Frances May

I didn’t even buy anything here, but the lovely shop guy gave me great recommendations to further my search. I didn’t even ask. Loads of cute stuff, and I love the vignettes for different categories. It’s fun to just cruise and be inspired.

This is my favorite store in Portland! They recently moved to a new “forever home” space in the West End, a block from their original location, and it brings so much warmth and life back to downtown Portland. This store used to intimidate me - the type of place where everything was so pretty but seemed like nothing that would actually look good on me. But I was so surprised once I actually tried something on to find how approachable the clothes were and how good they made me feel in my body. Yes, you are throwing down $$$ for these items, but they are one of a kind and will last a lifetime. I get so many compliments every time I wear a piece from here - Rachel Comey is my favorite line they carry!

The best boutique in Portland for fashion lovers with a expertly currated mix of established and up-and-coming brands from Europe and Asia like Commes des Garcons, Acne Studios, Ganni, Bode and much more. Their website experience is a bit forgettable, but walking into the store it's easy to find 5 or more things you'd buy if you had infinite money. The staff is polite and attentative, but could work on being more personable. The brief exchange we had with them felt mildly awkward, which isn't the experience you want when spending $$$ on clothes. Overall, it's a great store though, I'll likely start making a bi-annual pilgrimage to Portland just to see their seasonal buys. Definitely check it out.

Hello, I am looking for the tsuchiya-kaban, Cordovan Slim Wallet. Do you sell this bag in your store? If yes, I am planning to fly from New York.

Best shop in town for a great selection of clothing and accessories. I got my favorite pair of pants from there and can't stop wearing them! They're the best! Locally owned and a staple of Portland.

The best selection of clothing in the city! The staff is incredibly sweet and knowledgeable, making every visit a pleasure.

Just had a chance to visit this store I’ve had my eye on online. They just relocated to this spot and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Everyone was so welcoming and they have a ton of options just ask about different sizes you’re interested in.

One of the best boutiques in Portland for slow indie-ish fashion. Okay, well it probably is the actual best.

I had a great experience here. The sales people were so kind, patient, and helpful. It's also a very well-curated store. Love the necklace I bought!

the space they occupy used to be a home textiles gallery and the way they have transformed the space is truly stunning. 3 floors of a beautifully curated shopping experience. APC, Acne Studios and tons more. Can't wait to come shop more in this space. Friendly staff greeted us, they carry such a variety pieces I am so obsessed!

My husband went shopping for new clothes (solo) and he asked me to leave a glowing review. He got cool input from the wonderful stylists/staff at Frances May. He loves the Norse Projects line and I'm a HUGE fan of Rachel Comey. I love watching for the new lines they discover, my new women's favs are Anaak and Christian Wijnants. Their new store stunning and is the best Portland has to offer.

Just saw new Frances May store and am obsessed with the look, the vibe and alllll the clothes to lust after. Got new Rachel Comey jeans and Gianni turtleneck, a beautiful Ulla Johnson dress, great boots and super cool sweatshirt for my son...the store is so beautiful...loved all the house lines and loved being in the store. The owner helped me and was so fun and suggested things i would not have picked for myself that i ended up buying and loving. Can't wait to go back. Online store super cool too - easy to navigate.

Are you effing kidding me? I saw my h&m black crop tank for sale for $149... ridiculous!! How do you sleep at night? I get that this is a high end 'label' oriented store and there are some beautiful items in here but I had to give you two stars for being so pretentious with the pricing of ordinary items. Sorry not sorry.

They have APC, Rag & Bone. This is mid range priced denim and shirts. I am instantly happy. They have amazing brands that I wish I could care for and afford. I was once told that you always get what you pay for. Well, elegance comes with a hefty price tag at this store. Is it worth it? Dude, definitely.

Man, I usually brush off rude customer service with a chuckle because I've been there, I know times can suck working sales. I liked going there because they carry some of my favourite designers. Last month I stopped by to look for a pair of Acne jeans I already have two pairs of but just in another colour(I'm at the point of older age where I pretty much wear the same thing everyday). After receiving zero assistance in the first 10 minutes, I asked in the general direction of the three or four employees (I couldn't tell if one of them was just hanging out) if they carried my size. Instead of a simple yes or no, one of the girls literally sized me up and said, "Yeah, we don't carry that size because the sizes run small... do you already own a pair of these or something?" I replied that I have 2 other pairs, and she just kinda went about chatting with her coworkers...? Okay, cool, I guess? Then, as I was getting ready to leave, the guy sales professional chirped in and said "oh, but it's worth taking a look if we have it in stock." I thought, "Oh great, awesome, some assistance" only to watch all of the shopkeeps go straight back to conversation amongst one another. After waiting for a few more minutes, I asked if they're looking for sizes only to be met with, "Oh yeah, no, we don't carry that size", knowing fully that I've just watched them do absolutely nothing. And as I left the shop, I hear the guy say "Good luck...!" as the door closes behind me. So thanks, but no thanks. EDIT: 2 stars for service, added 1 more for their selection.

