Where to Shop now

Where to shop in Dallas right now: 9 must-hit stores for December

It's the hap, happiest shopping season of all. This month's Where to Shop column hits the heart of Dallas, the corners of Dallas, and jet-sets to Aspen, too. There are special limited pop-up shops and events, long-anticipated new stores, and the return of a beloved favorite. By the way, if you're looking for a shopping buddy this month, hit up your friends in this Dallas suburb, where they have the biggest holiday budgets in the whole U.S.A. — and maybe the North Pole, too.

Fashion Group International pop-up at Galleria Dallas
Fashion Group International of Dallas (FGI Dallas), the local chapter of a global, nonprofit professional fashion organization, is hosting one mega holiday pop-up shop at Galleria Dallas for one weekend only, December 3-4. The event will not only highlight local luxury designers and brands, but a portion of proceeds from sales will benefit the organization, which gives scholarships to fashion design and fashion merchandising students. Among the featured local boutiques, designers, and services will be: Kathy Fielder, Martini Consignment, Daniela Bell Lashes, DeadSoxy, Finley Shirts, Harkensback, Increased Orbit, SEPT featuring Ferrah, Status, Susan Posnick Cosmetics, Tarliza Schall, and Valerie Garmino. Find it on level one near Bachendorf’s, 10 am-8 pm both days.

Merry Market at CityLine
CityLine makes Richardson a red-hot shopping destination for one special Saturday in December. CityLine and The Boho Market are welcoming a pop-up event called Merry Market, 1-9 pm December 4. More than 70 small businesses will include favorite local makers and vendors from the Night Markets offering handmade and vintage goods, plus live music, treats, crafts, and more holiday fun underneath half a million twinkling holiday lights. There's even a free DIY gift-wrap station. For more information, visit the website.

Dr. Barbara Sturm at Highland Park Village
The wait is over for fans of this luxury skincare brand. The new Dallas boutique and spa will serve as a contemporary wellness destination where guests can experience Dr. Sturm's renowned facials, body treatments, and self-care services and explore her complete anti-inflammatory approach to wellness and skincare. (She considers it her global flagship outside of spas in Düsseldorf, Los Angeles, London, and Miami.) Highlights include a supplements bar, skin tea bar, anti-inflammatory spa wave bed, hair treatment room, Dr. Sturm’s Exoso-metric Collection, and much more. Find it at 28 Highland Park Village; hours are 10 am-6 pm Monday-Saturday and 12-5 pm Sunday.

Tootsies
Ring the bell, Tootsies has reopened in time to celebrate its 30th anniversary. Shuttered since a pipe burst and wreaked havoc on the beloved Preston Center store during Winter Storm Uri, it's got a shiny new look and some new features. “Mickey’s Bar,” for example, is a tribute to the late store founder Mickey Rosmarin and will feature "festive, seasonal cocktails" complimentary to shoppers year-round. Tootsies is open 11 am-6 pm Monday through Saturday at 8300 Preston Rd., Ste. 200. A special grand re-opening/anniversary party will take place 5:30-8:30 pm Wednesday, December 8 and will include music from DJ Blake Ward and DJ Sober, bites provided by Yardbird, and custom cocktails by Painted Donkey Tequila.

Sarah Flint pop-up at NorthPark Center
New York-based luxury footwear designer Sarah Flint has opened a temporary store at NorthPark Center on level one, between Aesop and Lacoste. Shoes and accessories are hand-crafted in Italy and feature innovative, comfort-driven design that count celebrities like Cindy Crawford and Lady Gaga as fans. The pop-up is modeled after the designer’s own living room, outfitted by women-run vendors with cozy couches and chairs, beautiful florals, and special try-on walls, where every size of each shoe style is out on display. "I hope you will stop by and have a cup of tea and a homemade chocolate chip cookie while trying on shoes and exploring our latest gifting category launches like table linens and stationery," Flint says. Store hours are 10 am-9 pm Monday-Saturday and 12-6 pm Sunday; open until April 30, 2022.

Something Navy at Highland Park Village
Something Navy, blogger/influencer Arielle Charnas’ clothing brand, has set up a pop-up shop in Highland Park Village for the holidays. Open December 1 through the end of the year, the shop occupies the former Balenciaga space next to Dior. Something Navy features cute, luxe-but-accessible women's clothing and accessories. The newest collection is maternity, A Pea in the Pod x SN, including maternity jumpsuits, cashmere sweaters, dresses, and more — the perfect place to pick up a gift for a mom-to-be. The shop will be open during HPV's normal hours, which vary in December. Keep up here.

Mistletoe Mall at Legacy West
Plano's Legacy West is hosting an entire, monthlong pop-up event as part of its special North Pole festivities. Taking place 10 am-6 pm every Friday through Sunday through December 19, Mistletoe Mall will feature dozens of small-business vendors, including LW Natural Beauty, Creteation, Design by Society, BE So Selfish, Melanated Candle Co., Soul Stonz, The Artistry of Essential Oils, Cicely’s Jazzy Art, Chandra Tea & Spice, Tinsley Allison Designs, CBY Beauty Inc., Jade Boutique, and more. Find it between Starbucks Reserve and Filson, and keep up with the schedule here.

