Jessica Herman

Tapping Chicago's fashion scene with its glorified wand, the New York Times recently described the city as "marked by an explosion of small, progressive boutiques catering to a style-starved population." Unlike department stores, boutiques give shoppers a chance to bag one-of-a-kind items while allowing local designers to get their name on the shelf. Of the 150 said shoppers' delights counted by the Times, here's a noteworthy handful--some brand new, some old favorites--that represent a range of styles. From reserved tweed pencil skirts to sequined boleros, there's something for everyone willing to spend a few extra pennies.

Jeans and Tees

Jake
3740 N. Southport
(773)929-5253
"Growing up in Chicago, I felt like we need to do this for guys," Jim Wetzel says, describing the selection of men's clothing in his shop catering equally to men and women. Some of the items are elaborately detailed, from I.C.R. vs. Deth Killers of Bushwick cotton shirts to lilac slacks, but he says "they," from Wrigleyvillesters to indie rockers to his top clients, a suburban banker and a policeman, are getting it and want those fashionable pieces. Abiding by some sense of traditionalism, Jake always has a pink "statement" for girls and blue for guys. "We think where we want to take her," Lawson says of a hypothetical customer, and goes from there to buy items such as local designer Vanessa Penna's kimono sashes, made from material imported from Japan. While the store's focus on jeans--about a dozen lines--makes for a relatively understated image, Jake has enjoyed an onslaught of media praise. "This is my little contribution to society," he smiles.

Samantha
64 E. Walton
(312)951-5383
Follow the fuchsia rugs polka-dotted across Samantha's shiny floors, past the white leather wrap couch, the fake-flower-adorned lamps and cushion swing-style doors, and find owner Samantha Mittelman's pride and joy: an extra-large dressing room swathed in wall-to-wall Gerber Daisy cutouts. Recently opened by the 24-year-old St. Louis native, the new neighbor of Bloomingdale's could easily have made an appearance in "Legally Blonde." Mittelman has a soft spot for sweat lines Tart, which offers a fall sweatshirt-material poncho, and Jessica Simpson favorite, Primp. "These have been in every issue of Us for the past three or four months," she says of the bleach-splattered hoodies with matching cropped sweatpants. Black leather Gusto purses in blue, silver and pink metallic, heavy in buckles and big enough to fit small dogs fall on the gaudier end of the shop's selection while cashmere ponchos by Vince ($245) in every color and Left of Center shirts with cashmere detailing ($64) take a subtler approach to style.

Shane
3657 N. Southport
(773)549-0179
Following suit after Jake by opening a male-owned and substantially male-oriented boutique in the Southport corridor, Shane sells a trendy selection of tops and bottoms for men and women. Besides the rack of Ben Sherman striped dress shirts, the men's selection is simply casual, if not boyish--from Junk Food tees covered in memorable characters like Pippi Longstocking or the Chipmunks to Three Dots' basic tops and Project E's ragged polos ($56). For women, perhaps the greatest attraction is the dense array of Hobo leather wallets and totes (about $75). Owner Shane Limbacher carries coveted jeans such as Da-Nang and Joe's Jeans, but he's especially proud of his Big Star jeans for men and women.

Smack
1650 W. Division
(773)227-2008
While it wouldn't be surprising to find the likes of Lindsay Lohan or the latest teen movie star browsing for Von Dutch trucker caps in Smack, a few hippie-bohemian items interspersed within the store's LA-style might catch you off guard. Owner Lailani Orlanes displays Sage's wide sashes imported from India on a mannequin as a bandeau and demonstrates on herself how the pastel color-dyed and scrunched fabric can be worn as a belt or scarf ($109). Equally original is a dress designed by Kablan: wife-beaters attached to a strip of patterned silk that drapes as a loose belt across the hips and drops into a flowing silk skirt ($289). Across from the shelf of astrologist-certified Guardian Angel candles ($20), Smack carries technicolor Da-Nang leather belts with illustrated buckles that you may have seen on Madonna. Expect to see lots of Juicy Couture alongside James Perse cotton tees, Alvin Valley seersucker trousers, ruche-sleeve jackets and Palen's chunky gem necklaces.