APC. Acne. A++++++ in my books. $$$$ on my VISA. Shoes selection for ladies could be a bit better but life ain't perfect homie. Beautiful stuff.

This is a cool store with nice clothes in it, and also nice shoes. Beyond that though, there isn't much to say about the experience there. You could be anywhere buying those clothes, you might as well do it online. I probably won't be back just because why drive across the river when everything about the place is just average, besides the product. They could do a lot for themselves by adding a bit of personality to the place to go along with the good taste in clothing inventory.

J didn't find much in the way of anything to buy here, but while she looked I chatted up the friendly associate about all things portland. It is here we found Odessa and for "boys" clothes she made some other suggestions that we have not yet taken her up on. But yes, you should run here.

Possibly the best boutique in PDX. With the right mix of hip, but sometimes understated items and so many things I want to go into debt and buy everything in this store. APC, Osborn, Opening Ceremony, Rag and Bone and Vena Cava to name a few. The owner is super friendly, some of the staff take a few to warm up but overall good experiences. Go! Shop! Buy! Wear!

Holy hellballs batman! this place is expensive as *&^*&^^%%. HOWEVER If you are interested in beautiful clothes. Like really beautiful. Unique. Well made. If you love Rachel Comey (OBSESSED) and Acme. If you are the kind of women who likes to be a little different. GO. Buy one thing this month, then save up and get another thing next month. :-D

Loved this place to death. So I loved: + the layout + the goods + the local OLO fragrance line they carry (unique scents and surprisingly affordable) + the ladies (helpful, stylish in a not trying too hard kinda way, and most importantly... friendly) + the location- just a hop, skip and a jump from where we were staying (the Ace) + the website (I can vouch for their superb online customer service and crazy fast shipment, A+++) + THE RACHEL COMEY BOOTS I LEFT WITH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love the new girl, Christal. She is so helpful, friendly, bubbly and knowledgeable. Great addition to the store. Love working with her. Good job.

Frances May focuses on "indie" clothing that you wish you could afford. I only looked at the women's section and was blown away. ACNE, Dusen Dusen, Horses Atelier - all brands that are well made and contemporary. There is a variation in prices. The jewelry costs quite a bit of money, but this store is about quality. The employees are welcoming and allow you to browse. It's an expensive store so people may be intimidated but there's no need to be. It's low stress and great clothing. Maybe they should look into serving microbrews and coffee so I can just live there! ;-)

Frances May easily cracks the top 3 of Portland clothier destinations, and its use of space and excellent brand selection really shine. First thing you'll notice when you walk in are the vaulted ceilings and general feeling of openness. Although it can feel a little like being in a museum (my friends and I would often ask before handling any of the merchandise), that's only because they stock items that would be considered rare even in sartorial meccas like LA or NY (Common Project monkstraps anyone?). Yes, it's expensive, and no they don't do sales often, but look at shopping here as an investment. Hell, they even have a down payment program on more expensive items.

Hands down the best selection of clothes in Portland APC Band of Outsiders YMC Rag and Bone Steve Alan Rachel Comey and so on... I'm afraid they're going to go out of business so please buy

One of the only places in Portland to find Rachel Comey, APC and a ton of other great designers. But booooooooy, do some of the staff give off a super cold vibes. I've been in here before, and a girl...who is the owner? I think? Was really friendly, helpful and great. But whenever she's not there, I've walked in here and walked right back out at the immediate freeze instead of trying on the dress I had my eye on. That "uncool" one, in Danskos, that you're working so hard at ignoring, is the customer who is going to walk right back out and buy that Steven Alan dress online instead. Whoopsies.

Wow. Wow. Wow. This is almost as good as it gets. This store left me a little overwhelmed and a little speechless. Such a great collection of hand selected, beautiful clothing created by independent designers. Though the store is not large, I could have spent hours in there. Highly recommended!!

I wish my experience was better..not one "hello" or "can I help you with anything?". they may be the only shop in Portland for APC, White Mountaineering, Rag and Bone but so what? I'm not shopping at a store that doesn't care about the service side of retail.

Two stars for ok selection. Otherwise, unfriendly worker and mega pricy. There are places comparable with a less pretentious vibe.

I like the selection and they offer some different brands than other men's Portland stores, but the service and attitude of the staff can be off-putting. I've talked with maybe 8-9 people who all have the same experience when visiting the store - they know they won't be greeted or helped. It's just kind of how it goes here. Which is unfortunate since Portland is a small city and every customer counts.

customer service could be friendlier, like a hi. filled with some of my favorite designers and a great choice of shoes as well. i liked seeing lauren manoogian. i enjoyed looking around at what was offered but i can't afford any as of now.

Frances May is a beautiful store with luscious goods I will save my pennies for! I saw lots of items on the sale rack that, in other times, I would have scooped up in a New York minute. Alas! I have others to shop for right now, tho' I will make many return visits to Frances May to be sure. The selection is lovely and the woman working last Friday when I popped in was delightful. This is the sort of clothing store that makes me happy to live in Portland!

