3527 N. Southport, (773)248-9866, Mboutiquechicago.com 
(No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Accessories for women, bags, gifts. Designers: Latico and Sondra Roberts bags; Taolei and By Boe jewelry. Owner: Melissa Nelson, an accessories addict, formerly owned M Boutique on Armitage Avenue. She opened M2 in 2006. Vibe: A long and narrow, white-walled accessories haven. Items are organized by color, so it’s a cinch to find something to match with any outfit. Price Range: Moderate. The Look: The M2 girl can pull together any outfit by slinging a bag over her shoulder or clasping a bracelet around her wrist—she is clued into the power of a good accessory. Shopper’s Perks: Customers can special-order bridesmaid gifts like clutches and jewelry. The Thing for Spring: Tano leather handbags, bright-colored clutches and color Jade stones from Taolei.
3458 N. Southport, (773)248-1967, kristak.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Women’s clothing and accessories. Designers: Rebecca Taylor, Milly, Tibi, William Rast, Tory Burch, jeans by Citizens of Humanity. Owner: Drawing on her MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management—and her considerable experience with shopping—Krista Kaur Meyers opened Krista K. Boutique in 2002. Vibe: This two-story, window-lined boutique carries fully stocked floors, an approachable staff and plenty of catch-your-breath seating. Price Range: Expensive. The Look: Take these crisp, sophisticated and full-of-feminine-charm pieces from a picnic by the lake to an evening of ten-dollar martinis. Shopper’s Perks: With an oversized leather couch, a basket of kid’s toys and a stack of magazines, this shop is well-equipped to occupy antsy family members. Each January and July, the Shop Around the Clock sale allows shoppers to score an additional fifty percent off already-reduced items. The Thing for Spring: Krista K. is one of the only Chicago-area stores to carry the new ultra-sophisticated Jodi Arnold collection.
3744 N. Broadway, (773)975-8199, kreativesoulsbypilar.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Shoes, tops, dresses and skirts for women; jeans for both men and women; handcrafted jewelry. Designers: Most of the clothing is vintage, and the jewelry comes from both Shadows of Ebony and owner Pilar Audain-Reed’s own line. Owner: Audain-Reed walked away from her career as an epidemiologist to open this store and design jewelry. Vibe: Not a spot in this store is empty, but instead of feeling cluttered, it’s as though you’re being embraced by the universe. Price Range: Inexpensive-Moderate. The Look: Chunky amber necklaces. Sheer blouses with sequined spider webs. T-shirts with positive life messages. Mellow and gorgeous. You could hang out any place across the globe and be the hippest person there. Shopper’s Perks: Pilar handcrafts jewelry for her clients while they wait; she also dispenses life-wisdom that will give you goose bumps.
3309 N. Clark, (773)477-1414, hubbahubbachicago.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Women’s clothing and accessories. Designers: Tops by Michael Stars, jeans by Red Engine and Level 99, jackets and sweaters by Tulle, sweaters by Free People and dresses by Hype, Voom and Weston Wear. Owner: Julie Schneider opened Hubba Hubba in 1988, with the aim of creating a unique atmosphere filled with romantic outfits. Vibe: A sunny, dress-heavy boutique, bursting with ribbons. The fragrance from loose rose potpourri travels throughout the shop. Price Range: Moderate-Expensive. The Look: Classy-romantic, headed to a high-school reunion or friend’s wedding. Shopper’s Perks: Shoppers get twenty percent off during their birthday month. Even better—sign up on their Web site and receive a loyalty card, which entitles the bearer to ten-percent off all the time.
3941 N. Sheridan, (773)477-4007 (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Sneakers for men and women. Designers: Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Creative Recreation and several labels from Germany and Japan. Owner: Percy Gibson recently became the sole owner of this streetwear shop. Vibe: A pulsing, high-energy room with bright lights and hip-hop beats to accompany your shoe shopping. No shoe racks here; each sneaker is given its own display space, making it easy to marvel. Price Range: Moderate-Expensive. The Look: The Encore client may seem laidback and sporty, but don’t be fooled. This shopper is going to sidestep even the smallest puddle, as they think of their shoes as works of art. Shopper’s Perks: Encore carries hard-to-find shoes and Gibson only stocks a few in each size, which means these are more than shoes—they’re collector’s items. You can also get one-of-a-kind sneakers made, as Encore will happily custom laser any pair of shoes. The Thing for Spring: Get your hands on a pair of the extremely limited-edition Michael Jordans, which are in their last release.