Interior Define
As part of a 30-city U.S. expansion, Interior Define has opened its very first studio concept in Texas in the Knox District of Dallas. The new Define Studio features an inviting design center where customers can meet one-on-one with the skilled team of design experts, who help guide customers through the full furniture customization process. Design experts offer free design help including design expertise, personalized mood boards, floor plan advice, and insights on all aspects of the design process. Find it at 4529 McKinney Ave. Hours are 10 am-6 pm Monday-Saturday and 12-6 pm Sunday.

Miron Crosby in Aspen
If your December calendar includes jetting off to Aspen (so jealous!), you'll see a name you might know. Miron Crosby, the Dallas-based bespoke cowboy boot brand founded by sister duo Lizzie Means Duplantis and Sarah Means, has expanded west with a new 2,000-square-foot studio in the Colorado resort town. It's the brand’s second retail location. With a contemporary-chic interior mixed with the sisters’ fashion-forward Western aesthetic, the studio includes spaces to shop, create custom boots, entertain, and mingle. It's located at 520 E. Cooper Ave., in the former Chequers’ space. It's in the heart of Aspen, with other luxury retailers and dining just a walk away.

These boots were made for walkin' in Aspen.

Photo courtesy of Miron Crosby

These boots were made for walkin' in Aspen.

where-to-shop

Holiday shopping

New giant Quge-tip from Dallas-based Q-tip sells out in 24 hours

Q-Tip

Q-tip's Quge-tip

A giant version of an everyday product has sold out in 24 hours: Called the Quge-tip, it's a 6-foot version of the iconic Q-tip, the beauty staple that's been around for more than a century.

Measuring nearly six feet from tip to tip, Quge-tips feature enlarged swabs and a sturdy stick modeled after the original Q-tips swabs design.

The Quge-tip was released on December 9 and sold exclusively online in limited quantities for $35. Alas, according to a spokesperson for Dallas-based Elida Beauty, the parent company of Q-tip, the product flew off the virtual shelf.

"Now that they’re sold out, Q-tips is surprising fans with social giveaways," the spokesperson says.

The Quge-tip is one of two products just released by Dallas companies — both of which feel like they could be April Fools Day jokes — except that both are for real.

Dave & Buster's Claw PurseD&B

Dave & Buster's Claw Purse
The Dallas-based eatertainment chain is leveling up holiday gifting with the debut of the Claw Purse, a limited-edition purse designed by Chain. The Claw Purse is inspired by one of the brand's most iconic games — the claw machine — and according to a release, is "the season's most unexpected fashion statement" for anyone who loves bold style, nostalgia, and a little bit of play.

To mark a milestone for the brand, the Claw Purse launches alongside the expansion of Dave & Buster's Human Crane, a viral, full-body game experience that turns guests into the claw — where they are lowered down into a bin of huge prizes to grab whatever they choose.

Beginning in December 2025, the Human Crane will appear in over 112 Dave & Buster's locations with additional stores rolling out nationwide throughout the season.

But back to the purse: It made its debut at Chain's Holiday House, an event at the company's HQ in L.A., where "it quickly became a crowd favorite among creators, stylists, and culture icons," or so says the release. Which also calls this "the first creative collaboration" between Dave & Buster's and Chain, bringing together Dave & Buster's beloved gameplay with Chain's signature culture-forward point of view. So maybe there will be more collaborations in the future.

Q-tip's Qugetip Q-tip's Quge-tipQ-tip

Q-tips Quge-tips
The Quge-tip is a nearly six-foot supersized version of the "iconic" Q-tip cotton swab, first invented in 1923 and the go-to for beauty, baby care, first aid, cleaning, and everyday moments that call for a gentle, precise touch.

The six-foot Quge-tip features enlarged swabs and a sturdy stick modeled after the original Q-tips swabs design — offering a new way to experience an iconic tool at a dramatically large scale, designed as a playful, oversized tribute.

The release nots that Quge-tips tap into a rising trend of consumers using Q-tips swabs for alternative tasks, which now make up a meaningful share of cotton swab use: From dusting high shelves and cleaning hard-to-reach corners to large-scale art projects.

The six-foot Quge-tip features enlarged swabs and a sturdy stick modeled after the original Q-tips swabs design — offering a new way to experience an iconic tool at a dramatically large scale.

The company insists it's a real thing — they do a very funny video mocking late-night ads for cheap products — and that after debuting at qugetips.com on December 9, they sold out of their initial run. One note: They do not reveal how many Quge-tips were sold. It could just be, like 10 that were for sale.

There's a chance they'll be doing another issue, and they encourage interested shoppers to diligently follow their social media.

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