These Boutiques In Chennai Offer The Best Of Designer & Lifestyle Merch

A Chennai favourite, Upstairs at Amethyst (quite literally upstairs, above the lovely café) is where you go for some retail therapy. Looking for Masaba’s quirky prints, Raw Mango’s classic Chanderis or Anavila’s khadi sarees? Find them all under one roof, right here! They even have the Blouse Room where you can get blouses tailored to your taste. What was once a warehouse has been magically transformed into an experience centre almost, thanks to owner Kiran Rao. 

Chamiers in RA Puram has a lot to offer. Anokhi, a clothing boutique, houses revived prints using hand blocks carved from wood, so come here for a lovely combination of traditional-meets-contemporary styles. The Gift Shop there has bangles and other trinkets to pair with your outfit. You will find plenty of up and coming designers’ work showcased here. Plus, bags, shoes and jewellery. And Bangalore-based home decor store, The Purple Turtles, has set up its shop there as well. The cafe upstairs is straight out of Pinterest and is worth a visit after a bout of shopping.

Looking for easy, breezy dresses that look and feel good? Check out Tamara boutique in T Nagar for off-shoulder blouses, shirt dresses, colourful leheriya outfits and more! This curated lifestyle store houses designs by small-scale brands and has at least 30 designers on board. Expect funky shirt and cape dresses to traditional anarkali sets and sarees with Kalamkari prints. Read more here.

If you’re looking for handcrafted, natural fabrics that are woven into a lovely modern silhouette, you’ve come to the right place. The peeps at Brass Tacks also host occasional pop-up shows and sales through the year, so stock up on khadi dhoti pants, linen jumpsuits, boxy phirans, and more at their Alwarpet store. 

Collage on Greams Road is also among the oldest boutiques in Chennai. The ethnic wear is alluring, making you want to go all out. You can also shop for crop tops, jackets, straight cut salwars, and shimmery sarees. They also offer crushed tunics and embroidered dresses to feed your western wear obsession.

Evoluzione on KNK Road showcases popular desi labels such as Tarun Tahiliani, Abraham & Thakore, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Manish Arora, and Manish Malhotra — just to name a few. So if you’re looking for some of the best of the biggies in the fashion world, find them here. They also feature upcoming designers like Abhijeet Khanna, Anuj Sharma, and Manish Gupta. You even get high-end home décor and accessories here. 

Looking for gorgeous sarees — breezy cottons or embellished traditional Kanjivarams? Drop by Kanakavalli in Adyar that houses everything from sarees to jewellery. Oh, and did we mention it resides in a gorgeous heritage mansion in Chetpet called Kingsley (that is a restored family home) that you just won’t want to leave? They even have the Blouse Studio where you can gawk at the finest silks, tussars, and cottons, embellished with hand block prints, beautiful weaves, and motifs, brocades and kalamakari motifs. One of our favourites for sure!

A true oasis from the chaos outside, this three-level boutique housed in a beautiful old building on Cathedral Road has a little something for everyone. Sarees, kurtas and shirts for men, cushion covers, earthenware, quilts - this place is considered to be a mecca for handicraft lovers, always attracting residents and tourists from across the country. 

Also located in Nungambakkam, Tifara spoils you for choice with its collection of saris, lehengas, dresses, and Indo-Western wear for ladies. Quaint-looking and offering outfits sported by the likes of Jhanvi Kapoor and more, you can find some fancy labels like Anushree Reddy, Nikasah Agarwal, and Premal Badlani here. 

Type in Nungambakkam is a multi-designer store showcasing apparel from over 20 designers across the country. Stocked with outfits from household designer labels as well as upcoming labels, this place has ensembles for every type of personality and occasion. Read more here. 

More of a wedding boutique, Fatiz Bridal Emporio designs ensembles for all members be it the bridesmaids and groomsmen to the bride and groom themselves. From gowns and lehengas to contemporary suits and Nawabi outfits, you can choose from a range of options and get customisations done too. 

Among the oldest boutiques in Chennai, Anita Designer Studio in Kilpauk wins hands down for its decor (pastel walls, dreamy lantern, and dream catchers) and houses a range of anarkalis, cocktail gowns, elegant sarees along with shararas and lehengas. Their wedding wear range looks exquisite, but you can get customised designing too if you like. 

If you’re a vintage fan but want to add elements of contemporary fashion to your wedding or cocktail dress, Aquaab By SFK Curated Fashion in Kilpauk perfectly fits the bill. The outfits are a perfect fusion of timeless classics and contemporary patterns, all created in collaboration with popular designers. You can even find customised jewellery here.