1 of 4
1:32 p.m. Donna Silvestri works in her studio. Steve Hedberg photo
2 of 4
Sarah Walor photo
3 of 4
Ash Daniel photo
4 of 4
Jay Paul photo
Best Local Jewelry Designer:
Donna Silvestri of on u jewelry
When it comes to designing jewelry, on u jewelry's Donna Silvestri is all about texture. Her handmade bracelets and necklaces feature intricate, unusual knots alongside glass, vintage and semiprecious accents. Silvestri's husband, Greg, handles the business side of things. "That way I can focus on the creative side," Silvestri says.
2. Vera Caniglia of Vera's Fine Jewelers
3. Capri Jewelers
Best Store With Local, Handmade Jewelry:
Cocoanut Jewelry
11800 W. Broad St., 360-9634; 1601 Willow Lawn Drive, 282-1335
This jewelry store has been open for more than 35 years, selling jewelry from all over. However, founder
and owner Wendy Steinberg-Garrett thinks that selling local jewelry is a vital part of her store. "It gives local designers an outlet for their work," she said. And Cocoanut Jewelry offers that work in a variety of prices and designs.
2. Quirk Gallery
Best Local Mall Experience:
Short Pump Town Center
shortpumpmall.com
What makes Short Pump Town Center the best local mall experience? Is it the Apple Store? Is it the restaurants? Is it the Short Pump Express train rides for the kiddos? Is it the mix of local retailers and national powerhouses? Really, it's gotta be the Apple Store.
2. Stony Point Fashion Park
3. Regency Square
Best Place to Buy Your Dream Car:
Lexus of Richmond
9703 Midlothian Turnpike, (888) 221-1289
"We want to present as much of a luxury feel as we can," says Carl Burrell, vice president and general manager at Lexus of Richmond. This means making sure the showroom is stylish and spotless and that each staffer treats the customer like an honored guest.
2. CarMax
3. Richmond BMW
Hippest Vintage-Clothing Store:
Bygones
2916 W. Cary St., 353-1919
Near the historic Byrd Theatre sits a shop with some history of its own. Bygones Vintage Clothing has lived on Cary Street for 32 years selling clothes that are much older. Owner Maynee Cayton says that it was her love of vintage clothing that inspired her to open the store while she was in her 20s. Bygones also offers antique jewelry and accessories for both men and women. They buy clothes from the public by appointment. 2. Halcyon
3. Rumors
Best Selection of Summer Dresses at a Nonchain Store:
Pink
3158 W. Cary St., 358-0884
Pink has been serving Carytown customers for more than 24 years and offers the latest looks, including dresses from brands like Elizabeth and James, Cynthia Vincent, and Diane Von Furstenberg. "Our summer dresses come in a variety of styles ranging from casual, cotton day dresses — for the pool or beach — to fun, colorful printed silk dresses, perfect for summertime weddings," says co-owner Libby Sykes.
2. Lex's of Carytown
3. Monkee's
Best Selection of Nonchain Men's Shirts:
Franco's Fine Clothier
5321 Lakeside Ave., 264-2994; Short Pump Town Center, 364-9400
Between its two stores, Franco's Fine Clothier has more than 2,500 shirts in stock, from casual to dress. One of its biggest growth areas is in custom shirts, which now take just 15 working days to complete. "People want to have the ability to find something really different," says co-owner Kevin Reardon.
2. Peter-Blair
3. Need Supply Co.
Best Kids' Boutique:
Buttons & Bows
1517 N. Parham Road, 285-0482
Opened 24 years ago, Buttons & Bows is a full-service shop offering clothing and shoes for kids ranging from babies to the early elementary-school years. "We really cater to what people in Richmond like," says owner Tricia Alford, who notes that parents appreciate classic styles that still manage to incorporate current fashion trends.
2. Clover
3. Rattle & Roll
Best Local Shop With Statement Jewelry:
Cocoanut Jewelry
1601 Willow Lawn Drive, 282-1335; Short Pump Town Center, 360-9634
Owner Wendy Garrett hand-picks every item that Cocoanut Jewelry stocks, and after 35 years in business, she's got an eye for unique pieces. When it comes to statement jewelry, Garrett highlights lines such as Jola and Crossroads. "They're very affordable for what they are, and it gives you a different look."
2. Capri Jewelers
Best Custom Jewelry Work:
Vera's Fine Jewelers
16701 Midlothian Turnpike, Midlothian, 794-5671
Whether they're working from a hand-drawn sketch or incorporating a customer's own gems, "We help clients through the process," says Vera Caniglia, who co-owns Vera's Fine Jewelers with her husband, Mike, a master jeweler. Once the design is set, it takes four to six weeks to make a custom piece.
2. Capri Jewelers
3. Dransfield Jewelers
Best Nonchain Women's Accessories:
Penelope
Visit penelope-jewelry.com for locations.
Accessories have been a part of the mix at Penelope ever since the first store opened in 1988, with everything from handbags to shoes (added this year). Owner Penelope Searcy travels with her daughters to markets in spots like Atlanta and New York several times a year to make sure they're offering the latest and greatest.
2. Pink
3. (Tie) Clementine; Lex's of Carytown; Tweed
Best Eyewear Selection:
LensCrafters
Visit lenscrafters.com for locations.
Probably best known as the "glasses in about an hour" people, LensCrafters' stores also try to carry a wide range of frames from designers such as Prada, Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, and more. If you don't like the results, their 90-day unconditional guarantee allows exchanges or returns for a full refund.