La Femme

Clever Alice
750 N. Franklin
(312)587-8693
"It was originally planned as a second location, and for six months it was," says Clever Alice's owner Tamara Chapanot of her decision to close up the Lincoln Park version of her shop in exchange for River North real estate. "But we lost customers to the River North store; a lot of people come here after work." Among known labels like Lila trousers and Petro Zillia's fall line, which includes a raw-edged suit in funky lime and rose, Clever Alice carries dramatic items by Alice in Oz: Single sleeve kimonos in Japanese silk ponchos ($150) that come with a holiday party degree of glitz make the designer's fleece ponchos look shabby. Chapanot also carries lesser-known artists: hand-painted tees with abstract prints by a Toronto-based artist; organic necklaces with chunks of black onyx or lemon quartz (less than $100) by local jewelry-designer Veronica Riley Marten, who appeared in the August issue of Lucky; and purebird handbags in felt or boucle wool with detachable flower pins that double as brooches (about $200).

Etre
1361 N. Wells
(312)266-8101
Past the black-and-white-striped awning that distinguishes Etre along the scattering of boutiques on Wells, the three female employees, pleased with their store's fall collection, alternate trying on the Catherine Malandrino mint green alpaca sweater with lace trimming that one woman will buy and the other will borrow. They have overlooked the table of reasonably priced basic cashmeres by Christopher Fischer, Autumn Cashmere, and 3 Dot ($170-375). They're used to seeing the staple Anna Sui collection, which now includes a raw-edged, brown wool ribboned skirt, Cosabella and Hanky Panky thongs, and Lauren Merkin leather bags ($150-300). Customers can place orders for ponchos by LA-based knitter Suss, who upgrades this fall to shrugs. While the inscription on the shop window--"To be or not to be...well dressed"--sets a high style standard, Etre carries plenty of casual attire, from jeans and Splendid cropped tie shirts to a throng of resort clothing in December.

Krista K
3458 N. Southport
(773)248-1967
Krista K leans toward a romantic look of silk blouses with tasteful frills with racks of Trina Turk and Nanette Lepore. This fall, the shop focuses on the classic houndstooth and herringbone patterns by Marc Jacobs, Milly, Rebecca Taylor and Tibi along with their casual shirts by Three Dots and Velvet and Chip & Pepper and James jeans. As for accessories, the shop has Linea Pelle punk-style studded belts in every color (about $100), and local designer--featured recently in both InStyle and Ellle--Coco Plumb's necklaces and earrings come in 18-karat gold with semi-precious stones such as Sleeping Beauty Turquoise. The back half of the store is dedicated to maternity clothing by Nom, Velvet and Liz Lang.

Red Head
3450 N. Southport
(773)325-9898
Describing her store as "a cross between sophisticated and fun sophisticated," Red Head owner Kerry Judy carries forties-inspired Petro Zillia knit sweaters and shirts in zany color combinations, orange Jungal pea coats (which, other than at p.45, you'll only find in Barneys) to Corey Lynn Calter's rich purple and olive ruche lapel jackets ($256). A pink sequin bolero and faux fur shrugs by Wendy Hill are on the way. Judy also stocks Red Head with locally designed accessories: Kristin Kahle's belts made from vintage European-milled fabrics and Lucite to brass and wood buckles as well as jewelry by Kristen Amato and Sophia Forero.

Tangerine
1719 N. Damen
(773)772-0505
Bucktown's Tangerine falls into the rare breed of boutiques that can get away with selling sweater sets and still be considered funky. The citrus-colored palette, spruced up with fall season combinations of brown, green and purple, fans out across the selection of coats made by the shop's favorite brands: Nanette Lepore, Helen Wang, Tibi and Trina Turk, all of which borrow a Chanel look of the sixties for items such as a wool houndstooth pea coat with fur trim and bubble-gum pink tweeds infused with metallic threads ($300-700). You will even spot an occasional rain jacket, like J.P. & Mattie's plastic pea coat ($243) trimmed with ribbon and covered like a coloring book in red roses. While Tangerine squeezes a handful of items for under $100--Free People and Orla Kiely tops and LeSportsac totes--into the jam-packed, though tidy, space, shoes generally fall in the $300 range; at the moment, it's vintagey leather and suede wedge heels and round toe flats on display by abcDE, E and Adriana Caras. Cheery employees and sweet soundtracks like "Amelie" give this shop the flavor of a French boutique.


