• J. Colby Smith, New York Adorned

  47 Second Ave., at 3rd St.; 212-473-0007

  Piercer J. Colby Smith has kept a low profile for most of his nine years at ink parlor New York Adorned. But, thanks to his popular Instagram feed, @jcolbysmith, he’s recently grown quite a following. His hypercustomized piercings (from $30) take into consideration your style as well your ear’s (or navel’s or nipple’s) particular shape; only after a thorough assessment does Smith suggest you go with a stud rather than a hoop for that part of your anatomy you never knew had a name like “daith,” “tragus,” or “conch.” Fortunately, the idea of puncturing those parts seems a lot less ominous in Smith’s sage presence, which is no doubt part of the draw for clients that include fashion editors, Scarlett Johansson, and (as Smith puts it cryptically) “royalty.” That, and the fact that the shop’s in-house designs—rose-gold hoops ($50) or a gold stud with a black diamond ($150)—are at once exquisite and tough.

From the 2014 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine