Attention shoppers: Now you have even more reasons to giddyup and shop, with boutiques popping up like dandelions all over town. Firstly, Bubble Boutique has made its debut in the Pearl district, a complementary neighbor to the new location of Odessa, which is finding greener (if slightly smaller) pastures in the space formerly occupied by the sadly out-of-business Jolie Shoes (410 SW 13th). Bubble comes in with a hefty selection of heaven-soft Ts and other layering pieces, denim, a smattering of shoes, jewelry, and Brazilian-made lingerie—and most spectacularly, an entire rack dedicated to the designs of Mint, each piece finely detailed, with a strong vintage, feminine pervasiveness. Now would be an excellent time to stop by and check them out, as they are having a summer sale through the end of the month. (Bubble Boutique, 1238 NW Glisan)

Speaking of Mint, another local resource from which to mine its wearable beauty has been Le Train Bleu. Recently, as a reaction to the sudden increase of local customers, Le Train Bleu has been keeping very limited showroom hours, where Portland girls can have some face time with the clothing, and actually try on the garments before deciding to make a purchase. Luckily, the experiment has proved successful, and the shop is now open with expanded hours, Tuesday-Saturday, noon-5 pm. In addition to keeping up their First Thursday events, which feature free drinks and sweets from Saint Cupcake, and 30 percent off from 6-9 pm, they are having a huge end-of-season sale, with more free drinks and cupcakes, and everything in the store at least 50 percent off! (Sat July 15, 11 am-9 pm, Le Train Bleu, 1822 NW Overton, letrainbleu.com)

Another great sale: Halo Shoes is having its summer sale, an annual event that features 20-70 percent off everything in the store. Arguably the most impressive shoe store in town, they carry covet-worthy shoes for both men and women. Check out designs by Cydwoq, one of the most unique and functional lines to have come out of the United States, as well as Calleen Cordero, another American designer whose exquisite shoes and boots are completely handmade and fabulously ornamented with studs and wooden soles. It inspires pride to see native shoemaking to rival the products coming out of Europe. And, the sale starts this Saturday! (Halo Shoes, 1425 NE Broadway)

For those of us who never tire of all things Adam Arnold—one of Portland's most well-known and respected artists, who earned his reputation through consistency in tailoring and tasteful design, is emptying out his studio in readiness for new things to come, not the least of which are orders to be shipped off to other parts of the country, where his menswear is in particular demand. But being his neighbors, locals can take advantage of his studio sale, where items from Spring '06 and more will be selling at 40-60 percent off. If you're not a candidate for sample size clothing, it is still a good idea to stop by and check out the designs, especially if you weren't able to make it to his last show—Arnold does custom work at very reasonable prices. (Wednesday, 6-9 pm, Adam Arnold Studio, 727 SE Morrison)

Other developments: Vanessa Constanti has a brand-new shop for her Bijoux Luck jewelry. With lots of exposure in magazines like Lucky and Teen People, her colorful, upscale costume designs are juiced up with bright colors, mod influences, and often coral and sea shapes that call to mind her native Hawaii. You may have already seen her pieces at forward boutiques like Seaplane (827 NW 23rd) or Una (2802 SE Ankeny), and the store will get first dibs on new designs before they see the light of day in the other stores across the country. Lucky us! (Bijoux Luck, 1815 NW Northrup)

More new things: Mabel and Zora, a boutique selling women's clothing, art, shoes, and other ladylike accoutrements, has made its home on NE Alberta, sporting what has been described as décor inspired by that icon of wholesome womanliness, Doris Day. The clothing tends to be bright and spunky, and a little less hard on the pocketbook than most of the new stores that have been cropping up lately, with a cute selection of knickknacks, and even luggage! (Mabel and Zora, 1468 NE Alberta)

After much anticipation, Duchess is ready to roll with made-to-measure suits, using vintage patterns to create a huge range of historical styles for both men and women. Now is the time to hook yourself up with some authentic '60s mod style without the cobwebs and "as is" stickers. Not to mention the separates available, such as waistcoats and pencil skirts. (Duchess Clothier, 909 N Beech)

Keep your eyes peeled for other sales coming up, as everyone prepares for fall, like 20-60 percent off at Mimi & Lena (1914 NE Broadway) and deals on lines like Sugoi and Karma at Physical Element (1124 NW Lovejoy). Have fun....

Got a trick up your sleeve? marjorie@portlandmercury.com