Jessica Herman

Style

The sweatshop-free phenomenon is spreading like pollen across the city. Taped to the glass door of the space at 1563 North Milwaukee, a fresh sheet of paper reads, "American Apparel is now open."

The store still smells of new paint, and the manager's still dealing with those nitpicky details that come with setting up shop, from establishing security to installing a credit-card machine. However, Joe Lauer and Jena Frey, owners of the Ukrainian Village boutique Penelope's, are helping to ease the transition into Chicago's apparel business. Familiar with Lauer and Frey from selling his merchandise to their store, the company's founder, Dov Charney, asked the couple to become his project managers for the opening of the Chicago locations. In exchange, American Apparel has disappeared from Penelope's racks.

"We figured, if you can't beat `em, join `em," Lauer smiles.

While cotton fans can find standard items such as tees and tanks at other local Chicago boutiques, you will only find "store exclusives"--prospective items for the mainstream line--inside the shop. Describing the exclusives as "more fashion forward" and "slightly less than basic," Lauer ushers the way to the pink tags hanging from thermal-lined fleece hoodies ($64), nylon windbreakers ($48) and high-waist skirts ($34). There's even a bin of Dog Tees ($14) sitting in front of the register. Still the store offers plenty of the expected cotton classics.

Since it is a Los Angeles-based company, the store sells bikinis, which are modestly tucked away in drawers with a variety of "intimates" from boy briefs to flimsy bras. But warming up to the Chicago winter, a skinny collection of scarves hangs on the opposite wall, and items such as leg warmers are on the way.

"This is the very most focused, targeted customer of American Apparel," Lauer says, explaining the decision to open the first Chicago location in Wicker Park. "The first people to understand it will live and shop in this area. It's kind of like the artistic center of the Midwest." Future locations are scheduled to open in Evanston and the Gold Coast.

(2004-12-07)

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