As a teen, our shopping writer sent passionate letters to the headquarters of Gap, Inc. demanding a store in Roanoke. These days, with Gap long-since at Valley View Mall, she wonders about her former obession, and spends most of her shopping dollars on the distinctive goods of the valley’s many locally owned shops. Here are 25, but there are plenty more, so get out there and explore.
Fashion
310 Rosemont, 312 Market St. SE; 345-5326. Upscale designs for men and women. Flirty, short cocktail dresses and a plentiful selection of premium denim brands like 7 For All Mankind, Citizens of Humanity and True Religion.
Alligator Alley, 5207 Bernard Rd. (The Corners Shopping Center); alligatoralleyapparel.com; 772-4287. Men and women come here to get their preppy on. Brands include Lilly Pulitzer, Lacoste and Vineyard Vines. Bounteous offerings of collegiate wear for Hokies and Wahoos.
Davidsons, 412 S. Jefferson St.; fineclothiers.com; 343-3734; also at 4235 Electric Road (Grand Pavilion); 774-1644. Whether the man in your life is looking for a knock-’em-dead interview suit or khakis for kicking back on weekends, he’ll be able to find something here. Choose from lines like Hart Schaffner & Marx, Polo Ralph Lauren and Southwick or live like a celebrity and get a suit custom designed.
Frances Kahn, 4235 Electric Rd. (Grand Pavilion); franceskahn.com; 989-8151. Elegant, way-upscale women’s clothing store with a long history in Roanoke. Casual, business and formal frocks by names like Dian von Furstenberg, Michael Kors and Magaschoni. Large selection of boots and bags by designers like b. may and Rebecca Minkoff.
La De Da, 102 Church Ave. SE; ladeda.net; 345-6131. The shop’s distinctive “fantastical frocks” include bohemian, flowing skirts, cozy sweaters and scarves paired with clogs and boots. Word to recessionistas: the shop has lots of great sales.
Panache, 4706 Starkey Rd. (The Forum); lapanacheltd.com; 774-2230. Upscale ladies shop “specializing in ages 16 to 60,” with everything from sportswear to short cocktail dresses. Successful female bankers and lawyers flock here for power suits. Lines include Nicole Miller, Michael Kors and BCBG.
Patina Bridal and Formals, 5028 Keagy Road; patinaformals.com; 776-1636. The store recently relocated to a space in Keagy Village. Offers one of the region’s best selections of prom and formal wear. Recently began selling wedding gowns again after taking a break from the bridal business for a few years.
Specialty Stores
Beads Indeed! 123 E. Campbell Ave. SE; beadsindeed.com; 344-9586. Here, you’ll find every imaginable bead to inspire your creativity. Never strung a necklace before? The store offers regular classes or you can buy a beautiful ready-made design.
Dance Etc., 360 E. Virginia Ave., Vinton; danceetc.us; 345-6232. Area twinkle toes head to Dance Etc. for ballet slippers and tutus. The shop also offers clothing for cheerleaders, gymnasts, skaters and swimmers. One of the area’s best selections of costumes for Halloween, masquerades and theater.
Fret Mill Music Co., 21 Salem Ave. SE; fretmill.com; 982-6866. It’s fun to look around this shop even if the only thing you know how to play is the radio. Rows of instruments including guitars, banjos and even the odd ukulele. Lessons offered.
Nature’s Emporium, 3912 Brambleton Ave.; 989-7735. This is the place to stock up on supplies for your barkers and purrers. It’s also an easy place to find a gift for a human loved one since a large slice of the store is dedicated to home and décor items like gazing balls or colorful porch mats.
Ram’s Head Bookshop, 2137 Colonial Ave. SW (Towers Shopping Center); 344-1237. Tons more personality than big-box book stores, this venerable Roanoke treasure offers shelves stuffed with books (natch), a colorful children’s book room, as well as a room for puzzles and toys and another for unique cards and stationary.
Sam’s on the Market, 304 Market St. SE; 342-7300; If you like the Sock Monkey that waves from the shop’s window, you can go inside and buy a pair of Rockford Red Heel Monkey Socks to sew a monkey of your own. Also, uniforms, jeans and bibbed overalls.
The Cobbler’s Wife, 5207 Bernard Drive (The Corners Shopping Center); cobblerswife.com; 400-6589. Perhaps, the most cleverly named shoe store in history, The Cobbler’s Wife offers quality shoes for women and children. Brands include Sanita, Simple, Merrell and NAOT.
