1944 N. Damen, (773)292-0510, grasshopper510.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Colorful, classic jewelry created out of recycled items like phone cards and hairclips; artwork made from recycled street signs; body lotions, shower gels and candles; cute clutch purses made from recycled candy wrappers; baby bibs and books. Designers: Jewelry from Toby Pomeroy and Prismera; Colette candles, Entermodal clutches; home décor from Russell Johnson and OneEighty Design. Owners: Jean Taylor and husband Michael Roberts opened this eco-friendly boutique after years of brainstorming “green” entrepreneurial ventures. Vibe: The brightly lit shop fuses a modern-art-museum vibe with a cozy living room. Grasshopper 510 uses the elegant store fixtures, mirrors and the cash wrap from the previous boutique, sticking true to the “reduce, reuse, recycle” philosophy. Price Range: Inexpensive-Moderate. The Look: Eco-chic, quirky and utterly original. The accessories here are as much conversation pieces as wardrobe essentials; and since most items are easily gift-able, this is the store for people who don’t like to show up empty-handed. Shopper’s Perks: Every product in the store is made from organic, recycled or sustainable materials, so your eco-conscience remains clean. Need we say more?

Grasshopper 510

UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2008

1821 W. North, (773)486-4434,viafirenzi.com (1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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Goods: Men’s and women’s clothing and shoes. Designers: Ginger Goff, Martinez Valero and Via Uno.  Owner:  Having taken over in July, new owner Kortnee Doss has big plans for the store, which will soon take on the new moniker ‘Verse Chicago.’  Vibe:  With a remodeling scheduled for January, Doss plans to give the boutique a more polished look with dark wood, a black-and-white palate and old family photos. Price Range: Moderate.  The Look: European. A travel-savvy shopper whose wardrobe boasts bits from Spain, London, Europe, Sweden and France .  Shopper’s Perks:  New designers are encouraged to showcase their work every Thursday night from 5pm to 7pm.  Doss also has deals in the works for a Fair Trade program with the Peace Corps.

Via Firenzi/Verse Chicago

UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2008

2027 N. Damen, (773)292-1120, hunnyjewelry.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Clothing, accessories and jewelry for women. Owners: Charyl Witz of Hunny jewelry hooked up with Karen and Jen Nielson of SheShe clothing to open this all-in-one shop. “We like fashion and we like to work together,” says Witz. Designers: Clothing from Sir Alistar Rai, J Brand, Velvet, Fashion Spy, Rebecca Taylor, Alice + Olivia; jewelry from Lulu Frost and Lana. Vibe: The exterior black-and-white sign is a nod to the interior’s elegance. Inside the neutrally decorated shop, jewelry is housed in sophisticated armoires, chandeliers radiate glamor and displays feature combined clothing and jewelry for ensemble inspiration.  Price Range: Moderate-Expensive. The Look: A gal who has her act together, she effortlessly combines current trends with classic pieces. Head to Juicy Wine Company for a glass of vino, then Piccolo Sogno for Italian. Shopper’s Perks: Witz and the Nielson girls are abreast of the latest Hollywood trends—many of the items in their shop are regularly seen on celebrity fashion icons.

Hunny/SheShe

UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2008

2707 N. Clark, (773)404-9225; 1941 W. North, (773)342-0500; 812 Church, Evanston (847)332-2370, untitledshop.com (1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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Goods: Clothing, shoes and accessories for men and women. Designers: Fornarina, J. Lindeberg, Modern Amusement, Diesel, Triple 5 Soul, Corpus, WeSC and Obey for clothes; Vans Vault, Schmoove, Colcci and Nike Quick Strike for shoes. Owners: Candise and Luke Cho opened the shop sixteen years ago, giving it the name Untitled in reference to the evolving nature of art and fashion. Vibe: With skinny jeans and mini-skirts by the dozen, there’s an air of “cool” wafting through the shop. Things stay upbeat with a smiling sales staff. Price Range: Moderate-Expensive. The Look: Fashion-minded hipster with the disposable income to stock up on perfectly tattered pants. Shopper’s Perks: A wide array of denim features more than twenty-five brands.

Lincoln Park Store

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Bucktown Store

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Evanston Store

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2042 N. Damen, (773)235-2750, mscatwalk.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Clothing and accessories for women. Designers: Jewelry by K. Amato, dresses by Genevieve Cruz, knits by 525 America, clothing by Hazel, Tulle, Sugar Lips and 1921 Jeans. Owner: Michon Stuttley, who worked as a stylist and probation officer before opening her cute-as-candy boutique. Vibe: Peppy decor (walls are striped in pink, blue and chocolate) and an extremely friendly sales staff make this the pre-party place to shop. Price Range: Inexpensive-Moderate. The Look: This shopper wears clothing meant to sparkle in the light of a disco ball. She accessorizes with a martini glass and flirts freely.