Just two years ago Portland was lacking tons of brands and designers I missed in NYC... such as APC, Rachel Comey (oh gosh... the shoes!), and many more. Today... I'm so happy, thanks to Frances May I can stock up without flying to NYC twice a year. Okay, just once a year. Frances May is a tucked away shop in the downtown area, which, I really had doubts on the shopping variety there. Frances May is such a cute shop with very limited offerings but with great design selections not just for women but FOR MEN! Yes! FOR MEN! Very very rare in Portland. So far I've purchased a APC shirt (f-'n cute) $120 and a super soft sustainable rurshack printed t shirt $46(discounted from $65). Everyone compliments my t shirt, which is rare... its just a t shirt! But it is so soft in the summer wind. Best $46 I've spent in a while. I wanted to get a pair of Rachel Comey shoes though, they are like $250 to $500 a pair, but man... aren't they beautiful. I feel so embarrassed when I walk up to the window sill and literally said "hello lover". I want them! And the store girl told me they were going to carry the new line, F'n YES! I've got the dough and I want those shoes NOW. Oh yeah and the store interior is very cute, comfortable, and the store clerks are super nice and helpful. They've got good taste as well.

This place is exactly how a small boutique should be. Everything they have is perfectly curated so nothing feels out of place or over saturated, yet you feel they still have plenty to offer. The girl working was really nice and really helpful in helping my girlfriend pick out a dress and I managed to pick up some ymc sneakers on super sale. They should open a bar or lounge cause I bet it'd be rad...

I regularly check in at this downtown store for unique one-of-a-kind pieces from APC, Rachel Comey, Vena Cava, Mociun, No. 6, local designers, and more. The store sells a well-edited selection of men's and women's designer clothing that often isn't available anywhere else in Portland. Make sure to check out the sales rack, as I usually find great bargains there.

When I first stumbled into this place, my credit card ran for cover. It's absolutely fantastic, both in space design as well as it's collection.

High end clothes, but not as functional wear as I prefer. More like, office wear, in my opinion. At least on the women's side. The men's side seemed to have more casual wear. I preferred the options over at Lizard Lounge, better focus on indie labels and solid construction. At least from my single visit to each.

I shopped online with Frances May this holiday season and was completely blown away by their selection and their customer service. They we're very attentive, communicative, and helpful in the search for the perfect gift for my wife. It's one of the better men's / women's clothing stores that I have come across and will definitely be shopping with them again online and when I head down to PDX.

Beautiful clothes but the service is so rude it's laughable. Try Parallel across the street -- gorgeous clothes and really friendly sales staff. A much better experience.

I purchased a dress at this store in person in Oregon. I don't live nearby and when I reached out to them via their return policy online no one got back to me. I live in Boston so I asked if I could just mail it back. I had changed my mind. No answer. I emailed them twice. So I kept the dress. It was way too expensive but it was nice quality so I figured what the heck. Well - the dress was a hand wash only. I would never have known to even look for that. Be very careful with expensive fabrics apparently. I don't have the time to hand wash garments. I had taken this to my dry cleaners not knowing about the hand wash part and the dress is now ruined. Granted they didn't look at the garment to make sure they could wash it either but still. I would never have purchased this dress if I had noticed it was hand wash only. So beware. I purchase very expensive dresses regularly (you can wear them forever) and this is the first time this happened. I think it is very overpriced and apparently you need to be a slave to your fashion. But hey maybe that's for you. Not for me. Just wanted to warn you to watch out for how to take care of anything you buy in this store.

Frances May is a calm and soothing place to visit - the music, the way she speaks with you, the layout of the merchandise ... But their commitment to men's merchandise is worth getting excited about. It's not a very large collection of men's things, but the quality of the picks is outstanding: Gitman Vintage, Unis, Pendleton, Nom de Guerre, APC, Rag & Bone, Wings & Horns, etc. Not every item is for me (that would be a little scary, wouldn't it?), but I love a LOT of it. Definitely worth a visit (or two, or three ... or every month...). UPDATE - May 3, 2011. This store is changing & growing. And I'm happy for them. They recently completed a very nice renovation of their space and they are visibly trying to make more merchandise available to customers. This has created two trends that I am keeping my eye on - both of which strike directly at my reasons for giving FM it's well-deserved 4 star rating last year. First, the increase in merchandise has led, I believe, to a partial loss of that 'curated' feel to the collection -- everythig is packed tightly on the racks and a lot of it (more than half) I just wouldn't buy, even if it goes on sale. Second, this is no longer a shop where you can count on dealing with the shop owner, who will get off the computer for a few minutes, come out from behind the desk and really talk to you. I stand by my original 4-star rating (because "yay! I'm a fan") , but they aren't the shiny emphatic 4-stars I gave them last time.

Love this store! I must disclose that I have never physically been inside the Portland location, but I stalk the website obsessively and everyone that I've ever dealt with, over phone or email, has been super-kind and helpful. The selection and curation of designers is amazing. More stores like this in the world, please!