Turn Heads Fashionistas, with Boutiques by Patch Picks

Shopping locally is a great way to support your community by keeping your neighbors in business. This week, Patch picks five locally owned boutiques that offer something a little different than the big box stores. Let us know in the comments what your picks are.

• Women's Closet Exchange
  Women's Closet Exchange has the fashion sense and trendiness of a designer boutique, but the prices and business model of a resale store. It offers designer women’s clothing, handbags, shoes, jewelry and accessories, all at prices well below retail.
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  Pashmina is a boutique in Crestwood Court specializing in pashmina shawls, scarves and artisan jewelry. The owner, who grew up in Crestwood, bought her first pashmina shawl on a trip to Israel and began selling them to friends and family after returning to St. Louis.
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  This boutique jewelry shop, also in Crestwood Court, offers handmade jewelry designed and crafted by the owner, Christine Dee. Dee also holds jewelry-making classes twice a week.
• Rapture Fashions
  Though you can't visit Rapture Fashions Boutique in person, this online store is run by a local woman and offers a handpicked selection of trendy dresses, tops, bags and accessories.
• Sunshine Daydream
  Sunshine Daydream is more of a hippie boutique, a colorful environment filled with tie-dye, tapestries and Grateful Dead memorabilia. The shop offers incense, jewelry, bags and wallets, and plenty of rock collectibles.