Toad’ly Kids, 4710-E Starkey Road (The Forum); 774-7282. Clothes for newborns, children, pre-teens and even a few adult frocks. Lovely christening gowns. Melissa and Doug wooden toys. Offers boys’ clothing to size 20, but serves as a special haven for pint-sized fashionistas by offering hair bows in every color as well as fun designs by Lilly Pulitzer and Lemon Loves Lime.
Walkabout Outfitter, 301 Market St. SE; walkaboutoutfitter.com; 777-2727. Knowledgeable staff can hook you up with all the clothing and gear you’ll need to hike the Appalachian Trail — or just help you look like someone who could.
Goodies and Gifts
Blue Ribbon Boutique, 208 Market St.; blueribbonboutique.com; 345-3553. Packed with finds like distinctive scarves, Jessica Lauber candles, Pre de Provence soaps and San Diego Hat Company Hats. A great place to pick up a gift for your BFF.
Native Grace, 308 Market Street SE; 345-4519. Fair-trade goods. Buy organic baby clothes made in Nicaragua or oil drum art from Haiti and sleep easy knowing the crafters received a fair price for their work. Great shop for tea fanatics.
Steger Creek, 4361 Starkey Rd.; stegercreek.com; 774-0004. Christmas decorations out the wazoo, including Department 56 villages. Vera Bradley and cinda b handbags. Check out the Steger Creek Cookbook put together with recipes from the shop’s employees.
The Binaba Shop, 120 Campbell Ave. SE; kimoyo.org; 345-7064. This volunteer-run, nonprofit shop sells gifts made in Africa ranging from masks to furniture and baskets. Best of all, proceeds benefit critical needs, like medical care, in the Upper East Region of Ghana.
Home
Ladles & Linens; 305 Market St. SE; ladlesandlinens.com; 769-8181. The name says it all. Upscale kitchen supplies, gourmet foods and distinctive French tablecloths.
Olde Salem Mercantile, 1864 Apperson Dr., Salem; oldesalemonline.com; 389-2008. Fifty shops in one location. Affordable boutique clothing. Unique furniture, including shabby chic finds. Primitive décor. Eat some soup and a sandwich at the shop’s Ridge Runner Café.
Provisions Gourmet, 3117 Franklin Rd. SW(Piccadilly Square); 857-5888. Another place where foodies go to die. Bakeware, knives, kitchen gadgets and gourmet food. Find lots of festive chocolates around December.
Reid’s Fine Furnishings, 1324 Grandin Rd. SW; reidsfurnishings.com; 342-1844. Since opening in 1995, the store has slowly expanded down Grandin Road. Its popularity can largely be attributed to an ever-changing selection of timeless pieces built to last for generations. Authorized Stickley dealer.
The French Thistle, 2914 Williamson Rd. NW; frenchthistle.com; 563-0979. Here’s where to go after finding inspiration watching “Divine Design” on HGTV. Spend an afternoon checking out the store’s numerous unique fabrics. The in-house seamstresses can whip up window treatments, cushions or bedding. Get a headboard custom-designed, an old wooden chair refurnished or simply browse the store’s collection of antiques.
The Malls
Valley View Mall
4802 Valley View Blvd. NW
ValleyViewMall.com; 563-4440
Major stores like Macy’s, Belk, JC Penney and Sears along with dozens of smaller shops like Eddie Bauer, Gap and Victoria’s Secret make Valley View a regional shopping destination for Southwest Virginia. Numerous other stores like Best Buy, Target and Sam’s Club can be found in the vicinity of the mall.
Tanglewood Mall
4420-A Electric Rd.
shoptanglewood.com; 989-4388
This shopping center has seen a lot of changes since opening in 1973. The mall takes some ribbing for an eccentric mix of tenants (Miller-Motte Technical College is a new occupant). Still, some shoppers prefer the less-frenzied pace of Tanglewood for shopping at stores like Belk, JC Penney, T.J. Maxx and Stein Mart. The Barnes & Noble store located outside Tanglewood, on the other hand, is usually hopping, especially on Friday and Saturday nights.
Towers Shopping Center
2207 Colonial Ave. SW
towersshoppingcenter.com; 982-6791
A lot of shoppers come armed with grocery lists for the mall’s Kroger and Fresh Market stores, but more than 50 shops can be found here including Petco, Domestications, Ram’s Head Bookshop and Bush Flora Shoes.