2. For Eyes Optical
3. Carytown Optical
Best Local Business Carrying on the Preppy Tradition:
Peter-Blair
5718 Grove Ave., 288-8123
Mixed among the artsy shops and movie theater on Libbie and Grove is Peter-Blair, the store known for its traditional, preppy men's clothing. If you need a snappy bow tie or a pair of seersucker pants, it's the place
to go. Co-owner Dick Fowlkes describes the store's product as classic clothing with a twist. "We're all about color, so if you're not into color, this is the wrong store to come to."
2. The Pink Palm
3. Tweed
Best Thrift Store:
Goodwill of Central Virginia
Visit goodwillcva.org for locations.
"We have a company standard that every store in the region puts out 1,500 new sales items on the floor each day," says Ellen Thornhill, Goodwill of Central Virginia's communications manager. At least 84 percent of Goodwill's total revenue goes toward helping people with disabilities or social and economic disadvantages find a job.
2. Diversity Thrift
3. FanTastic Thrift
Best Silver Jewelry Selection:
Penelope
Visit penelope-jewelry.com for locations.
Owner Penelope Searcy estimates that about 70 percent of the inventory at her namesake stores is of sterling-silver jewelry. "Women love it, and through the years it's been a lot more affordable than gold jewelry," she says. When we spoke to Searcy, she was wearing a healthy amount of silver herself — a Pandora bracelet, earrings and a pendant.
2. Capri Jewelers
3. Cocoanut Jewelry
Best Athletic-Shoe Salespeople:
RoadRunner Running Store
3002 W. Cary St., 353-8365
At RoadRunner, they'll examine your feet as you stand there in your socks, watch you walk without shoes, check the wear on your current pair, set you up with a pair of trainers and then observe your gait on the small track inside the shop. "It's a simple model," says owner Thom Suddeth, who started the shop 28 years ago, "but there's a definite art to it."
2. 3 Sports
3. New Balance Richmond
Most Fashionable Local Shoe Shop:
Saxon Shoes
Short Pump Town Center, 285-3473
Saxon's fashion-forward selection of shoes is no accident. "Our buyers travel to trade shows around the country to look for new, exciting and different silhouettes to bring to Richmond," says Saxon president Gary Weiner, who name-checks lines such as Donald J Pliner, Jessica Simpson (yes, that one), Nine West, Jeffrey Campbell and Coach.
2. The Shoe Box
3. Nordstrom
Best Nonchain Cards and Stationery Store:
Mongrel
2924 W. Cary St., 342-1272
"We try to find the cards you can't find anywhere else," says Mongrel co-owner Mark Burkett. Mongrel has around 4,000 different cards in stock, and that number jumps by a couple thousand whenever they add seasonal cards. As for stationery, the store mostly stocks note cards and funky paper for everyday use.
2. By Invitation Only
3. Paper on the Avenue
Best Home Accessories:
HomeGoods
West Broad Village, 364-8757; Chesterfield Towne Center, 594-0190
HomeGoods is hard to resist, especially now that Richmond has stores on both sides of the river. From pillows to plates, cookware to cutlery, it's the place to go for a house pick-me-up at up to 60 percent off. With merchandise arriving daily, don't count on anything being around the next day.
2. LaDifférence
3. Tweed
Best Cosmetics Boutique:
Sephora
Visit sephora.com for locations.
At cosmetics superstore Sephora, you're not just getting access to more than 200 product lines, you're also benefiting from the company's training program, which educates every single staffer in the "Science of Sephora," providing them with a knowledge base for everything from skin care to makeup application.
2. Ulta Beauty
3. MAC Cosmetics
Best Mall Play Area for Kids:
Stony Point Fashion Park
You may be surprised to learn that the Pop Jet Fountain at Stony Point Fashion Park wasn't intended as a play fountain for children. Whatever the original plans were for these 37 jets of pulsating water, these days the fountain is a warm-weather must for younger visitors to the South Side mall.
2. Short Pump Town Center
3. Regency Square
Best Nonchain Place to Buy a Bike:
Agee's Bicycles
Visit agees.com for locations.
At Agee's, "We encourage test rides," says co-owner Bill Agee. "It's an important part of the process." After you've bought your bike, ride around for a month or so, bring it back to the store, and Agee's will re-tune your gears, spokes and brakes at no charge.
2. Carytown Bicycle Co.
3. Conte's Bicycles and Fitness Equipment
Best Fashionista Temple:
Pink
3158 W. Cary St., 358-0884
Pink co-owner and chief buyer Deborah Boschen has a simple philosophy: "I'm going to go to markets and buy things I think are beautiful and wearable." Some of those beautiful items include clothing from exclusive lines, as well as accessories, handbags, jewelry and even footwear, thanks to a partnership with Parlor Shoes.
2. Saks Fifth Avenue
3. Frances Kahn
Best Place to Buy Outdoor Equipment:
REI
West Broad Village, 360-1381
REI, the nation's largest consumer-owned cooperative, offers $20 lifetime memberships that provide 20 percent off bike-shop labor and rentals. At the end of the year, members usually receive a 10 percent refund on what they purchased at full price during the year, says Michelle Peck, store manager.
2. Dick's Sporting Goods
3. Blue Ridge Mountain Sports
Best Specialty Shoe Shop:
Saxon Shoes
Short Pump Town Center, 285-3473
At 26,000 square feet, Saxon Shoes' Richmond store has plenty of room to carry a wide range of stock, including sizes that run all the way to a ladies' 14 and a men's 18. "We carry extreme sizes for men, women and children," says Saxon President Gary Weiner.
2. (Tie) DSW; The Shoe Box
Newsmakers/Media | Arts/Sports/Community | Food/Drink | Shopping | Services
Weddings | Business | Staff Picks
