaped similarly to humans, I'm not sure. All I can say for certain is they do not have derrieres or chests of any variety. So I just don't buy any premium priced clothing there, I'll get over it. Frances truly is a gem in the otherwise rough and disappointing retail landscape of Central Phoenix. Don't miss it! read more

This is a cool eclectic shop. Was one of my favorites, not as much so anymore. The staff follow you around like you're going to steal something and it makes for an uncomfortable shopping experience. read more

A fan for sure. Everyone told me that it would be impossible to leave without buying anything but I proved them all wrong. It's on the pricey side and the stuff is all really cute and fun but I had a hard time letting go of my purse strings. The decor is adorable and it is fun to just wander around and look at everything. They have a really fabulous wall of cards for all occasions that are funny and or kitschy. A really great place to find a cool gift. I'll have to head over again and see what must be purchased. read more

This little gem of a store was recommended to be by a few of my girlfriends and boy am I glad I went and checked it out. I have bought several gifts there and have never been disappointed. I received a necklace and charm for my baby shower from a friend and sadly the chain broke after just a couple times wearing it. I took it to a jeweler and they said that unfortunately because of where it broke that it couldn't be fixed. I took it back to Frances to see if there was anything they could do, and they replaced it immediately. I was so impressed with their customer service and I will continue to shop here for many years to come. read more

Full review pending - I was looking for DB Clay wallets to try out the size and I emailed them. Within hours I got a response from the owner and she listed all the designs they have in stock. Downsides: now I gotta go down there and check it out, plus I'll feel guilty putting them through all that trouble and not buying the wallet. read more

I'll admit it, I'm a sucker for this kind of shit. Overpriced and way too cute for it's own good. I was in the area and decided to hop in around lunchtime to check this place out. I ended up perusing around for over an hour! Cute kitchen magnets, cute accessories, cute cards...it's all. too. cute. AND the sales girl was incredibly nice and helpful too...arghhh. I was beside myself. I ended up buying a bag that probably makes me look like I'm trying to be 17 again..but I couldn't resist. Damn you Frances, you vile temptress. Thank God I live on the other side of town. Update: Having moved, I now live about 5 minutes away from the place. And my paycheck is truly suffering. (shaking fists) Damn you Francis!!! read more

3.5, rounded down. I come here a lot, and I always admire the beautifully arranged selection of jewelry, sniff the yummy candles, and lust for the clothes, but can't really afford anything. Ever. Even during the 50% off summer sale. Except the letterpress cards, which are always clever and lovely and original. And, oh yes, quite affordable. read more

This is my favorite local boutique! A great place to get gifts ranging from $5 to $100. Francis has everything from the real Dr. Pepper to vintage aprons. They hand pick everything and I never know what I might find when I step into this gem. They have new clothes as well as vintage. I usually have a hard time leaving without purchasing something. If you have the means I would suggest you check it out! read more

LOVE this place so much! I looked at a purse here for a year...it was out of my price range.... then won a gift certificate and decided to buy that purse! I get so many compliments on it! I've also bought a super slinky 'liquid gold' wallet... some earrings... some cards... some trinkets........ yes, i love this place! read more

I love everything Cactus. They have everything cactus here: jewelry, dishes, apparel, baby cactus wear, the list goes on. They have super cute novelty items to include Emoji necklace charms. This is a great place to go when you are trying to find a gift for that someone who has everything and that someone who has a healthy perspective on life. Always a free gift wrap, too! Their instagram is great, too: fresh and informative. Stop by and check it out. It is in a great part of town, Central and Camelback - where a lot is happening: new restaurants, Flower Child, AJ's, etc., you can eat and shop or shop and eat. Happy Shopping! read more

I FINALLY got around to visiting this tiny boutique. Unfortunately, as much as I found in there that I liked and wanted, I probably won't be back any time soon to actually buy anything. I was glad to have a generous gift certificate from my sister to spend! Like everyone else said - things here are REALLY pricey. There were a few handmade things that I could understand having a high price, but.... $90 for a wallet?? Yikes. Don't get me wrong, I know local stuff costs more, I just didn't think it cost THAT MUCH more... I can see myself coming back when I'm looking to treat myself to some unique jewelry or when I'm looking for a special gift for a close friend or family member. Sadly, though, it won't be added into my rotation when I head out to shop. read more

