Jennifer Berg

There is one universal shopping truth: looking for the perfect pair of jeans is only a little less painful than, say, watching W address the nation. Women trade war stories about the cruelties of improper fit and men (though in hushed tones) wonder which denim will flatter that derriere. Harried salespeople avoid these complex issues, leaving shoppers to face debilitating frustration in the fitting room. Conclusion? The denim debacle lies not in the city's jean selection--lord knows the boutiques are bursting with brands--but in lack of enough good customer service.

Enter Blues Jean Bar, a San Francisco-based boutique that recently opened a second location at 2210 North Halsted. "Chicago seemed like such an obvious choice," founder Lady Reiss says. "Our Chicago clientele is fashion-forward and hungry for a denim store that provides top-shelf service."

So what makes the Blues Jean experience more Grey Goose than Smirnoff? The store slogan, "Belly up to the bar and we'll cover your ass," explains the staff's capable approach. Here's how it works: saunter into the Halsted space and head to the shop's long dark-wood bar. The top of the counter is stocked with all kinds of designer styles in happy-medium size 29. If you see something you'd like to squeeze into, let one of the jean bartenders know and he or she will search behind-the-bar shelves for your tailor-blended cocktail of style and size. If the fashion gods are smiling, you'll leave the "Bar" with a gorgeous jean buzz that will end your Blues for seasons to come.

(2005-11-21)

Also by Jennifer Berg

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Oh, the hassles of lakeside living. There are flyaways to smooth, blemishes to conceal, chapped extremities to soften
(2005-11-08)

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