Lower E Burnside has quickly become a shopping destination for more directional fashion (Denwave and Stand Up Comedy) as well as a new vintage hub (Hattie’s, Bombshell, Rock n’ Rose) with treats thrown in like Redux’s selection of interesting jewelry and accessories, much of it by Portland designers of repurposed materials, Moshi Moshi’s Japanese gifts, toys, and apparel, and the elegantly lovely lingerie at Lille Boutique. This is all within a few short blocks with the heart at the 811 E Burnside building across from The Jupiter Hotel and Doug Fir. But the Eastside has a few other tricks up its sleeve, boutiques that should not be missed.
If you only have an afternoon, head to 811 E Burnside. In another city, this building, from the look of it, would house an insurance agent, a nail salon, and maybe a travel agent, but here this 70s era two story building across from the Jupiter Hotel and Doug Fir contains two of Portland’s most interesting boutiques, a gallery/studio, a vintage shop and more. Every First Friday the shops stay open late and Grass Hut, Redux, and Moshi Moshi open new art shows.
Stand Up Comedy is the most highly curated shop in Porltand with an internationally roster of experimental fashion and object (and books and mags, too), nearly all of which is exclusive to the store in Portland. Find work by Acne, Slow and Steady Wins the Race, Rachel Comey, Cerre, and artist Montana Cherney.
Denwave is among a handful of the best directional boutiques in Portland where you’ll find forward-thinking fashion from European and US labels as well as work by resident designers Genevieve Dellinger and Hazel Cox. Look for staples like Cheap Monday Jeans and She Bible plus the German line ADD designed by Wibke Deertz, Common Projects sneakers, and the unisex backpacks from Native with their braided straps and a little vintage.
Moshi Moshi does monthly art shows and has a great selection of irresistible Japanese t-shirts, handbags, toys, kaiju, stickers, stationary from Mountain Mountain, Aranzi Aronzo, Devilrobots, Be@rbrick, Kubrick.
Redux is a small space that is full to the gills with art, jewelry, accessory and object much of it created from repurposed materials including bags from Hardware by Renee, Piper Ewan accessories, and Cyber Optix silkscreened ties.
Grass Hut is a gallery and studio for Bwana Spoons and Justin Scrappers Morrison with monthly shows of illustration- or graf-based visual art as well as zines, toys, and other grassy goodness.
Sister shop to Lived In Lover on SE Division, Bombshell Vintage has a wide selection of reasonably-priced vintage from the 30s to 70s.
Lille Boutique (1007 E Burnside) is just up Burnside on the same side of the street as 811. Lille has Portland’s most wonderful mix of understated, elegant lingerie breathtakingly extraordinary lingerie from boutique lines like Dessous and Araks, Princesse Tam Tam, Ciel, and many more in natural fabrics like bamboo jersey, silk, and organic cotton.
Heading down Burnside, Burnside Proper (626 E Burnside) is hair salon, studios, and up front, a showroom/shop for work by resident jewelry designer Tatiana Sakurai whose line is Hubris and Sophrosyne. Just behind it, Daylight Savings (624 E Burnside, behind Burnside Proper) is like the perfectly curated garage sale with obscenely cheap and very good vintage everything.
Another of Portland’s best vintage shops is Hattie’s Vintage (729 E Burnside) with a great selection that spans decades for men and women: dresses, coats, hats from many eras for women, and suits, shoes, hats and more for men. And Rock N Rose (616 E Burnside) is a spacious late-model vintage emporium.
An off-the-beaten-path treasure, Giovanna Parolari’s boutique Una (2802 SE Ankeny) is a necessary (if diminuitive) destination for a modern kind of smart-girl chic. Many of her lines are carried nowhere else in Portland, and Parolari regularly travels to find new great lines. Find Chan Luu, Clu, Hengst, Coven, Poles/Tehen, Vena Cava, and Portland lines Linea by Jess Beebe and Daniel McCall.
Also on E Burnside, find Destroy (1712 E Burnside), a new streeetwear shop where you’ll find the Destroy label as well as Jon Phenom and Addict, plus onela bags. Moxie (2400 E Burnside) has a reliably good mix of on trend, accessibly priced womens clothes and accessories, while Lady Luck Vintage (2742 E Burnside) is a glamour palace with a deep selection of vintage for women (and men).
Olio United
A new Eastside favorite is Olio United (1028 SE Water), the best kind of responsible retail with great modern design ethically and sustainably produced. Find organic denim from Del Forte and Sling & Stones (Seattle), repurposed apparel by Preloved, great recycled leather bags by Ashley Watson and as well as the coolest vegan shoes from LA’s Form and Fauna.
