Say Yes to Nolita

Along Elizabeth and Mott streets in Nolita -- the downtown New York City neighborhood just north of Little Italy -- boutiques still feel like boutiques, and the name on the merchandise's label is often the name of the person helping you. Here are some of the best to visit, all situated on these two parallel streets between Kenmare Street (to the south) and Houston Street (to the north).

On Elizabeth

A Union Jack hanging above the leather sofa sets the mood at Barker Black (No. 198B; 212-966-2166), where English bench-made men's shoes are the thing; specifically, hand-finished wing tips, cap toes, loafers and boots made of Italian and French calf. Up the street, Erica Tanov (No. 204; 212-334-8020), among the first to set up shop in Nolita, is filled with all things Erica: bed linens, children's clothing and a women's collection made of sumptuous Italian and French fabrics. EMc2 (No. 240; 212-431-4134) is home to Project Runway alum Emmett McCarthy's coordinating dresses and coats. You don't have to be a reality-TV fan to appreciate his Audrey Hepburn aesthetic or his weakness for bold prints. Across the street, a small flower pond in the window at Me & Ro (No. 241; 917-237-9215) sets the tone for the intimate space featuring jewelry designer Robin Renzi's handmade earrings, necklaces and rings, some of which are limited-edition. A few doors up, elegant custom-made men's shirts are the draw at Seize sur Vingt (No. 243; 212-343-0476), where leather binders are stuffed with hundreds of Egyptian-cotton fabric samples sporting names as colorful as the shirts themselves. The best-selling Pontius Pilate is robin's-egg blue; Kingdom of the Two Sicilies is blue-green. Curious about the shop's name ("sixteen out of twenty")? "French schools grade on a scale of twenty," explains James Jurney, who owns the place with his wife, Gwendolyn. "Sixteen is the best most students can expect to get." Step through two enormous orange doors up the street and enter the world of Tory Burch (No. 257; 212-334-3000). It was here that the designer launched her sportswear and famously logoed accessories five years ago. "Nolita is a little more off the beaten path than SoHo or Madison Avenue," Burch says, "but it felt like the perfect location for our flagship. It's always reminded me of the Left Bank, in Paris."

On Mott

Shoe designers Kari Sigerson and Miranda Morrison opened a tiny boutique on Mott Street when the neighborhood was known more for pizza than for anything resembling fashion. Now Sigerson Morrison is sold in a larger Nolita space on Prince Street, and its original boutique is devoted to its secondary collection, Belle by Sigerson Morrison (No. 242; 212-941-5404). Same clean-lined look; lower prices. Dandies wander into Lord Willy's (No. 223; 212-680-8888) for the custom designs of British expats Alex and Betty Wilcox, who use Savile Row fabrics from Holland & Sherry and Harrisons of Edinburgh to create classic English slim-cut suits and narrow-fit shirts. Alice & Olivia (No. 219; 212-334-7815) carries a sampling of the label's collection, which has grown from pants-only to dresses and, now that designer Stacey Bendet is a new mom, children's wear. Next door, fashion reseller Resurrection (No. 217; 212-625-1374) specializes in mint-condition pieces dating back to the '60s, including Chanel, Hermès and Gucci -- and new styles from Richard Tyler and Ann Demeulemeester have arrived in time for spring. At Roberto da Carrara (No. 202A; 212-343-0100), designers Robert Mazzucchelli and Victor de Leon's attention to detail shows up in their tailor-made men's suits and graphic dress shirts. They'll even design custom silk linings. That alone is worth a trip off the beaten path.