Shopping in Ann Arbor

Nestled in the Kerrytown Market & Shops, Elephant Ears swaddles babies in a bevy of fair-trade, organic, and sustainable apparel and accessories made from natural fibers. The store seeks out manufacturers with ethical business practices, and a large portion of its inventory is crafted outside of the United States, in countries such as Israel, Canada, and New Zealand. Bright colors, interesting patterns, and comfortable fabrics set apart Elephant Ears' cloth diapers, wearable blankets, and baby slings perfect for sneaking extra buffet portions.

Though Perpetua owners Catheryn and John Snyder are masters of compromise when it comes to their differences in taste, there’s one thing they won’t arbitrate over: the wellness of the planet. That’s why the duo’s clothing boutique houses an environmentally friendly stock of organic and vegan clothing for both men and women, with garments and accessories from high-end brands such as Reveal and Eco Skin. Within the space’s mint-green walls, clients may peruse a rotating stock of shoes, apparel, jewelry, and wallets made from hemp and organic cotton, as well as repurposed materials such as bicycle tubes, billboards, and the red carpets of fashion shows past.

Steven Michael Lesse, who co-owns Abracadabra Jewelry & Gem Gallery with his wife Katherine, began crafting fine jewelry in the 10th grade, and refined his craft as a bachelor of fine arts student at Wayne State University. Since 1974, Abracadabra Jewelry & Gem Gallery has created original fine jewelry and wedding bands from aquamarines and emeralds, rubies and sapphires, garnets, opals, pearls, and an extensive selection of diamonds. Today, Lesse and his staff, which includes two full-time goldsmiths and five jewelry designers, create all jewelry from custom eco-metals, which are made in-store or exclusively for the store. Jewelry craftsmen work with customers to design, sketch, and construct custom pieces based on photographs, descriptions, or trips to Mordor, and specialize in one-of-a-kind classic and Celtic-inspired wedding bands. Based on the company's nearly 40-year tradition of serving the community, AnnArbor.com noted that “it is easy to see why customers keep coming back.

The cycle savants behind Town N Country Bikes take pride in their vast collective knowledge of all things velocipede. In addition to carrying a full array of bikes and products from lines such as Specialized, Fuji, Diamondback, Haro, and Redline, they offer upkeep and repair services to keep two-wheeled companions in excellent condition, as well as rent bikes. The staffers help riders of all stripes find their ideal bikes and accessories based on individual experience level and the number of buses they're able to jump over at once.

Town N Country Bikes also caters to wintertime sports. Technicians keep skis and snowboards in gear with waxing services, to let alpine adventurers plummet down slopes at maximum velocity, and edge sharpening, to help them carve deep into the snow, control their speed, and swerve around displaced Bavarian yodelers.

When Adorn Me made its debut in 2004, it was designed to showcase stylish accessories and the handmade jewelry of parent company and downstairs neighbor The Bead Gallery. But today the boutique’s inventory includes everything from vegan purses and Vera Bradley bags to a white cutout dress by Skunkfunk, perfect for a summer party or hiding from pursuers in front of a picket fence. Grace hats, Espe wallets, and ensembles from Scrapbook Originals still balance beautifully with beaded baubles from The Bead Gallery’s in-house artists.

Geology guru Bill Rotay stocks The Golden Apple's shelves with sterling silver and semiprecious-gemstone jewelry, drawing from his University of Michigan degree and lifelong adoration of sparkling baubles. The shop's name alludes to the Greek myth that amber was harvested from the garden of Hesperides, where immortality-bestowing golden apples grew. Over the course of more than a decade, the store's original, predominantly amber, inventory blossomed to include a collection of Chinese freshwater pearls, sterling silver, and gemstones from Thailand, Mexico, Bali, and India. The Golden Apple also peddles a variety of mineral rocks and pottery, as well as fossils of ancient organisms and Betamax tapes.