Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Dallas
At the best place to thrift in the gayborhood, fresh donations keep Out of the Closet stocked with great finds. Clothes, furniture and plenty of knick-knacks to keep your apartment decorated, all while supporting your community. Also providing free testing and an AHF pharmacy in the back, it's really a one-stop community shop.
Polaroids and 35mm cameras are back. However, the days of one-hour photo development are long gone. Sure, you can take your disposable camera and 35mm film to be developed, but it could take up to a month to get your photos back. But as an artist (yes, you), you can also support other local artists at Photographique lab. Developing from negatives is a fading art form, but the team at Photographique is keeping it alive (and offering darkroom rentals and tutorials). Photographique also specializes in creating larger forms of photography on canvas as well as putting together photo boxes. Most orders are completed within two to three days. (They also have a retail location where you can shop or drop off film at 409 W. Eighth St. in Bishop Arts District.)
When a shop is lauded by 's "Best Of," you know they're doing something right. And for gentlemen (and ladies) looking for that classic Americana/Western hybrid style, Nylo Wool is a best-in-class boutique we're very lucky to have in our hometown. Billed as "the clothes Dallas grew up in," Nylo's selection hearkens back to the days of high-quality, American-made clothing. Whether you're looking for old rock tees, tailored blazers or well-worn Levi's, each carefully selected item has a timeless appeal that transcends trends.
If you're a dude who loves to wear his labels on his sleeve, Martini Man Consignment has got you. Not for the shrinking violets in the room, this new boutique from the duo that brought you Vintage Martini Consignment offers everything from streetwear by Supreme to just-off-the-runway looks by Balenciaga and Gucci. Not scared of print and pattern? Simply stroll past the giant Bob's Big Boy statue on Knox Henderson to discover a wonderland of labels that will assure you'll stand out at every high-end Dallas soiree.
In today's world of fast fashion, it says a lot for an independent boutique to have the longevity of Vintage Martini Consignment. An favorite year after year, the shop again earns a spot on this list for its refusal to keep things static. Owners Ken Weber and Greg Kelly aren't resting on their laurels anytime soon. The duo plans a big expansion a couple of doors down from their current spot with the same mix of contemporary designer and iconic vintage its fans have loved since 1999. But now, you can shop in a bright, open space filled to the brim with art, clothes and accessories.
Victoria can keep her secrets; the best sexy underclothes shop in Dallas is Trousseau. The intimate Cedar Springs boutique is as sexy as you wanna be yet never tasteless. Whether you need a non-grandma bra to support the girls or you're looking for a complete Dita von Teese-style set of suspenders and pasties (designed by Dita herself), Trousseau will make your (and your partner's) lingerie dreams come true.
Benny Jack is your grandma's antique store, although she might find something she likes. The eponymous owner carries classic oil paintings, art deco furniture and French statuary, but he's likely to display it alongside exotic taxidermy, tribal artifacts and religious relics. If someone were going to reboot for 2024, the set designer would find all they needed right here at Benny's. As for the less Gothically inclined? A mid-century chair or Florentine mirror is always just waiting for a good home.
Sometimes you want to get away, catch your breath and just ... breathe. Specializing in a wealth of healing modalities, Breathe Meditation and Wellness is a candyland for wellness seekers, which makes it one of the best in the Big D. Upon walking in, a wave of serenity washes over the senses, allowing you to settle into higher vibrations. Craving some "woo"? Breathe offers new- and full-moon ceremonies, intuitive readings, shamanic experiences (think beating drums, plant meds and more), crystal bed chakra therapy and a plethora of reiki energy healers to balance your body from good to great.
"Self-care isn't selfish" is how the saying goes, but Be So Selfish wants you to be "radical" with your self-care — and a little selfish. Catch this bath and body wonder popping up at local events or at Legacy West and snag your fix of Selfish Sugar Scrub, I Love Me room spray or the ultimate fan fave, the Selfish Milk Bubbles, which takes your bath from good to luxuriously great. There's also an array of hand-crafted soaps, candles and wax melts that help you to be even more selfish and more self-centered when making it all about you.
Photographer Kathy Tran, the consummate creative, recently opened Kessler Studios in Oak Cliff to host a wealth of creative experiences for the community. She then expanded the space for wellness, and it now hosts some of the best practitioners from North Texas. If you're looking to test your downward dog or mindfulness mudra outside of a traditional studio, then consider channeling your zen with a consciously cool vibe at Kessler Studios. Unique classes of plant medicine with sound, baddie bootcamps featuring twerk + movement classes, oracle readings with sound, and breathwork, will surely give you the self-care variety that you desperately need.
