Editor’s Note
The Best of Fort Worth awards are determined by reader votes, limited to one per hour across 170 categories. Eligibility is restricted to individuals and businesses in the Greater Fort Worth area. Winners may claim no more than two categories; ties are resolved by awarding second-place finishers.
The annual Best of Fort Worth awards collect and tally nominations from readers in 170 categories via a secure voting platform — votes are limited to one per hour. The categories are divided into six groups: Food & Drink, People & Culture, Shopping & Services, Home & Garden, Beauty & Wellness, and Nightlife & Entertainment. To be eligible, a person or business must live or operate in the Greater Fort Worth area, including Tarrant, Parker, Johnson, Wise, Hood, and Denton counties. A person or business cannot win in more than two categories; if they receive the most votes in three or more, only their two highest vote-getting categories are recognized, with the second-place finisher named the reader winner in the remaining categories.
Located inside the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame, Desert Rose is far more than a museum gift shop. The boutique offers a carefully curated collection of apparel, jewelry, home décor, books, toys, and one-of-a-kind gifts inspired by the courage, resilience, and independent spirit of the female icons celebrated by the museum. The store focuses on sourcing unique products that reflect the strength and creativity of Western women while supporting local artists and makers. Shoppers will find everything from Native American jewelry and Western-chic apparel to cowgirl dolls, distinctive home accents, and gifts celebrating Western heritage — all at various price points. Like the museum itself, Desert Rose honors the past while embracing the future, creating a shopping experience that blends inspiration, history, and Western style.
Opened in 1994, the 61,000-square-foot antique mall — once housing the manufacturing of Ben Hogan golf clubs — has built a loyal following by offering the thrill of the unexpected. Inside, shoppers find an eclectic mix of merchandise spanning virtually every category imaginable, from high-end European and American furniture to vintage décor, collectibles, artwork, jewelry, and one-of-a-kind curiosities.
There’s a bonus, too: The Secret Garden Tearoom offers visitors a place for lunch or high tea.
Lauren Devereaux is no exception to this philosophy, having long been a wearer and lover of modern, delicate jewels before launching Devereaux Gold two years ago — a homegrown business she would have certainly bought from if it weren’t her own. While this is no slight to the men in the male-dominated precious gems and stones industry, it’s provided her with a significant advantage.
Though she grew up as a seventh-generation Texan with a love of Western wear, Devereaux first chose a corporate career and often searched for ways to incorporate that sense of style through simple, layered jewelry she could wear to the office. Having worked for a jewelry company and earned a degree in fashion merchandising, she decided she was the one to create what she had been looking for. Today, Devereaux Gold spans predesigned styles and custom work — from 14K yellow gold bands to turquoise necklaces inlaid with diamond accents — and can be found at various events across the city as she builds toward a permanent storefront.
The old adage that men hate shopping? Speak for yourself, especially at The Man’s Shop, a ritzy, long-running, dude’s-dude type of place specializing in dapper duds. Owned by Arlington native Wally Hardin, the business has been outfitting North Texas men for decades — jackets, coats, shirts, shoes, socks, ties, handkerchiefs, belts, and more. The clothes only go so far; The Man’s Shop also puts tremendous focus on service — an always friendly bunch of guys who’ll do a better job of dressing you than your wife or girlfriend. Somewhere, a wrinkled polo shirt is trembling.
100 S. West St., Arlington
themansshop.com