Though much of the world is buying in bulk on Amazon these days, there’s something to be said for an old-fashioned, brick-and-mortar shopping session. Call me crazy, but I like to see what it is I’m actually getting for my hard-earned cash before I spend it! I want to try things on, feel the quality of the fabrics and materials and, essentially, fully appraise things as they are as opposed to how they’ve been photographed (or Photoshopped).
Lucky for me — and everyone else in the Toddlin’ Town! — there will be plenty of opportunity to do just that this summer: There’s a lot of shakeups going down on the Chicago shopping scene. Here are just a few that I’ve taken note of in the past few months.
Lost Girls, 1947 W. Chicago Avenue: New
Thrifting is a bit of an art form, and it’s one I’m not ashamed to say I’ve not yet quite mastered — and frankly, never might. Combing through racks upon racks of too-tightly packed clothing in the hopes of maybe, possibly, finding that one non-hideous thing that *actually* fits you just isn’t my bag. That doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the wares once they’ve been found, however! I was fortunate enough to meet Lost Girls owners Sarah Azzouzi and Kyla Embrey at a brunch for Everything But the House hosted by Sophia Bush a few years back, when they still operated their shop on wheels out of a ’76 Dodge RV Camper. They’ve since moved into some seriously sweet digs in the West Town neighborhood — the shop made its grand debut at the end of April — and I went to check out their new home last month. While the velvet tube dress I was drooling over didn’t quite fit, it left me more confident than ever about the ladies’ ability to do the heavy lifting of finding and curating the best vintage finds out there and displaying them in a palatable setting. There’s some super cool sh*t to be found here! I saw leather midi skirts. I saw sturdy turquoise rings. I saw plenty of unique finds you wouldn’t see in a run-of-the-mill Express. It’s definitely worth a stop every now and then — you never know what they might dig up!
Merezco, 1914 W. Chicago Avenue: New
I stumbled upon this little West Town gem quite by accident, as I was in the neighborhood to check out Lost Girls. With a window display full of all my favorite things — i.e. leopard print and sweet maxi dresses — I couldn’t help but feel beckoned into this seemingly unassuming haunt. As it turns out, it was the store’s soft opening, and I had basically struck gold. Not only did I want wear roughly 70 percent of the goods found within, they were right in my budget range of $50 to $100 (i.e. pricey enough to be decently made, but not so high that it would make a deep gouge in my wallet should I choose to purchase). And choose to purchase, I did — I bought the darling little Oliviacious mini-dress above for about $70!
Lively Lingerie, 823 W. Armitage Avenue, New
Founded by a former Victoria’s Secret merchandiser, Lively offers a new type of lingerie — or better yet, leisurée, as they call it — which blends (you guessed it!) athleisure with undergarments and swim. That means unlike VS, the company’s main M.O. is all about comfort — think wireless bras that conform to your shape. Lively also boasts an extensive range of sizing, going from 32A/XS to DDD. Though I have yet to try one of these little bad boys for myself, I was certainly excited to hear it was moving into the Lincoln Park ‘hood — I’ve heard nothing but good things from those in the know. (Read: It’s been blowing up online.)
Topshop, 830 N. Michigan Avenue: Closing
The news that Topshop is closing was like a dagger straight to my heart. The London-based store has been my stylish respite from the hustle and bustle of Michigan Avenue since it arrived on the scene in 2011, and now, I’m being forced to say goodbye. The British company announced at the end of May that it will be closing all 11 of its U.S. stores. No official date has been announced as of yet, but my days of being able to try on leopard leggings, Courtney Love-style slip dresses and leather jumpsuits galore on a whim are officially numbered, and I’m far from pleased. Though it will continue selling its wares in partner stores (ahem, Nordstrom), and online, things will never be the same, so I highly advise shopping the store while you still can. *Tear*
View this post on Instagram
Thank you, @virgilabloh for making today a little less gloomy. #louisvuittonchicago
Louis Vuitton Virgil Abloh Pop-Up, 1110 W. Randolph St., Temporary
Even poor souls like me, who could never afford Louis Vuitton in real life, can appreciate menswear artistic director Virgil Abloh’s new West Loop pop-up. Built to run in conjunction with the fashion designer’s “Figures of Speech” exhibition at the MCA, the spot is a sight to behold — literally — it’s bright f*cking orange. While there are a few similarly-hued items up for grabs that are exclusive to Chicago, visitors to the site, which is open through July 7, will also be privy to one of the city’s best new Instagram backdrops without spending a single penny. (You know, if you’re into that sort of thing.)
Wayfair, Woodfield Mall, Temporary
Joining Mejuri, Glossier, Everlane and a growing number of other retailers looking to test the waters of the Chicago market is popular home retailer Wayfair. The online-only retailer will soon bring its “affordable decor essentials” to the suburbs of the Windy City with its own pop-up in Woodfield Mall. Sure, you’ll have to drive a bit to get to Schaumburg — but at least you won’t have to pay for shipping on your new rugs, throw pillows, bookshelves and more! Check it out from August 1 to October 30.
Ad Hoc, TBD, Moving
After six years of servicing the cool kids in West Town, Ad Hoc is packing up its crystals, kimonos and, well, everything else it’s been housing, in its Chicago Avenue locale, to move onto greener pastures. No word yet on where exactly they’ll be going, or what their “new concept,” which they announced on Instagram on May 17, will entail, but if it’s anything like their last shop, my money’s on the fact that it will be rad.
Mr. & Mrs. Digz, 1770 N. Berteau Avenue, Rebranded
I first came across designer consignment shop Mr. & Mrs. Digz during my earliest days as a Chicago journalist (read my piece on it for Newcity here). The store (much like my writing), has come leaps and bounds since then, however, expanding into its own fashion empire of sorts. In addition to housing proverbial fashion needles in closeted haystacks (think Dior, Chanel and Balenciaga on the cheap), owner Emilia Dlugolecka now offers free consignment pickup, closet cleanouts, estate buying, personal styling and more, making it easy and affordable for you to get your hot little hands on the goods — and to get rid of the ones that no longer serve you.
Mejuri, TBD
Canadian-based brand Mejuri has been on my radar for a while now, thanks to my obsession with zodiac jewelry (the brand has its own line of astrology-based pieces). Needless to say, I was delighted to receive an invite to its Chicago pop-up shop in April. The brand is unique, for one, in that it sells manufacturer-to-consumer, making its price points significantly lower than many — the engagement ring above, for instance, is just $950. As the store rep told me, the company is also big on ethics, meaning you don’t have to feel guilty about buying yourself some new bling. Though the pop-up has since vanished, as pop-ups are wont to do, a little birdie (a.k.a. the rep) told me that the company was doing some serious scouting with the intent to potentially make Chicago one of its permanent homes. Fingers crossed!