Ms. Catwalk

1921 N. Damen, (773) 276-9888, shopverucasalt.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Dresses, accessories, bags and shoes for a night on the town. Designers: Frenzy!, Voom, Susana Monaco, Rachel Pally, Emma & Posh; shoes from Sam Edelman and Oh…Deer! Owner: After the success of her Veruca Salt boutique, Amber Warren split up the stock and opened the frillier, fancier version of the original. Vibe: Chic and sleek, the sister of “Fun” is interested in classing your wardrobe up. A California-inspired boutique with clean lines and an enormous crystal chandelier on the floor. Price Range: Moderate with some very inexpensive pieces as well. The Look: Chic and shiny, sipping a dirty martini and talking about politics at Landmark. Shopper’s Perks: Looking to dress down a little bit? Head down the street to Veruca Salt Fun for a flirty unfussy look with the same cool vibe.

Veruca Salt Fancy

2048 N. Damen, (773)772-7429, vivelafemme.com (6 votes, average: 4.83 out of 5)
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Goods: Clothing and accessories for women size twelve and up. Designers: Kiyonna, Vanilla Sugar, Bandlu, Karen Kane and Dianne Kennedy. Owner: Stephanie Sack opened the shop to “snub the stereotype that fashion is for size-sixers.” Vibe: Light pink walls with brown accents make the new location a softer, calmer place than its former, across-the-street incarnation. But despite the tone-down in decor, the place has a high-energy vibe. Price Range: Moderate-Expensive. The Look: Grabs life by the horns. Loves color, partying and anything with panache. Girly with a sophisticated side. Shopper’s Perks: Frequent onsite networking events allow girls to get together and gab; they also offer pilates classes for plus-size women. The Thing for Spring: “The color palate this spring could not be any more flattering for plus-size women,” says Sack. Look for a vibrant rainbow that includes turquoises, greens, pinks and oranges.

Map

1528 N. Milwaukee, (773) 276-7002, unamaesclothing.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: New and vintage clothing, jewelry and shoes for men and women. Designers: Insight, Central, Gentle Fawn, Free Gold Watch, Shades of Greige, Lifetime Collection. Owner: Nancy Becker recently went solo, expanding her beloved boutique to bigger, better digs. Vibe: Head shop goes upscale and elegant. The space may be new, but it’s retained the retro, incense-drenched air (and those mushroom-cut mannequin heads scattered about). Staff is willfully quirky. Price Range: Moderate The Look: Fit for the aspiring Jane Birkin. Shopper’s Perks: Becker plans to hold fashionably fun events through the warm weather days. The Thing for Spring: Over-dyed, skinny acid-wash jeans, high-waists for women, drop-crotch pants.

Una Mae’s Freak Boutique

1739 N. Damen, (773)276-6266, 1482 Berwyn, (773)561-7410,  tshirtdeli.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: American Apparel t-shirts for women, men, children, babies and even dogs. Designers: You! Pick decals and letters from a pile of albums and put your own spin on a wardrobe basic. Owner: Ninel Pompushko, a former copywriter for beer companies. Vibe: Gleaming white deli counters, red t-shirts strung up to look like salami and butcher-paper packaging bring the t-shirt store’s theme to life (sometimes too vividly, in the experience of passersby who stop in to grab a sandwich). Price Range: Generally moderate, but higher prices reflect more lettering and decals. Shopper’s Perk: Each purchase comes with a bag of chips.

Andersonville Store

The T-Shirt Deli

Bucktown Store

The T-Shirt Deli

UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2008

1719 N. Damen, (773)772-0505 (1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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Goods: Women’s clothing, shoes and accessories. Designers: Cloak & Dagger, James Coviello, Tibi New York, Serfontaine, J Brand and Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent. Owner: Lori Mandarino opened the boutique over ten years ago. With no fashion experience, only a knack for style, she started the successful business “from scratch.” Vibe: A giant antique bar with intricately carved flowers serves as the cash register. Racks are punctuated with sinuous, metal branches. Price Range: Expensive. The Look: World traveler with exquisite taste (and beyond-a-backpacker’s budget). This shopper scours outdoor markets for antique charms and ethnic jewelry. Obsessed with color and sophisticated prints. Shopper’s Perks: A sale section in back is constantly stocked with bargains.

Tangerine