Hipster

Apartment Number 9
1804 N. Damen
(773)395-2999
For men who will spend as much as women do on fashion-forward apparel, Apartment Number 9 is perhaps the closest Chicago comes to New York men's fashion outside of Barneys. Below the shelf of Jack Spade messenger bags hangs one of a few items that distinguish Apartment Number 9 from a department store--Old Stud's refinished vintage leather belts that retain a touch of rustic with vintage buckles of Budweiser or carved naked ladies with the designer's addition of silver studs and Tiger's-eye stones ($90-$198). The men's store sells basic lines such as Etro and Michael Kors, but striped and checkered dress shirts by Seize sur Vingt (around $210), whose suits will arrive this fall, and rainbow-colored silk knot cuff links make the shop worth a visit. Apartment Number 9 also carries hard-to-find lines Dsquared, Trovata, Rogan and a new denim line, Earnest Sewn ($180-200), made by a designer of Paper Denim and Cloth. Among the fall collections, you will see a lot of elbow patches, and details like colorful top-stitching and suede trimming. The shop is prepared to outfit its clientele in a full-fledged lifestyle: a library including "How to Eat," "The Golf Handbook" and "The Art of Shaving" rests beside the old-fashioned shaving set.

p.45
1643 N. Damen
(773)862-4523
While the clothing inside p.45's exposed brick space evades categorization, it is inarguably hip, edgy and universally detail-oriented. Replete with empire waists, balloon tops, raw edges and layering by designers such as Jengal, Ya-Ya and Tree, the cool older sister on the Damen Avenue stretch carries an abundance of this season's omnipresent tweed but elevates the look to a couture level: tweed heels adorned in wooly nubs and pearly beads ($458) by Eugenia Kim, corsets, sequin-belted pedal pushers and a fishtail basket-weave coat. The shop also carries a slew of local clothing designers including Lara Miller, Michelle Tan, Kelly Pasek and Skirt by Sarah Odders and jewelry designers Winifred Grace, Sarah McGuire, Marci White and Deborah Warren. Just follow the sounds of the Shins or the Flaming Lips and you'll find this place.

Penelope's
1913 W. Division
(773)395-2351
Playing show-and-tell with the toys in his shop, Joe Lauer picks up the plastic digital watches ($20) that recite time in Japanese and mentions the incoming line of locally designed stuffed animals, Shawnimals. Wrangler47 jeans made by the designer of Built By Wendy are a favorite this year at playful Penelope's, owned by the endearingly tall and small Lauer and Jena Frey (and their two pugs); there's a matching women's and men's version of brown seventies-style denim hanging on the neon blue walls. Blazers and parkas will soon fill out the skinny coat selection that, at the moment, consists of a few Christopher Deanes and a Built by Wendy pea coat ($300-400). In addition to major labels such as A.P.C., Paul Frank and American Apparel, Penelope's carries a handful of local shirt designers: from Syndrome, who uses Chicago graphic-design stars like Cody Hudson and Kelly Breslin, to a president-themed line of tees by Sharpest Toast with phrases such as "Keep it Coolidge" ($25). Penelope's complements Freitag bags ($99-168)--the ones made of recycled truck tarps, bike inner tubes and seat belts--with a line of totes by local William J. O'Brien. Small goodies this fall include qylaar iPod cases, enamel and plastic Flinstones-style jewelry ($30-65) and a new local favorite: Sparx soaps by their recently departed neighbor Weekend Records.

Robin Richman
2108 N. Damen
(773)278-6150
"This shop is about the history of fashion. I love that idea of how clothes were made and the tools that were used to shape them," says shop owner Robin Richman. Her clothing hangs on decorative, sometimes antique hangers below a ceiling of single bulbs that are suspended in the center of hoop-skirt wires and an attic-like shelf of torn fabric and wiry mannequins. Richman mourns over her "paradise lost," a Trumpet Vine-adorned garden patio where she used to sell antique furniture, that she will soon lose to a new building development. The front of the store displays thick Ginka socks in polka-dotted cotton ($48) to opaque black thigh-highs by Japanese-designed Antipasti with laces that crisscross up the leg ($42); also hot are German-designed Girl and the Gorilla cloche hats, fingerless gloves and a silk black scarf striped with silver balls and chains; chunky plastic rings are the least expensive items ($12-18). Besides the accessories that alone make a visit to this shop worthwhile, Richman carries designs such as wool skirts by Belgium-based Just In Case with embroidery and sequins that look like a child's freehand work on a Christmas tree. The store even has its own line of balloon skirts, vintage pieced-together belts and hand-knit-and-dyed sweaters along with printed shirts by Kiyomi Kimble ($60), who also works at the shop.



