Buenos Aires : Lucky Magazine

Comme il Faut

Tango is serious business in Buenos Aires, and Comme il Faut is where the most respected practitioners buy their shoes. Its stiletto-heeled styles define the words "exquisite" and "sexy"—and they're so entirely on-trend that even nondancers will love them.
Arenales 1239, Apt M., 1061, 4815-5690, commeilfaut.com.ar

Products: Shoes
Type of Store: Boutique

Feria de Mataderos

old-school bargains

Hotfoot it to the edge of town for Feria de Mataderos, a lively, cowboy-style affair complete with horse-riding demos and accordion players that provide distraction from the many booths loaded with local crafts.
Lisandro de la Torre y Avenida at De los Corrales, Mataderos, Sunday 10 am to 5 pm, feriademataderos.com.ar

Products: Bags, Jewelry, Furniture, Linen, Tabletop
Type of Store: Fair/Flea Market

Feria de San Telmo

old-school bargains

Hit Feria de san Telmo, the city's most famous market, for deals on smaller items.
Plaza Dorrego Humberto 1°, y Defensa San Telmo, Sunday 10 am to 5 pm feriadesantelmo.com

Products: Jewelry, Accessories, Linen, Gifts/Design
Type of Store: Fair/ Flea Market

Guido

Wealthy Argentines like to relax on their estancias (ranches), and family-owned Guido is the place to go for authentic gaucho-life provisions, including handmade leather belts and bags, plus luxe polo gear.
Montevideo 1613, Quintana (btwn. Ave. Callao & Rodriguez Pena), 4812-3939

Products: Bags, Accessories
Type of Store: Boutique

Marcelo Toledo

Young, laid-back silversmith Marcelo Toledo is one of the country's premier artisans, and his homey workshop/showroom is full of elaborate poncho pins, yerba mate vessels, perfume censers, and candelabras (prices range upward of $100).
Humberto 1° 462, 4362-0841

Products: Accessories, Beauty, Decorative/Lighting, Tabletop, Gifts/Design
Type of Store: Boutique

Mercado de Pulgas

old-school bargains

B.A.'s secondhand secret, Mercado de Pulgas,has everything from art deco ashtrays to midcentury-modern chandeliers in a blockwide, stable like building.
Niceto Vega 200 Block, bet. Dorrego amd Concepcion Arenales, 10 am to 5 pm

Products: Antique, Decorative/Lighting, Tabletop
Type of Store: Fair/Flea Market

Juana de Arco

During the early half of this decade, Argentina's economy was bleak and frugality was key, which gave designer Mariana Cort&eactue;s a brilliant idea: Collect scraps from textile plants and turn them into wearable garments. Today, her Juana de Arco line is famed for its playful, patchworky aesthetic and has made use of tons of cast-off fabric in the process.
El Salvador 4762, 4833-1621, Monday-Fri, 10:30 am - 8 pm, juanadearco.net

Products: Lingerie/Loungewear, Women's Clothing
Type of Store: Boutique

La Mercería

The clothing and decor here is unabashedly colorful, floral-printed, embellished, or in the case of a majority of the merchandise (like an electric blue, ribbon-trimmed, rose-printed floor pillow), all three. If self-customization is more your thing, check out the tons of embroidered ribbon and intricate lace, all of it sold by the meter.
Armenia 1609, 4831-8558, lmerceria.com.ar

Products: Accessories, Linen, Gifts/Design
Type of Store: Boutique

La Pasionaria

Hidden from the street in a hangar-like former photo studio, this antiques shop is way off the tourist path. Owner Pancho Salomón started his business 20 years ago by scavenging the streets and scouring abandoned buildings for collectible pieces. Today, his stellar stockpile of furniture, lamps, and tabletop items—most of which come from the '20s and '30s (and all of which can be shipped to the States)—is a treasured local secret.
Godoy Cruz 1541, 4773-0563

Products: Antique, Decorative, Lighting, Furniture, Tabletop
Type of Store: Consignment, Resale

Lupe

There are so many small designer labels in Buenos Aires; it's impossible to keep them all straight. But Lupe stands out for its charming French-schoolgirl aesthetic (denim jumpers, sailor jerseys, and canvas ballet flats are swift sellers) and its breezy, plant-filled boutique, which has the relaxed atmosphere of a summer cottage.
El Salvador 4657, 4833-0730, lupeba.com.ar

Products: Women's Clothing, Shoes, Accessories
Type of Store: Boutique