Buenos Aires : Lucky Magazine

Palermo Soho

The city's creative epicenter—famed Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges once called it home—has the densest concentration of upstart boutiques, and they sell everything from unusually scented soaps to chunky tunics made of Andean wool. Lucky's favorite stores in Buenos Aires' Palermo Soho neighborhood!

Hecho en Argentina

These are the spots that sell the most covetable traditional goods—from filigree poncho pins to rustic cowhide handbags. Lucky's favorite stores in Buenos Aires' Hecho en Argentina neighborhood!

Recoleta

Even though this quarter is as posh as it gets, its retail offerings—hidden-away indie-label spots, dusty bookstores, and big, bustling malls—remain diverse and down-to-earth. Lucky's favorite stores in Buenos Aires' Recoleta neighborhood!

Calma Chicha

Cowhide rugs are abundant in Argentina—the country's largest industry is ranching—and due to its immense selection, Calma Chicha is the insider-favored spot to buy them (prices start at a reasonable $200). Also on offer: old-fashioned- themed Argentine souvenirs, like vibrant aluminum dishware, hilariously stylized dead-stock tourist postcards, envelope-flat leather gaucho bags, and traditional wine pitchers, perfect for serving the country's best-known varietal, Malbec, to guests.
Honduras 4925, 4831-1818, calmachicha.com

Products: Bags, Linen, Accessories, Books/Stationery, Tabletop
Type of Store: Boutique

Desiderata

For trendy clothes with a vintage look, Desiderata is a sure bet. As if the prices weren't already fair ($40 for a canvas trapeze pea coat, $25 for a pointelle mohair cardigan, $30 for a tweedy plaid jumper), giant, outdoor cartoon-scrawled chalkboards advertise the store's latest specials.
Honduras 4733, 4833-3883, desiderata.com.ar

Products: Women's Clothing
Type of Store: Boutique

Pablo Ramirez

There's something mournful and dramatic about Ramirez's expertly tailored, gracefully understated garments—and it goes beyond the fact that nearly all of his designs come exclusively in white or black. A constant source of inspiration for Ramirez is the solemn look of nun's habits, and whatever the season, echoes of their simple lines and crisp details invariably turn up in his creations.
Ca 1190 1315, phone: 4815-5147, pabloramirez.com.ar

Products: Women's Clothing
Type of Store: Boutique

Pasaje la Defensa

Perhaps the most atmospheric shopping destination in the entire city, this antique-vendor-filled retail arcade, located in the 19th-century former Italianate townhouse of a once-prominent local family, is so stunning that you have to keep rubbing your eyes to make sure it's real: Beautiful crocheted bedspreads drape from curlicue iron railings; velvet-upholstered furniture is scattered through the many Portuguese-tiled, fountain-filled courtyards; and various salons and sitting rooms are occupied by dealers proffering everything from old silver flatware to semiprecious jewelry.
Defensa 1179, no phone

Products: Jewelry, Accessories, Antique, Furniture, Linens, Tabletop
Type of Store: Boutique

Puntos en el Espacio

One continuous rack snakes around the perimeter of this slick shop, and it's divvied up into dozens of separate sections, each one dedicated to the work of a different rising designer. It's difficult to spend more than $50 on any one piece; we were obsessed with Esoteria's batwing-sleeved jersey tunics and the bright, laminated-cotton rain jackets by Oveja Negra.
Perú 979, 4307-1742, puntosenelespacio.com.ar

Products: Women's Clothing
Type of Store: Boutique

Wussmann

It's impossible not to be impressed by this multidimensional stationery store. The soaring space combines grandiose old-fashioned elements (card-catalog-style drawers filled with luxe papers; a working antique in-store press) with witty, modern details, including a cutout in the floor that gives a peek of a cellar-level bookstore.
Venezuela 574, 4343-4707, Rodriguez Pena 1399, 4811-2444, wussmann.com

Products: Accessories, Books/Stationery, Gifts/Design
Type of Store: Boutique

Armando

Located between the tracks deep within the Tribunales subway station is Armando, a little-known custom-engraving kiosk we were tipped off to by an expat friend. Check it out for its elegant enameled Argentine address plaques—they'll turn one out for you in less than a week.
Casa Fundada 1938, 4371-9070

Products: Decorative/Lighting
Type of Store: Boutique