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Things have changed quite a bit on the strip of 13th Avenue between Washington and Pearl streets over the last few decades. (Even mainstay Kelly's Superette closed up shop last week.) But even with all the ebb and flow of gentrification, Fashionation has maintained its black-painted storefront at 613 East 13th Avenue, a destination for music-inspired clothing and off-kilter acoutrements since 1987.

And next month, owners Paul and Pam Italiano will throw a 25th anniversary celebration of this little counterculture institution, with an in-store appearance by Ministry and more.

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The South Pearl Street boutique 5 Green Boxes, the recipient of Westword Best of Denver kudos for its wonderful window displays, has long carried the socially conscious brand Toms Shoes, the comfy cloth footwear that comes in a rainbow of colors and designs. And there's an inner beauty to Toms, too: Every pair of shoes you buy subsidizes a donated pair for a child in need in a developing country.

All photos courtesy of 5 Green Boxes.

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A collection of pieces offered up this weekend at the Frock Shop Sample Sale.

What's better than scoring a perfectly fitting designer dress or a one-of-a-kind pair of shoes on a shopping expedition? Snagging the good stuff at a decent price -- or, even better, for free. This weekend, Fast Geek Boutique will host its first-ever Spring Cleaning Clothing Swap and Fashion Denver will open its doors for the first annual Frock Shop Sample Sale. Both events aim to push the notion that good fashion finds don't have to come with hefty price tags.

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Vintage YSL from Creme de la Couture.

Just as you might be compelled to visit Yves Saint Laurent: A Retrospective again and again during its stay at the Denver Art Museum through July 8, you'll want to keep coming back to the gift shop, which is bursting with a sense of style inspired by the YSL couture on display upstairs. Think of it as a little buttercream topping the whole fancy cupcake -- and the chance to bring something home with you to remember it all by.

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It's First Friday, and you might already have plans to be out and about. Here's one more wonderful event to add to your itinerary, if you happen to be heading toward the Art District on Santa Fe or Gildar Gallery on Broadway: Welcome to Tomorrow, an informal unveiling of spring styles filling the racks at the new, improved Fancy Tiger Clothing.

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The lights are very bright on Broadway, and 2012 is shaping up to be the year that SoBo, with its growing lineup of independent shops and boutiques, second-hand emporiums and quirky dining spots, becomes a solid destination.

The biggest news on the hip and funky stretch of Broadway between First and Alameda avenues is the upcoming, side-by-side alliance of Fancy Tiger and Buffalo Exchange. Fancy Tiger, which is now split into two locations -- the crafty DIY supply store/workshop and the youthfully leaning clothing store -- will be reunited in a new space opening at 55-59 Broadway on January 4 or 5 after a swift post-Christmas move; at the same time, Buffalo Exchange, a longtime Capitol Hill stalwart at 230 East 13th Avenue, will move in next door (Buffalo Exchange plans to reopen on Broadway the day after Christmas).

This development also opens the door to other moves. For example, Sewn -- a collaboration between seamstress/designer Jil Cappuccio and clothing upcycler Kirsten Coplans of Pearl Clothing -- will soon find a home in the former Fancy Tiger Clothing space at 18 South Broadway. The final link in the switcheroo will be Happy Coffee, set to open in the former Fancy Tiger craft store space at 1 South Broadway, adjacent to Sputnik and the hi-dive.

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Rootin' tootin' at the Christkindl Market.

Denver's not generally known for its old-world charm. We've gone straight from cowtown to modern city, it seems, and even our perception of "old-fashioned" has been contemporized for an urban audience. At Christmastime, though, there's at least one tradition here that's fiercely old-world, and that's the come-and-go Christkindl Market, which is so old-world that it's completely corny. But we love that corniness, which comes with a bonus ice rink where you can skate for free (if you bring your own skates; otherwise, there's a small charge).

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When Meghan Throckmorton opened her tiny boutique Rakun, situated in a little house on the far northern edge of the Art District on Santa Fe, on First Friday in June, she knew it was a gamble; six months later, she's still there, but not without wishing for more of the walk-in traffic that thrives just down the street. In some ways, it's been an opportunity to try things out and see what works, she says, but Throckmorton's also slowly built a clientele of fashion models, students and artists who frequent the area and maybe don't have a lot of spending money.

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Marie EvB Gibbons

The reasons why shopping local is a good idea have been floating around so much lately that anyone who cares about their community, or shopping, or both, knows the basic tenets by heart. Still, it never hurts to repeat them:

Shopping for local merchandise at small businesses close to home keeps your money on the block, sustains the community rather than corporations, helps provide jobs to your neighbors, and leaves a lighter carbon footprint.

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Can this "Sooper Tramp" come boogie down at your house?

The buy-local, DIY holiday craft market season is on: Get your foot in the door this weekend when the Sugar Plum Bazaar, featuring about forty spot-on, homegrown vendors, opens for business from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the elegant Parkside Mansion. There's gonna be a lot to look at, but a sneak peek follows, to get you on your way:

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