New York's best in shop: 2008

Honey in the Rough

Reason: Dresses you want to wear every day from the hippest designers around.

Favorite item: A United Bamboo ruffle dress. The two-tiered ruffle skirt flutters cooly from July and August, and, come fall, it can be worn with tights, jackets and scarves. The asymmetrical hem and drapey details are slightly avant-garde, but the blue-and-white tiny-stripe knit gives the dress a preppy, nautical feel. Expect as many compliments on Nantucket as you will in Williamsburg. —Cristina Black

Honey in the Rough (161 Rivington St., 212-228-6415)