Two Mary's Mercantile is a peak Alameda experience. It's such a scenic walk through one of our…read morelovely marinas and feels like an elevated Anthropologie with a waterfront view. Tiffany is a lovely human being who exudes joy, warmth, and welcome towards everyone who enters her beautifully appointed space. The shop smells like a dream and provides a little bit of everything for everyone. You really can't visit without bringing something home with you. I really love this shop and recommend it to everyone who's visiting or locals that haven't been.

I can't say enough good things about this place! Tiffany is the owner and brings a lovely energy to…read morethe shop and community. Alongside the incredible creation of unique gifts, apothecary items, home goods, etc, there are always cool happenings with pop-ups and workshops that empower local businesses and artists while fostering community. Give them a follow on Instagram where updates are regularly posted!

Having visited Lilac a couple of times, it truly feels like the "Cheers" of clothing stores, you're…read morealways made to feel welcome. It's the kind of place where you can walk in feeling blah and, thanks to the amazing staff and fresh styles to explore, walk out feeling like a million bucks! Without hesitation, I can say that Lilac is a must-visit if you're shopping for yourself or looking for the perfect gift!

Easily the most stylish shop in Alameda, with reasonably priced and generally good quality clothes…read morefrom a variety of designers.

Lan Vie designs are in my top 3 for the Bay Area. I've been shopping here years, so this review…read moreis long overdue. What I've always loved about Lan Vie, both as a designer and a boutique, is that the fashions change often, everything is well-made, and you find lots of day and night ready options. My first years shopping here were looking for stage wear, mostly dresses, as a performer.Then, as I toured, I needed fabrics that packed and traveled well. They always have lots of pants / jackets like this. I love how the owner is the designer, and how she knows what we want, and even shifts her designs based on customer feedback. Highly recommended to find something original for a special event or weekend. Since the owner changes things up, sometimes you'll find an abundance of edgy designs, other times, bright, and sometimes formal. The pieces mix and match well too. So I recommend stopping by often to see what's new.

I really love this boutique. The owners are super sweet so I love supporting local businesses…read more At first glance it looks like a boutique catered more towards an older generation but the cuts of the skirts and pants remind me of the type of styles I see in Korea, Japan and Europe during my recent travels. The clothes blend well with my Madewell, Anthro and Eileen Fisher outfits. I work in the design field so I have to look a bit polished with a modern edge; this caters to my style. I would definitely encourage people to step inside (I go strait to the sales rack) and try things on. It really is surprising what you can find.

Karousel is a super sweet new boutique on Webster featuring a rotating collection of local artists'…read morewares sponsored by the Women's Initiative, which is a non-profit that helps low-income women start their own business. I spotted the shop on opening day after my Tuesday farmer's market jaunt and there is already a nice selection of fine jewelry, scented candles and soaps, art prints, and really cute clothing and accessories. They told me they'll also be offering classes and to let anyone know that if they're interested in selling, to contact Susan at the shop. Very glad to have a new shopping choice on Webster -- there are quite a few new businesses popping up and hopefully it means this side of the island is finally coming up...

You definitely want to check out Karousel Boutique. A great addition to the Webster neighborhood!…read more It offers a fun and unique shopping experience and is a great resource for beautiful, innovative, mostly handmade gifts and products created by local artists. I found some holiday gifts that were really one-of-a-kind. Besides a rotating gallery of artists' goods, it's also a community center offering classes in yoga, sewing, the arts, etc. Plus, they have some really fun events featuring fare by local wineries, restaurants and bands to spice up your shopping experience. Truly an Alameda original!

I absolutely adored the vision that is Bella Vita…read more Walking in, I was taken in by the most amazing collection of barrettes I've ever seen. They had barrettes shaped like animals and fruit and adorable little hair claws shaped like bat wings. Bella Vita also boasted absolutely adorable pastel party decor for the girly girl at heart. The service was friendly and helpful, and I loved their overall selection of fanciful accessories. I will most definitely be back!

My wife and I got my nieces some cute Fairytale Star Double Alice Headbands ($18 each) and my wife…read moregot herself a fun Jenny Lemon's Banana Hair Claw ($24) at this store, Bella Vita, in Rockridge. This is a local boutique shop that's filled with lots of unique, high-quality apparel, accessories, and gifts for women and children. My sister, who lives in the neighborhood, has been a regular for years. She introduced my wife and me to this delightful place during our last trip to Oakland. We visited on an ordinary Monday afternoon. Owner Jennifer was the only one working at the time. She was friendly. She and my sister know each other from my sister's visits. Jennifer was also helping a couple women at the dressing rooms. The store was sizable, clean, and well organized. It had a homey, curated feel to it. I could tell a lot of thought had been put into each and every product, not only by Jennifer, but by the people who made them. If you're having trouble finding a good gift for a woman/girl, Bella Vita has many interesting and novel items to choose from. They also offer online ordering for pickup in-store or shipping to the lower 48 states. At the time of writing this review, you can subscribe to their emails for 10% off your first purchase at https://bellavitahome.com/

This shop is a jewel! Hopefully there will be an upswing of innovative and interesting retailers…read morejoining this lovely place and mercy vintage too! This is the prefect place to pick up a gift for yourself or anyone you love, who has good taste and an eye for unique and thoughtful things.

A beautiful shop. Interesting unique items, especially the jewelery. Dana is a lovely person. My…read morefavorite shop to go for gifts for my wife and daughter. Love it!

I have long admire TJ's clothes from her display window. Now that the latest Covid safety…read moreguidelines recommended double masking, I knew that I needed to buy some cloth masks to go over my disposable surgical and K95 masks. I knew that I wanted to order from Taylor Jay. Her masks are stylish, very well made, and comfortable. Perhaps even more importantly, they are LINED and have ADJUSTABLE straps. She is located in downtown Oakland, in between two amazing bakeries - Firebrand Artisan and Sweet Bar. All of these businesses are worth supporting but you won't gain more pandemic weight when you support TJ's. She is an amazing local Oakland designer and deserves your attention. Her dog is a very loyal assistant. She has a great website and her service is fast. I made the mistake of asking my order be shipped when in fact I wanted to pick it up. When I emailed her to ask for her help, she responded very quickly and was extremely easy to communicate with.

I stopped by after window shopping near my hotel. This cute shop is only open limited hours so I…read morewas thrilled to see it open! the accessories aren't made in house but the clothing is. I bought a couple of purses but wish they had longer shirts/blouses (ie not crop tops). Very inclusive sizing at a reasonable price! follow them on instagram.

I love this shop! Talk about customer service! Sadie (sales rep) is super helpful, has great…read moreenergy, genuine, and a over all wonderful person. The shop always has neat t-shirts and other apparel to show some Oakland pride.

Nice inventory... but limited sizes in-stock, high priced, and an ancient credit card system that…read moredoesn't accept Capital One cards. The manager kinda had an at-tit-ude! Lol,