41 Cincinnati Boutiques for Shopping Local This Holiday Season

Gia & the Blooms

114 E. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine; Findlay Market, Over-the-Rhine
Contemporary and clean seasonal floral arrangements at an affordable price point. The interior of this little OTR urban jungle houses a larger-than-expected selection of items like greeting cards, candles and locally made ceramics along with lots of houseplants. There are air plants of all shapes and sizes, hanging and trailing options, super-tall cacti, $5-a-pop little plant buddies and more. Burlap-wrapped hand-built bouquets begin at $35, and delivery is free within the Cincinnati metro.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Deerhaus Decor

135 W. Elder St., Over-the-Rhine
Located in Findlay Market, Deerhaus provides a brick-and-mortar location for local craftsmen and artisans to display their work, which ranges from soaps and ceramics to jewelry and woodwork. There are also unique maker-made items from across the United States that all share similar characteristics of being accessible and sustainable with a woodsy vintage vibe. Find locally made waxed canvas aprons next to naturally dyed raw silk scarves, salvaged breweriana and hand-sewn stuffed animals.
Photo: Adam Doty

The Native One

1421 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine; 326 Scott Blvd., Covington
Easy and affordable trend-based women’s fashion with cross-generational appeal. The store is stuffed with everything from rompers and oversized outerwear to affordable statement footwear and lacy underpinnings. You’ll also find accessories, apothecary and home décor.
Photo: Emerson Swoger

Cincy Shirts

1301 Main St., Over-the-Rhine; 2709 Observatory Ave., Hyde Park
Cincy Shirts is a “vintage” T-shirt brand helmed by a local stand-up comedian that mines both the past and present to create apparel showcasing Cincinnati’s unique institutions and idiosyncratic culture. Ever wished you could wear your love for both the Cincinnati Reds and Cincinnati-style chili on your chest? Or an 8-bit rendering of a local landmark? Well, Cincy Shirts knows exactly how you feel, and they’ve manufactured the perfect comfy and comical screen-printed tee for you to proudly show your local pride. Especially if you remember The Uncle Al Show.
Photo: Adam Doty

Lucca

126 W. Elder St., Findlay Market
Owner, designer and machinist Lindsey Estes specializes in creating laser-cut wood, natural gifts, supplies and décor. If you can etch it or laser-cut it into wood, paper or leather, she’s probably made it. Find alder wood greeting cards, Art Deco wood-framed mirrors and hanging ornaments to appease everyone from Fiona fans to people who want to put the Roebling Bridge on the tree.
Photo: Facebook/LuccaWorkshop

Unheard Of

15 W. Fourth St., Downtown
A “street pusher of rare goods” offering T-shirts, hats, hoodies, skate decks and more. If you know a sneaker freak, then you need to know the name and location of this store. Brands include Vans, Nike, Thrasher, Birkenstock, Adidas and more.
Photo: Facebook/UnheardofBrand

Continuum

1407 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
This pink and plant-filled women’s clothing store and bazaar features a curated selection of items from independent artists, designers and makers. It’s a high-end concept shop with a playful sense of humor and an eye for contemporary silhouettes, with brands including No. 6, Cold Picnic and Paloma Wool and plenty of other covetable objects: locally made ceramic jewelry, minimalist fragrances, eco-friendly nail polishes, architectural footwear and indie publications.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

HighStreet

1401 Reading Road, Pendleton
Local design/lifestyle store and studio HighStreet set up shop at the intersection of Over-the-Rhine, Pendleton and Mount Auburn in 2006. In the past 10-plus years, the design hub has doubled in size, incorporating a furniture store and studio for commercial and residential design projects. While the shop boasts an impressive selection of eclectic interiors, hard-to-find magazines, men’s and women’s apparel and bath and body goods, its charm also comes from the owners’ ability to collect and curate exceptional curiosities. Spending time exploring the nooks and crannies of the shop is extremely rewarding. You may discover a bowl of antique prosthetic teeth, a stuffed jackalope head, vintage locks, 18th-century French mouthwash, an existential coloring book, beetle paperweights and other magical and macabre magnificence.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Queen City Alchemy

1808 Race St., Over-the-Rhine
Emily Little first launched her line of soaps and body products as “Little Organics,” with a focus on herbal medicine, informed and filtered through her Appalachian heritage. Now, a decade old, Little Organics is Queen City Alchemy, a high-end locally made holistic skincare line featuring soaps, serums, balms, deodorants and other botanicals crafted using non-toxic, compassionate and therapeutic ingredients. There are no dyes, no fillers, no parabens and no sulfates. The line is certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny and part of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics from the Breast Cancer Prevention Partners. Find 40-some-odd products in the community-focused storefront near Findlay Market, which also carries a curated collection of pieces from other local makers.
Photo: Facebook/QueenCityAlchemy