Yet another cheap novelty shop that tries to pass itself off as artsy. I thought this fad had ran it's course by the late 90's! read more

I LOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVEEEEEE Frances!!! There is no better place to find unique gifts for others or for that most special person, yourself. They have such a wide range of beautiful things here (some of my favs include: Kamibashi stationary and stickers (oh so many cool stickers!), jewelery by local artists, unique baby and kid stuff, yummy smelling lotions, Anthropologie-esque dresses)... and hello, vintage clothes??! yay!! How cool is that? Having 2 kids it is nearly impossible for me to really shop in here for very long, I am considering hiring a babysitter just to go in here for 2 hours and pour over everything. I heart Frances forever and always, PLEASE shop here and support a wonderful local business!!!! I can't wait for that light rail to be up so I can ride it to Frances! Edit: I forgot to say that Frances is also a great place to go for a gift for the man in your life (well, maybe not if the man in your life is your dad) but for virtually any other man in your life... go to Frances, they have great guy clothes and manly toiletries. read more

Love this place with my entire heart.. but it threatens to bankrupt me. Any time I need to fine unique, beautiful gifts (like housewarming presents, birthdays, graduation, etc) I always head to Francis. It's the first and last stop in beautiful jewelery, accessories, bath and home products. The very, very, very best time of year is Christmas because their ornaments are AMAZING! I've given them to all sorts of people and they just adore them. This place is genuine Phoenix. Love it and shop at Frances. read more

Nestled lovingly between Stinkweeds Record Exchange and Halo Precision Piercing, you'll find Frances. Who is Frances? Frances is actually a "what"; a boutique offering a diverse selection of apparel for women and babies (and a few things for the guys too), greeting cards, shoes, vintage clothing, jewelry, t-shirts and many more little treasures that I am not allowed to disclose here legally (OK I lied, I just can't remember everything I saw). When I first entered, the shelf to my immediate left caught my attention. I am a sucker for Japanese pop culture and it was full of some of the strangest little items. The side of a refrigerator full of uncommon sodas was the home to many strange little magnets and stickers from Japan. There was more to this boutique then what I saw in my first 2 steps in, so let's continue. Without going into too much detail (because with the variety of items to choose from I easily could), there is something for everyone to be found at Frances. From clothing and artwork to decorative garden supplies and candles, Frances is definitely worth a visit. It was recently voted New Times Best of Phoenix "Best New Boutique". read more

I finally made it here before closing time! I know 6pm is better than 5pm, but it's still a tough call when you work on the other side of the universe (That's universe of Phoenix by the way. Like the stadium.) It was so worth the trip. And I am sure I'll be making the drive again. In answering Curtis' "Who is Frances? Question - the shop is actually named for the grandmother of the owner. And that tells you a bit about the place. Somewhere your grandmother would think was so "fun" and you could get gifts for her - BUT you could also get some really cool things for yourself. Notebooks, address books, some awesome greeting cards for any occasion (They had a handmade looking one just for the occasion when a pet cat died.) are all right near the front. As you go a bit further you get into some fun and funky jewelry and then clothing. In the other room they have their baby section in the front and then their vintage clothing in the back. The vintage stuff seems to be of 2 minds - Cocktail/house dresses for women, cowboy styled shirts for guys. And some T-shirts w/ funny sayings/logos that are older, but not necessarily "vintage". As much as I love vintage stuff - this wasn't the best collection. Fun to look at, but nothing super special. I think the area where I'll do most of my purchasing is her selection of fun and funky magnets and cool Japanese pop culture magnets/key-chains/doo-dads. Totally perfect for fun little gifts for folks who say "don't get me anything" or already have everything. And their fun soda section was cool. Right next to their Moxie cola they had Dr. Pepper in a glass bottle which I hadn't seen before. Great place to shop for yourself or friends. Just about any friends really. Very cute and comfortable place to shop and look. I'm sure her grandmother is proud. read more

Serious. Check this place out. Went there today, it is worth looking into. Super fab merch, great service, and super-cool environment. Do not miss this place. To start, I actually saw things in there that I haven't seen anywhere else. When I need to find that unusual gift for someone, I'll go to Frances first. I bought a scented candle today that is off the hook. (yes, I'm gay. really gay.) I can't say more. Go to Frances, check it out. read more

