We popped IN to some of our favorite Montclair shops to see what caught our eye. An amber vase for your perch, a jacket with a little swagger, something sweet to bring along. Our October finds are six good reasons to stop in and have a look yourself. Whether you’re shopping for someone else or keeping your options open. Fair warning: you may find something to keep.
Welcome to Local Finds, our recurring look at the things worth stepping inside for. First up: a little autumn color, a few good gifts and some very persuasive reasons to take the long way home.
Acorn vase
A little amber glow, a little oak in the making
This rounded amber glass vase gives an acorn a place to put down roots. Designed to let you watch it sprout into a tiny oak tree, it brings a little autumn glow and something worth checking on to your windowsill. A lovely gift for someone who enjoys watching things grow.
We spotted it at The Quest Emporium, where clothing, jewelry and art mingle with finds you might never have thought to look for. Go IN for a browse. Leave with plans to grow an oak.
$48 · The Quest Emporium
Sartoria Tosi jacket
Plaid with a little swagger
Classic plaid, orange elbow patches and an excellent excuse to dress for dinner. Handmade in Italy, this Sartoria Tosi jacket brings personality to fall layers. We love the way the orange wakes up the quieter tones.
Find it at Beau Brummel, the European specialty men’s boutique. Wear it with jeans and let the jacket do the talking.
$495 · Beau Brummel
Montclair rewards a little wandering. Step into a shop you’ve passed a hundred times and you may find your next favorite thing, along with someone who can tell you who made it, how to wear it, or what just arrived. Consider this guide a starting point. The windows along the way may have other plans.
Vivian Reiss scarf
Art, loosely tied
Why should the walls get all the good art? This limited run scarf featuring artist Vivian Reiss’s work brings expressive florals and rich color to a simple sweater, coat or shirt.
A Wonderful Time, a new shop in the same building as The Clairidge, just off Bloomfield Avenue, deserves a visit before or after the credits roll. This scarf is our pick for the person who appreciates a beautiful detail. We love a gift that can leave the house with you.
$75 · A Wonderful Time
Halloween cookies
Frightfully good company
These are the guests you want turning up at your door. Little Daisy’s decorated Halloween cookies bring bats, ghosts and pumpkins to the party, with plenty of personality and no costume required.
The Upper Montclair bake shop makes its treats from scratch. Bring a few for your host, tuck one into a little gift, or make your afternoon coffee considerably more festive.
$5 each · The Little Daisy Bake Shop
A little shopping can turn into a very good afternoon: a walk, a coffee, a conversation, something you couldn’t resist. Buying locally also puts your dollars into the businesses that give Montclair its character and helps keep those doors open for your next visit. Besides, “Where did you find that?” is much more fun to answer with “Right here in Montclair.”
Handmade fabric pumpkins
The well dressed pumpkin
Knits, soft texture and a little sparkle: these pumpkins have considered their wardrobe. We love them gathered on a mantel or slipped onto a bookshelf for a small nod to the season.
They’re from Jafajems, whose selection of handmade gifts, accessories and home furnishings draws from more than 40 countries. A good place to browse when the gift should feel as interesting as its recipient.
$10.50 · Jafajems
Autumn watercolor workbook
Make a little room for color
An invitation to clear a corner of the table and see what happens. Emily Lex’s autumn watercolor workbook makes a thoughtful gift for someone who loves to paint, or keeps saying they’d like to try.
We found it at The General Store at Cornerstone Montclair, where gifts and everyday pleasures support a larger mission of community inclusion and employment for people of all abilities. A lovely reason to pick up a paintbrush, and to pop IN.
Six finds, and plenty more behind the shop doors. Make an afternoon of it: wander in, ask what’s new and leave a little room for the unexpected. Every local purchase helps keep the shops we love part of Montclair’s everyday life. And if a gift intended for someone else stays with you? There’s still time to buy another.
Spotted something we should see? Tell us where to pop IN next.
Prices noted at the time of our visits. Check with each shop for current availability.Prices noted at the time of our visits. Check with each shop for current availability.