Nashville's Top 6 Places to Shop
Find out where to shop to get the Nashville look or to take home a classic Music City souvenir.
With celebrities and tourists flocking to Nashville, there are more and more places to pick up some classic Western looks or find designs made by locals. Here are our picks.
1. imogene + willie
Founded in 2009 by Matt and Carrie Eddmenson in a funky former service station in the 12 South neighborhood, imogene + willie is a denim lover's gold mine. The couple created the concept after working at Carrie's father's denim wash house in Kentucky with the goal of designing the perfect jeans and offering made-in-America manufacturing.
The imogene + willie staff is well-versed in the lost art of customer service, working one-on-one to help customers find the perfect pair of jeans to fit their body and preferences, whether their taste runs to slim or wide leg, dark or light wash, low or ultra high-rise. All washes have been developed in-house to replicate the look of vintage jeans.
After working with their staff to pick out the perfect pair, the jeans are hemmed to your specifications on site and come with a one-year warranty.
In addition to blue jeans, the shop offers perfect trucker hats and a line of ultra-soft, funky t-shirts designed by Matt Eddmenson. The imogene + willie collection of loungewear, button-downs and jackets is inspired by vintage military and workwear.
lumierefl, Flickr
2. Nashville Farmers Market
Located on 16 acres in the heart of downtown Nashville, the Nashville Farmers Market is brimming with locally-made goods, fresh produce and an assortment of restaurants. Housed largely indoors, overlooked by the Tennessee State Capitol Building and adjacent to Bicentennial Park, the NFM has a feeling that is distinctly Nashville. Divided into three sections, each is designed to support locally owned and operated businesses.
The Farm Side houses anywhere from five to 100 farmers, artisans, crafters, and merchants year-round. A wide selection of locally-made soaps, jams, honey, canned goods, milk, cheese and more are for sale, especially on weekends. June through November is the busiest time of year, with flowers and early spring produce starting in April. And a lot of merchants even offer samples!
If shopping all the locally made crafts and goods leaves you with an appetite, the Market House has 11 restaurants to choose from, a coffee café, Louisiana Seafood Co., International Market and more. Friday through Sunday, the third section, the Flea Market, is open and houses over 50 merchants selling everything from handcrafted pottery to home goods and clothing. If you’re looking to take a piece of Nashville home with you, this is the place to be.
3. H. Audrey
When you’re the daughter of Hank Williams Jr., music is in your blood. But for Holly Williams, fashion is also a passion. She opened H. Audrey when she saw a void in the Nashville clothing market – and it has been a hit with locals and celebrities alike, offering clothes, shoes and accessories from labels like Rag & Bone, J Brand, Golden Goose, and Hunter Boots.
"In Nashville we have no Barney's, no Neiman's, no Saks, no Bergdorf's, no Bendel's,” she said, referring to several high-end department stores. “We have some great little boutiques, but I felt like there was still so much lacking here, that's when I decided to open my own boutique to fill the missing pieces."
Sheryl Crow, Gwyneth Paltrow, Nicole Kidman, Jessica Simpson, Faith Hill, and Kelly Clarkson are just a few of the stars who rave about H. Audrey. In addition to picking up pieces for your wardrobe from cutting edge designers, you can also head up to the second floor and check out Holly’s great collection of music photography.
4. Gruhn Guitars
Just up the street from some of the world’s most famous honky tonks is Gruhn Guitars, one of the premier places to buy pretty much any instrument with strings. Gruhn carries used fretted instruments from Gibson, Fender, Martin, Epiphone, Gretsch and National as well as a wide selection of new instruments from Martin, Taylor, Collings, Fender and more.
Gruhn’s inventory of over 1,000 guitars, mandolins and banjos is a virtual museum,” Walter Carter, a member of the management team, said. “It’s a destination spot for musicians of every level, as well as a hangout for guitar stars from every genre of music.”
What really makes Gruhn unique is that you never know who might be jamming on a guitar when you walk through the door. Even if you’re not in the market for a set of strings, it’s worth walking in to browse – and hear a tune or two.
Leslee Mitchell, Leslee Mitchell, Leslee Mitchell
5. Draper James
It's all about the dress at Draper James, the brainchild of movie star and Nashville hometown girl Reese Witherspoon who has channeled her blend of sweetness and quirkiness into the clothing at the flagship outpost of her girly fashion empire. Located in the 12 South neighborhood, Draper James is a great source for the perfect heat-beating sundress and some cheeky t-shirts ("What Would Dolly Do?") with a Southern attitude.
6. Any Old Iron
Any Old Iron is an over-the-top clothing showroom on Music Row whose witty British owner and designer Andrew Clancey dreams up endless uses for leather and sequins to outfit a host of celebrities, from Lady Gaga and Beyonce to Elton John. Make an appointment to get some one-on-one outfit direction from the utterly charming Andrew who can create a custom wedding dress or special occasion outfit that will out-dazzle anything you could find off the rack.
Bowie and Prince are just a few of the icons channeled in the peacocking fashion on offer at the jewel box Nashville shop where you can score a bedazzled sweatshirt for a song or a custom blazer to slay at your high school reunion. Andrew brings a distinctive sense of fun to both his designs and his shop which boasts a hypodermic needle chandelier and a disco ball wall of undulating reflective tiles. You can make an appointment for some of Andrew's one-on-one fashion guidance. But definitely make a stop at this Nashville temple of cool for the kind of unforgettable Nashville fashion souvenir you won't find anywhere else.