7 Best Shopping in Palm Springs and the Desert Resorts, California

About 20 miles west of Palm Springs lies one of California's largest outlet malls, which hawks everything from bikinis and bags to sunglasses and stilettos. The complex's 180 stores include Jimmy Choo, Samsonite, Levi's, Saint Laurent, J. Crew, Armani, Gucci, lululemon, and Prada.

Find coffee-table books, greeting cards, home decor with cheeky and naughty sayings, candles, wearable souvenirs, and other eclectic items at this fun gift shop that celebrates the area's retro-modern lifestyle and desert dolce vita.

This 10,000-square-foot marketplace filled with boho bits and baubles, prints and other art, clothing, foodstuffs, dried bouquets, candles, and toiletries—created mostly by artisans and makers from Joshua Tree, the Coachella Valley, and elsewhere in California—feels like a brick-and-mortar Etsy. 

It's easy to lose track of time in this female-owned, fabulously curated apparel, gift, and curios shop housed in the former Coachella Valley Repertory Theater, where wall murals feature positive messages, and staffers are sociable. Every table, shelf, nook, and cranny is filled with jewelry, art, graphic tees, stuffed animals, books, crystals, hats, candles, bags, toiletries, glasses, and toys. Although the store carries some national brands, it also works hard to promote local makers and artists, often through limited-edition collaborations. A second smaller location at The Gardens on El Paseo in Palm Desert carries RR logo products and best-selling items.

Celebrity designer Trina Turk's candy-color empire takes up a city block in the Uptown Design District. Designed by Kelly Wearstler, the light and bright adjoining showrooms create the perfect platform to display the splashy patterns, vibrant colors, and sophisticated poolside cocktail party aesthetic Trina Turk is famous for—in her resortwear as well as her accessories, pets, and home lines. It's the place to go if you forgot to pack a floppy hat, caftan, or a two-piece floral cabana set.

This iconic retreat has long been a favorite with Los Angeles yogis for its peaceful, palm-shaded grounds and hot springs pools. Big changes occurred in 2014, with new rooms added and a fresh look for the existing ones. Guests can still purchase a day pass to soak in the grotto, attend yoga classes, lounge on the grounds, and enjoy a spa treatment or two. This is an adults-only, whispers-only destination.

Like-minded boutiques, secondhand shops, furniture stores, galleries, and lively restaurants line this stretch of street north of downtown. The theme here is decidedly retro. Some places sell mid-century modern furniture and decor and photos of neon signs and stylish soirees while others carry vintage (or vintage-knockoff) designer clothing, pool party gear, and estate jewelry. One spot definitely worth a peek is The Shag Store, the gallery of fine art painter Josh Agle. If you dig the mid-mod aesthetic, breeze through the furnishings at Towne Palm Springs or a La MOD INC. Find several independent sellers under one E. Stewart Williams–designed roof at The Shops At Thirteen Forty Five.