2918 N. Clark, (773)296-6630, myspace.com/clothesoptionalchicago (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: This vintage resale shop features goods from the 1950s-1980s. There’s clothing for men, women and children alongside home goods. Designers: Polyester disco shirts, Levi’s bell-bottoms, Members Only jackets, “plaid anything and everything.” Local designers, including katemade and SquirrelyGee, are included on a rotating basis. Owner: Jamie Issler owns up to an “obsession” with items from the fifties through the eighties and opened the boutique over three years ago to “create a nostalgic flashback into time.” The Vibe: The shop is decorated with old Zenith radios, orange diner booths and well-worn mannequins. Children’s bicycles dangle from the ceiling and oldies waft from the speakers. Owls—the store’s signature motif—show up everywhere. Price Range: Inexpensive-Moderate. The Look: Casual, funky and retro-flavored. Shopper’s Perks: Bimonthly, onsite art openings feature complimentary PBR and fifty-percent discounts on clothing.
3657 N. Southport, (773)525-6870 (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Clothing and accessories for men and women. Designers: Big Star, Joe’s Jeans, Rebecca Beeson, Michael Stars and 525 American. Owner: Jennifer Dulhanty took over the old Shane space after a twenty-two-year fashion-filled career. Past gigs include a sales-directing stint for the Stylemax show at the Merchandise Mart. Vibe: Taking a cue from its name, the vibrant cerulean walls give shoppers an instant uplift. Price Range: Moderate. The Look: Comfy and airy, yet still uber-stylish. With a focus on premium denim, Cerulean 1 is a great spot to pick up a new pair of soon-to-be-favorite jeans. Shopper’s Perks: This shop has partnerships with neighboring businesses, meaning a purchase at Cerulean 1 can lead to a discounted mani/pedi or a coupon for a fellow boutique. The Thing for Spring: Novelty tees from Rebecca Beeson and lightweight knits and summer sweaters from 525 American.
3829 N. Southport, (773)388-2201, ciaobellachicago.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Clothing and accessories for men and women. Designers: Billy Blues, Linq, Iodice, Bailey 44, Poleci for women; Generra, Modern Amusement, James Perse for men; bags by Hobo. Owner: Amy Lechelt-Basta combined past careers in retail, fashion, event-planning and as a flight attendant to open a boutique with her husband Jerry. Vibe: Modern comfort with a splash of subtle exoticism. Display suitcases inspire feelings of wanderlust, while a greeting from the friendly shop’s Maltipoo Vino makes you feel as though you’ve entered a cozily familiar place. Price Range: Moderate. The Look: First-class jetsetter. Many of the pieces carried here are wrinkle-free or travel-friendly (without losing an inch of style), so the Ciao Bella shopper turns heads when heading towards the gate, as well as when deplaning after a twenty-hour flight. Shopper’s Perks: Bring in an upcoming travel itinerary and you’ll receive ten percent off full-priced merchandise.
3512 N. Southport, (773)244-1300, perchanceboutique.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Clothing, accessories and shoes for women. Designers: Clothing by Diane Von Furstenberg, Cynthia Steffe, Alice + Olivia, Qi Cashmere, Blake; shoes by Elizabeth Brady and Stuart Weitzman; bags by Longchamp. Owner: Upon graduating from Northwestern’s graduate school of business, Mary Liz Lehman pursued her longtime dream of opening up her own boutique. Vibe: Vintage glam all the way. The black-and-white décor, green accents and large black chandeliers evoke a classic feel, while photos of style icons such as Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Faye Dunaway are a nod to old-school Hollywood glamour (as well as style inspirations). Price Range: Moderate-Expensive. The Look: The Perchance girl looks good from top to bottom, whether she’s running to Target or to dinner at Takashi. The stock caters to the economic range, providing affordable outfits for the college crew headed to the Hidden Shamrock, or the more established folks for a dinner date at Sepia. Shopper’s Perks: Perchance is the exclusive North-Chicago shop for Mindy Weiss’ wedding collection. Pick up wedding essentials like planners, accessories and gifts that bring a little pep to the wedding process.
3709 N. Southport, (773)472-6717 (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Women’s clothing, jewelry and accessories. Designers: Susana Monaco, Tulle, Topin, K. Amato, Miss Me. Owner: Sarah Bruno opened this sister shop in August 2007 after running the original Mint Julep on Armitage for about five years. Vibe: Small, cozy and quaint, it almost feels like you could be trying on clothes at a friend’s house. Price Range: Inexpensive-Moderate. The Look: Casual-chic shirts and jackets for work. Halter tops, tank tops, glam skirts and sweater dresses for a night out with the girls for cocktails. Shopper’s Perks: The shop’s email newsletter clues in shoppers about special sales.