When I die, I hope I go to Frances. Frances=HEAVEN! Not just because it smells good, but because on every table and every shelf there is a treasure just waiting to be taken home and lovingly adored. The staff is great there too! They are very attentive and helpful, but are not overbearing like many stuffier boutiques. I was able to get a Christmas gift for everyone in my family from my 50-year-old dad, to my 68-year-old grandma, my 28-year-old and 9-year-old cousins, and my 17-year-old self ;-) I would have gotten something for my mom too, but she buys everything she owns there. The complementary gift wrap made my one stop shop even more convenient too! I really can't say enough good things about Frances. It is truly a one of kind store, with one of a kind gifts, and one of a kind service. I will never face mall madness again! read more

after reading the reviews on Yelp and driving by the store many times I finally had an opp to check this store out yesterday. This shop is filled with all sorts of wonderful things. I found many things I wanted to buy, but most were totally out of my price range or I just couldn't justify spending $65 for a necklace with a squirrel on it, despite the squirrel being so adorable and I know I would wear the heck out it, still $65 for a necklace was not in my budget. I did find some good deals as they had a sale going on. I picked up a cute tank top. They had some real cute baby stuff that made me want to start popping out kids just to buy some of the cute little outfits. The gal working the store was really nice and helpful. This is one of my new favorite stores and I look forward to having some money to blow on a cute outfit or a squirrel necklace. read more

Stopped in cause I've always wanted to check it out and read good things (lots of awards) Was definitely impressed with the store, very beautiful and peaceful to walk into! Prices weren't crazy for a boutique either; some of the jewelry I could actually afford lol clothes were awesome too, I'd love to wear it all! This would be the PERFECT place to grab a special, unique gift for anyone - little cute trinkets galore and treasures you could warm any home up with for sure! My favorite part was the crazy amount of "yarn creature" keychain options they had! If you don't know what they are you gotta check them out, they must have had like 100 different ones! Check it out! read more

I always find something for myself and a gift or two. Such a great variety of things for everyone! Staff is always very helpful and they gift wrap at no extra charge! read more

LOVE - LOVE - LOVE Frances!!! It is one of those stores that can cheer you up. You will be able to find a unique and fun item. I get many compliments on the jewelry that I purchase there and it is not overpriced. read more

What a fun store! I was searching online for baby boutiques in the Phoenix area and found Frances Vintage. Due to the light rail construction it was a little hard to get to, but well worth it! (Park in the back, off of Central- as that is where the entrance is). Georganne's (who BTW is very friendly!) shop is the real deal. Real vintage items and items that reflect the vintage touch. She has a great selection of whimsical vintage kitchen items (some of my favorite things!). The baby section is full of really sweet designer items (onsies, bibs, blankets, t-shirts and a few really neat jackets!) and fantastic wooden toys. In the back is the real treat- a large selection of vintage dresses. Not only will I be back, I will be bringing friends. Frances Vintage is the perfect gift store, I know I'll be doing some holiday shopping here in a few months. read more

If you're wanting to just kill time, or need a fun gift for a girlfriend. Look no further!!! They always have a super fun seasonal selection of gifts, cards, clothing and accessories. My only tiff with this place is that whoever is working there is either extremely friendly and helps you with whatever you need, or they ignore you. It's usually about a 50-50 crapshoot. This hasn't deterred me from shopping there but just find it kind of odd. read more

Every time I walk into this store it's different. Which is fantastic. I love that it's always changing (more likely that I'll find something new that I love!). It's a great place to shop for hostess gifts, random little gifts, that hard to shop for MIL, your hipster guy friend, new babies, the friend who has everything or even white elephant. Of course, I do sometimes end up falling in love with many items in the store and unfortunately that often ends up being one of the most expensive items. I do wish sometimes that the items they carry weren't so pricey so that I could support this local small business and purchase some of those types of items. But there are times where I see something I love, look at the price, and put it back. And other days where I see something I love and have no qualms buying it. But that usually doesn't include the shirt that's over 100$. Always worth a peek, especially when on the hunt for a gift for the hard to shop for person. OR if you need to send a husband shopping for a gift and he's not a pro at shopping for the lady, he can't go wrong here. :) read more