Shopping in North Haven

Founded a quarter-century ago by Jeniene Ferguson and named after her mother, Lady Olga’s decks bodies in blush-worthy underduds from the likes of Spanx, Oscar de la Renta, and Mystree. Panties, nightgowns, and bras—ranging from size 30AA to 52J—line the store’s lace-laden aisles, which boast hard-to-find styles and sizes.

Complimentary bra fittings cater to each customer’s individual body type, including those who have undergone or are about to undergo breast surgery, resulting in a form-fitting brassiere that won’t cause discomfort or sporadically morph into a neoclassical corset. Pocketed bras, prostheses, and mastectomy swimsuits round out the store’s special-needs selection, and all items, including chemises, robes, and accessories, can be gift-wrapped or special ordered at no additional cost.

The six teachers at Cutting Edge Quilts combine their individual quilting savvy to lead students through a wide range of classes. Amid myriad fabrics and ample creative space, the studio's long-arm quilting machine lets students sew their quilt top, batting, and backing together in a more-time-efficient manner than by using traditional machines or bribing a silkworm. Various quilting groups meet regularly, focusing on different techniques such as hand-sewing and scraps as they take advantage of the studio's gargantuan collection of threads, kits, and specialty fabrics such as Batik and Moda.

Cutting Edge divides its staff into a skate crew, snow crew, bike crew, and longboard crew. These teams of experienced specialists can answer nearly any extreme-sport question you throw at them -- and tune up your gear for safe and steady riding. On the shop floor, rows of BMX and Mountain bikes eagerly await their chance to pop some wheelies and tear up dirt trails. The shop's walls barely peek out from behind a vast selection of boards, shoes, and helmets. Cutting Edge is also a dealer of Kona, Santa Cruz, Pivot, Niner, and Transition bikes.

Framed by Kosal's archivists comb a vast inventory of conservation materials to retrieve mats and mouldings that best showcase each client's valuables. By giving special attention to each custom framing order, the archivists carry on a tradition that began when the shop first began preserving artwork, keepsakes, and entire refrigerator doors. From in-store to at-home consultations, staff members guide customers toward the framing materials that optimize beauty and longevity. In addition to framing, Framed by Kosal's specialists offer photo restoration and large-format photo printing, and stock the store with a wide selection of art.

Since its humble beginnings in 1935 as a small health-food store that specialized in yogurt, GNC has evolved into the world's largest specialty retailer of nutritional products. The chain's more than 4,800 retail locations throughout the country stock numerous vitamins and supplements, all of which meet the company's strict standards for truthful labeling, ingredient safety, and product potency. They carry supplements that aid in sports nutrition, protein intake, diet, digestion, and beauty. Equally as dedicated to customers' shopping experiences as it is to product quality, the company created GNC University, an online learning platform, to help staff members bone up on nutrition and fitness knowledge. The knowledgeable sales associates field questions about everything from weight-management plans to stacking supplements for optimum earlobe strength.

In the late 1930s, two journalists from New York traveled to Litchfield, Connecticut, in search of a quiet vacation home where they could both focus on their writing. After transforming a small barn into their living space, however, William Harris and Jane Grant found themselves distracted from work by the surrounding countryside's rich foliage. They soon decided to devote themselves to horticulture, first in their own garden and later in the nursery that would become White Flower Farm. The couple's inquisitive and intelligent approach to gardening led them to seek out and educate themselves on new plant species, original design ideas, and modernized practices. As the couple developed a strong, local following of passionate horticulturists, their nursery business thrived, passing into the hands of the current owner, Eliot Wadsworth, in 1976.

Although its current staff nears 100 people, White Flower Farm still strives to maintain a personal touch with thoughtful customer service and the use of hands-on growing techniques. Five hundred varieties of plants grow in its 32 greenhouses under horticulturalists' constant care, and plants are packed carefully before they're shipped year-round to gardens across the country.