Shopping in West Hartford

Jeff Lederman took a hobbyist's interest in personalized crafts more than 30 years ago, and today that hobby has blossomed into a gift mecca tinged with a distinctively masculine edge. RhinoGifts.com and its sister storefront Recognition Inc. fill orders big and small for all kinds of inscribed paraphernalia, from apparel and watches to cedar humidors for stogies, and incorporates customers’ own artwork, logos, and personalized messages to complete each gift. The outfit also emblazons trinkets for companies with no minimum order sizes, meaning big corporations and mom-and-pop shops alike can treat their employees to a commemorative pen on Dr. Spock’s half birthday.

Under the leadership of manager Michael Shinsky, New Balance's professional fit specialists employ their expertise and iStep machine to fit runners, walkers, and athletes with an appropriate pair of New Balance shoes. Properly fitted footwear prevents blisters, strains, and comparisons to clowns. A selection of athletic apparel garbs active people from head to toe, encouraging support and free movement. The shop gives back to the community by raising money for charity, hosting road races, and accepting used footwear donations for Kids Helping Kids and Soles for Souls.

Trek Bicycle Store of Fairfield and Trek Women beam with a brand-new glass and brick visage, behind which bike-handlers preside over an expansive stable of Trek-brand two-wheeled steeds as well as the tools necessary to keep bikes running at full bore. The staff help customers navigate through a maze of hybrids, road-touring, triathlon, and mountain bikes saddled to the specifications of a range of age levels. Shelves buckle under the weight of bicycle pats, accessories, and apparel for male and female cyclists. Headlights dissuade foreign objects from collision, accessory bags keep electronics secure, Bontrager and Pearl Izumi’s leather and gel gloves protect hands, and Capo’s breathable fabric tops keep skin cool during pulse-pounding rides and volcano-jumping stunts. To keep older bikes riding like their newer cousins, the store’s technicians pamper rides with a comprehensive regimen of equipment checks, adjustments, and cleaning in a range of bike tune-ups, ensuring sailing as smooth as a freshly buttered pair of roller skates.

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.

Established in the mid-20th-century heyday of custom men's stores, the second-generation clothier behind Zemo Men's Store turns guys into gentlemen with carefully fitted formalwear for rental and purchase. Tailors draw on an endless vocabulary of styles and fabrics to order custom suits and shirts from Hickey Freeman with features such as hand-sewn seams and high-quality brass zippers, measured twice to ensure a perfect fit. Readymade sports coats, shoes, and suiting from American and British haberdashers including Burberry and Aquascutum give any wardrobe reason to rattle its hangers with pride or slump in sorrow when rental versions have to be returned.

Over the course of 20 years, family-operated Just Like New has inspected apparel, accessories, and home furnishings from thousands of consigners, accepting only the pieces that meet strict quality and style standards. At the start of each fashion season, the family treks to New York City to gather enough designer duds to restock two 5,000-square-foot locations. Clothing, shoes, and accessories by classic brands such as Coach and Ann Taylor adorn shelves and keep mannequins from being charged with public indecency, and a children's section outfits youngsters in apparel purchased exclusively from catalog brands and specialty stores. Just Like New's jewelry selection glitters with 14-karat gold and sterling silver; vintage and costume jewelry occasionally makes the cut by way of jingling the shop owners' favorite songs. Vintage glassware, furniture, and artwork make unique design accents for the home.