We asked, you answered.

In The Baltimore Sun’s Best: Readers’ Choice 2025 poll, our readers voted on what’s best in the region, from wedding venues and roofers to pediatricians and hair salons. This year’s winners highlight people and businesses recognized for outstanding service and customer satisfaction over the last year.

The poll includes more than 550 winners in nearly 200 categories in six areas — Arts & Entertainment, Home & Garden, Food & Drink, Lifestyles & Shopping, Personal Services and People & Media. More than 47,000 ballots were cast, cultivating a list of your favorite museums, pizza joints, boutiques, TV anchors, radio hosts and more.

Best Clothing boutique, Menswear, Shoe store: Gian Marco Menswear

517 N. Charles St. 410-347-7974. gian-marco-menswear.com.

For what it’s worth, everyone gripes about the prices at this trendy men’s shop.

“They’re entitled,” said Marc Sklar, CEO of the Charles Street boutique that deals in luxury clothing and footwear.

Who would pay $100 for a bow tie, $260 for a cotton shirt or $400 for a pair of crocodile-and-python sneakers?

“Someone who appreciates quality,” Sklar said. “People who come here want a good product. It’s like eating fine steak rather than something from McDonald’s.”

Well-heeled patrons agree. For 35 years, they’ve been buying European dress and casual wear off the fashionable racks at Gian Marco, while touting the top-notch fabrics and customized apparel.

“This stuff is so well made that it will go out of style, and then come back in, before it wears out,” one reviewer wrote online.

“That’s almost true,” Sklar said. “Except that the merchandise we buy is so timeless that it never goes out of style.”

Twice a year, he and co-owner John Massey fly to Italy and browse the high-end clothing factories, awaiting that Eureka! moment.

“We’ve literally climbed through vaults of fabric to find things that are really unique,” Sklar said. “We’re looking for buried treasure.”

Fabric found, they make their orders, mindful of their customers’ breadth.

“Sometimes we have Italian manufacturers produce sizes they would normally not produce,” he said. “They have to understand that there are a lot of big Americans.”

How old are Gian Marco’s clients?

“Age 25 to death,” Sklar said. “We’ve done many of their burials.”

Also weddings, graduations, confirmations and Bar Mitzvahs.

“We’ll go to people’s homes to fit them, or to redo their wardrobes,” the owner said. Truth be told, customers like to peruse the shop in Mount Vernon, if only to hear the good-natured banter between Sklar and Massey. Said the former, “We’ve been in this business so long that John used to dress Moses.”

Have a news tip? Contact Mike Klingaman at jklingaman@baltsun.com and 410-332-6456.

Antiques: Second Chance

Honorable mentions:

The Painted Mill

Vintage Treasures

Cornerstone Antiques and Consignments

Barbershop: Old Line Barbers

Honorable mentions:

Two Bits barbershop

Ernesto’s Barber Shop

Westminster Barbershop

Bicycle shop: Joe’s Bike Shop

Honorable mention:

Bicycle Connection

Bookstore: Barnes & Noble

Honorable mentions:

Ivy Bookshop

Greedy Reeds

Old Fox Books & Coffeehouse

Bridal shop: Gamberdella

Honorable mentions:

Amanda Ritchey Bridal Loft

Elegant Touch Bridal and Tuxedo

Love It! at Stella’s Bridal & Fashions

Brow threading: Beautiful Eyebrow Threading and Sabita’s Threading & Spa (tie)

Honorable mention:

Rhea Eyebrow Threading

Cannabis grower: SunMed Growers

Honorable mentions:

Curio

Curaleaf

Car dealership: Jones Junction

Honorable mentions:

Heritage

Anderson Automotive

Jimmy The Boxer Auto Mall

Clothing boutique: Gian Marco Menswear

Honorable mentions:

Brightside Boutique

Fells Point Surf Co.

Mason-Mayes (tie)

My Fancy Finds Boutique (tie)

Consignment/resale shop: Habitat for Humanity Restore

Honorable mentions:

Second Chance

Uptown Cheapskate

Goodwill

Day spa: Eeyah Holistic Spa

Honorable mentions:

THE pearl spa

FX Studios

Mindful Moon

Dispensary: GreenLabs

Honorable mentions:

Health for Life

Green Point Wellness

Curaleaf

Gifts: Smyth Jewelers

Honorable mentions:

The Nest on Main

Becket Hitch

Tra CigarDiva

Grocery store: Giant Food

Honorable mentions:

Sprouts

Whole Foods

Green Valley

Gym: Krav Maga Maryland

Honorable mentions:

Club Pilates, Ellicott City

Brick Bodies

YMCA of Central Maryland

Hair salon: Lavish Salon

Honorable mentions:

Jordan Thomas Salon & Spa

K. Co Design Salon

Thirty Hair

Jeweler: Smyth Jewelers

Honorable mentions:

Radcliffe Jewelers

Saxons

Charles Nusinov & Sons Jewelers

Liquor store: The Wine Source

Honorable mentions:

Cranbrook Liquors

Bel Air Liquors

Christo’s Discount Liquors

Martial arts: Krav Maga Maryland

Honorable mentions:

US Martial Arts Academy

Monroe Hall Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

US Kuo Shu Academy

Maryland made shatter/wax (cannabis): Sunnies by SunMed Growers

Honorable mention:

Curaleaf

Maryland produced pre roll (cannabis): SunMed Growers

Honorable mentions:

Curio

Curaleaf

Medispa: LUXMODE Aesthetics

Honorable mentions:

Seidenberg, Protzko Eye Associates

Allure Aesthetics

Mason & Friends (tie)

ProMD Tox Bar (tie)

Menswear: Gian Marco Menswear

Honorable mention:

Marcia’s Luxury

Music lessons: Baltimore School of Music

Honorable mentions:

Stages Music Arts

Lutherville Music School

Music Land

Pet goods store: The Mill

Honorable mention:

Howl, McHenry Row

Straehle Invitational Meet

Pool: Padonia Park

Honorable mention:

Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore

Produced Maryland edible (cannabis): Sunnies by SunMed Growers

Honorable mention:

Curaleaf

Retirement community: Broadmead

Honorable mentions:

Miller’s Grant

Mercy Ridge

Stella Maris

Shoe store: Gian Marco Menswear

Honorable mentions:

The Good Feet Store

Run Moore

Ma Petite Shoe

Spin class: Rev cycle

Honorable mentions:

Jen McColigan, YMCA of Kent

Resistance Cycle

Yoga studio: Pilates House

Honorable mentions:

THE pearl spa

Yoga Center of Columbia

CorePower Yoga

Honorable mentions

Braiding: The River Oshun

Health food/supplement store: MOM’s Organic Market

Editor’s note: Winners and honorable mentions were determined by popular vote. Readers were invited to nominate and vote online from April to May. The ballot and results are generated solely by readers’ votes. The Baltimore Sun does not take responsibility for the services offered or advertised by those listed.

More winners

Food & Drink

Personal Services

Arts & Entertainment

People & Media

Home & Garden

Lifestyles & Shopping