MiCA 12/v

1201 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
Providing local and independently made crafts and homegoods in OTR since 2007. “We’re essentially a gift store, but we focus on local artists and indie makers,” says owner Carolyn Deininger. “We sell anything from clothing to jewelry to bags, ceramics, paper goods, baby gifts and all kinds of unique gifts with a local focus or made by indie artists that you won’t be able to find anywhere else.”
Photo: Paige Deglow

Hail Dark Aesthetics

720 Main St., Covington
At this oddities and record shop in MainStrasse, the storefront is stuffed with taxidermy, tarot cards, religious ephemera, Black Metal-style jewelry, branded Ouija boards and a bunch of dead snakes. For good or bad, there aren’t too many other stores where you can buy a pig fetus, tarot cards and the Twin Peaks soundtrack on vinyl in the same transaction.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Coda Co.

400 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue
A hip and crafty shop that features maker-made products from upcycled and natural materials, like macrame wall hangings, coffee-bag pillows and bourbon barrel pub tables.
Photo: facebook.com/codacompany

Handzy Shop + Studio

17 W. Pike St., Covington
Think bright colors, cute sayings and shopping ops for your BFFs. “Handzy Shop + Studio is a boutique with the cutest collection of clothes, accessories, stationery, gifts and more,” says owner Suzy Stachan. “We are all about offering upbeat products that foster friendships and make people happy. In the studio, we design our signature line of stationery, which you can also find in the shop.”
Photo: Facebook/HandzyShopStudio

Gumdrop

15 W. Pike St., Covington
This bright and colorful kids shop from the minds behind Handzy has all sorts of goodies. From school supplies and sleepwear to the best new toys and most adorable clothes and accessories for toddlers and newborns, there is cuteness tucked in every corner.
Photo: Facebook/GumdropTots

BlaCk OWned

822 Elm St., Downtown
This contemporary clothing shop does a ton of their own branded and original streetwear and apparel. “It’s the cool spot. It’s a meeting ground for our customers,” says owner Merk Ervin. “We sell men, women and kids, anything from onesies to leather biker jackets. We sell socks, hats, dresses — a little bit of everything.”
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Sloane Boutique

1216 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
Founded in 2011 as one of Vine Street’s original revamped OTR anchors, this women’s clothing store offers items for the style-blogger set and more. In their own words, they “mix edgy styles with touches of modern-femininity, always with a foundation of quality and the idea that unique pieces can make getting dressed fun and personal.”
Photo: Facebook/SloaneBoutiqueOTR

The Chocolate Bee

4037 Hamilton Ave., Northside
As the collective home of Chocolats Latour and Bee Haven, this shared Northside storefront features artisan edibles. Chocolats Latour, from pastry chef and chocolatier Shalini Latour, sells fair-trade, gourmet chocolates made with local ingredients. Find everything from herb-infused chocolate bars to hand-painted truffles and holiday-themed creation. Bee Haven is a honey-lovers’ dream, offering products like beeswax candles, lip balms and raw, unpasteurized honey made with the help of the owners’ own beehives.
Photo: Facebook/TheChocolateBee

TMBTITWI

6 W. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine
Helmed by a world-traveling art specialist, the clothing, homegoods and accessories at The Most Beautiful Thing in the World Is are fully eclectic. As the name suggests, the shop features German knitwear, Italian leather boots, French apothecary items and a gallerist’s nirvana of other modern and sculptural women’s wear.
Photo: Adam Doty

Spotted Goose

3048 Madison Road, Oakley
This ultra-adorable kid’s clothing store helps your little ones unleash their inner stylists by mixing and matching printed onesies with hipster hoodies, quirky graphic T-shirts and plenty of colorful tutus. There’s stuff for babies, toddlers and girls and boys (up to size 16 and 12, respectively) — and a play area to keep them all occupied while you shop.
Photo: Facebook/TheSpottedGoose

Paper Wings

1207 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
Mike and Carolyn Deininger, the owners of MiCA 12/v, opened a new storefront just a few doors down on Vine street this summer. This shop features original and unique artwork by indie creators. From quirky greeting cards and fresh, new stationery to local art on paper, to a cork globes to mark all the places you’ve traveled.
Photo: Holden Mathis