Working Boys and Girls

Helen Yi
1645 N. Damen
(773)252-3838
The most colorful offering in this sophisticated, somewhat conservative store right now is the lineup of this year's and last year's versions of Luella's Giselle bag--the doctor's-bag-style multi-buckled and strappy totes ($650-1400). The selection of wares this fall includes a short rack of furs by Cassin ($500-4,000), cropped down jackets ($300-450), Cristy Conway's cashmere ponchos, silk dresses by Sally Smith ($250) and white gold necklaces that shimmer like diamonds by Citrine by the Stone as well as Lana.

Jolie Joli
1623 N. Damen
(773)342-7272
A clean-lined, crimson velvet jacket by Wyeth and cashmere by Whim compose the sleek look of Jolie Joli, one of the newest on Damen in Bucktown. While the rectangular boutique carries a nice selection of color--particularly orange, red and brown tones for fall--black pants and classy, fitted tops have an overwhelming presence. Unlike many of its Wicker Park/Bucktown counterparts, half of Jolie Joli is dedicated to men's clothing; Chip & Pepper and 4You jeans to Ben Sherman shirts as bright as fluorescent green and oversized blazers to be worn over tee shirts.

Public I
1923 W. Division
(773)772-9088
"We really define these buys by what our good clients are looking for," says Heather Bruno, the manager of Public I, as she leads the way to the back room where a rack of clothing waits on hold for the guests--the top 200 clients--who will attend the store's upcoming annual private party. Clothing here tends to have a conservative bent, though brands like How and Wenn jazz up suit jackets with metallic lace trim ($298), and three pairs of orange pants the color of construction cones do not quite blend into the generally subtle color scheme. In addition to new designers LaROK, Maxwell, men's shirts by Drifter and LA-inspired street-wear by Crash and Burn, the half-men's/half-women's boutique will bring in a line of luggage made in Italy this fall. Men's dress shirts by Bamboo ($98) that come in bright colors such as magenta with hints of metallic threads complement the traditional faded polo shirts by Zbrand, Agave jeans and Bil's White collection for men and women.



High End

Blake
2448 N. Lincoln
(773)477-3364
Do not be fooled by the blank white wall that stands as Blake's foreground décor. Marilyn Blaszka, the co-owner of this 20-year-old business, describes the collection of single items on the floor (they hold additional sizes of the apparel in back) as "cutting-edge but avoiding short-lived trends"--from classic Balenciaga leather bags (about $950) to tiered, tweed suits by Rochas ($3000) to the ever-changing Japanese line Undercover, whose design this fall is heavy fabric coats and shirts with an irregular line of different colored buttons, randomly placed crisscrosses of top-stitching and mini wing-like pockets of fabric underneath the armpits. Across from a wall dedicated to Belgian designer Dries Van Noten, whom Blake carries exclusively in the city, is a new name to the store--David Szeto, who produces surreal designs such as a chantilly black lace blouse with thick strands of pearls sewn underneath. While Blake chooses its reliable cast of designers selectively, the list--Martin Margiela, Hussein Chalayan, Marni--goes on and on. Blake is moving to River North sometime in the future.

Ikram
873 N. Rush
(312)587-1000
For women who either lack a seriously disposable income or are unwilling to blow a month's paycheck on a have-to-have plastic coat lined in black lace, Ikram will be a browsing experience. The wares, many of which are worthy of being hung on the wall as self-standing pieces of original artwork, cost thousands, and the young employees are happy to act as curators. Ikram Goldman's taste is impeccable, and different to say the least, down to the recycled cotton tees by Project Alabama that are constructed by women from Southern quilting circles and a constantly evolving collection of hats --right now they're crushable, short-brimmed hats with a soft plastic texture. Lots of untraditional suits, elegantly simple by Alaia to real deal couture Rochas covered in sequins or designs enhanced with unexpected details like a third sleeve around the waist. Among the clothes by Carolina Herrera, Jean Paul Gaultier, Zac Posen, Alexander McQueen and Thakoon, you will find corsets, Koi's vintage cashmere collage shirt and lots of lace and sequins. Men will find little beyond the case of chrome parts made into jewelry worn by rockers like Ozzy Osborne. Keep your eyes peeled for sales.

For more Boutiqueville, check out last year's guide by neighborhood

CLICK HERE FOR A DIRECTORY OF NEWCITY'S STYLE ADVERTISERS

(2004-08-31)

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