UPDATE: As of January 2012, Buffalo Exchange has closed its Lakeview location.

1478 N. Milwaukee, (773)227-9558; 2875 N. Broadway, (773)549-1999, buffaloexchange.com
Goods: Men’s and women’s gently used clothing, shoes and accessories. Designers: Varying—Buffalo houses anything from Express and Banana to hipster labels American Apparel and Cheap Monday. Read the rest of this entry »

1519 N. Milwaukee, (773)227-5300, 2711 N. Clark, (773)296-1000, 1730 Sherman, Evanston, (847)492-9400 crossroadstrading.com
Goods: Men’s and women’s gently used apparel, shoes and accessories. Designers: Marc Jacobs, Diesel, Express, Nine West, etc.—the stores stock all types of brands, as long as they’re contemporary and in good shape. Read the rest of this entry »

Elise Bergman showed why she’s taking off in Chicago, with her accessible but feminine collection. Smart details, varying hem lengths—something for everyone, but nothing crazy. Lots of beige, perhaps in more than one sense of the word.

Read Boutiqueville’s profile of Elise Bergman

UPDATE: YELLOW JACKET VINTAGE IS NOW CLOSED IN CHICAGO (2-14-09)

2959 N. Lincoln, (773)248-1996, yellowjacketvintageclothing.com
Goods: Clothing and footwear for women and men. Large selection of multicolored wigs, accessories, clothing patterns and vintage artwork. Designers: While brand names aren’t the deal, there is an impressive stock of comfy Levi’s, Jordache and Wrangler jeans. Owner: Jennifer Rau opened Yellow Jacket’s first location in Milwaukee’s trendy Brady St. district in 1993. Four years ago, she brought her retailing expertise and thrifty eye to Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Vibe: Classic hardwood floors and vintage playhouse seating play an attractive yet understated backdrop to the racks of vibrant and funky clothing and accessories that steal the show. Price Range: Inexpensive-Moderate The Look: 1960s, 1970s and 1980s streetwear. Shopper’s Perks: The stylish staff is friendly and complete with advice and the four changing rooms and ample space allow perusing without tapping boots.

Yellow Jacket Vintage

UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2008

UPDATE: As of October 2009, Verse Chicago has closed, with plans to reopen in the West Loop in the spring of 2010.

1821 W. North, (773)486-4434, versechicago.com (9 votes, average: 3.89 out of 5)
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Goods: Men’s and women’s clothing and shoes. Designers: Ginger Goff, Martinez Valero and Via Uno for shoes; and Anna Fong, Bill Tornade, Vintage and Something Else by Natalie Wood for clothing. Owner: Having recently taken over the store, new owner Kortnee Doss has big plans for the store. Vibe: Doss remodeled the boutique with a more polished look of 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 May 2009

Hanig’s Slipper Box, 2754 N. Clark, (773)248-1977, Hanig’s Footwear, 847 W. Armitage, (773)929-5568, 875 N. Michigan, (312)787-6800, 1627 Sherman, Evanston, (847)864-3268, hanigs.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Men’s and women’s shoes. Designers: Wolky, Ecco, Kenneth Cole, Merrell, Mephisto, Johnston & Murphy, Keen, Naot. Owner: Serving Chicago since 1944, Hanig’s is owned by Peter Hanig, son of founders Irv and “Billie.” Vibe: Extremely well-lit and roomy, with plenty of seats for shoe sampling, and an overall all-American appeal. Price Range: Moderate. The Look: Comfortably chic. While all the shoes are designed with function in mind, fashionable details are incorporated into the designs. Shopper’s Perks: Service—with plenty of friendly staff members around, you’ll be taken care of from the moment you enter to the moment you leave. Comfort also tops the bill, and your feet won’t be able to thank you enough.

Slipper Box-Lakeview

Hanig’s Slipper Box

Lincoln Park Store

Hanig’s Footwear

Michigan Avenue Store

Hanig’s Footwear

Evanston Store

Hanig’s Footwear

UPDATED OCTOBER 2009

1205 N. Milwaukee, (773)252-6994, espacecity.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Men’s and women’s clothing, shoes and bags. Designers: True Religion, Polo by Ralph Lauren, Rock & Republic, Ben Sherman, Monarchy, Sinful, MEK Denim and Kidrobot. Owner: Neighboring City Sports took the reigns from original owner Drew Ee. Vibe: Sleek yet comfortable. The store is easy to navigate, with neatly organized racks and displays. Price Range: Moderate-Expensive. The Look: Sporty, urban and stylish. Fit for an impromptu party in a studio space followed by drinks and dancing at Ohm. Shopper’s Perks: Espace purchases only three-to-four of each item, so each purchase here feels like a real find. The wide array of price points accommodates everyone from financially challenged fashionistas to professional shoppers.

UPDATED OCTOBER 2009

Espace

855 W. Belmont, (773)549-1038; 1318 N. Milwaukee, (773)384-8448, belmontarmy.com (6 votes, average: 3.67 out of 5)
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Goods: New and vintage clothing and shoes for men and women. Designers: Ben Sherman, BB Dakota, Nice Collective, B. Son, Common Projects, Cheap Monday, Fiber & Fellow, Frye, Nike, Converse, Vans, Gravis, New Balance, Shades of Greige, Schmoove, Insight, Levi’s Capital E, Lifetime Collective. Owners: Chang Yoo, Tae Yoo, Tony Lee and Craig Scholla moved the legendary Belmont store over to the West Side when the Brown Line expansion forced the closing of the original location. They’ve reopened on Belmont as well, near the original spot. Vibe: The upstairs stock is completely new, while the vintage goods are in the basement. The clothing (yes, even the vintage) is neatly arranged and the staff is completely hands-off (unless you need them, of course), which makes for a totally no-pressure shopping experience. Price Range: Inexpensive-Expensive. The Look: Trendy hipster upstairs, thrift-store devotee downstairs. The person who shops on both floors has a personal style that is completely their own, and thrives on blending pieces to create a unique look. Shopper’s Perks: Massive amounts of both new and used clothing in one location. Perfect for fashionable friends with dueling shopping styles.

UPDATED OCTOBER 2009

Lakeview Store

Belmont Army

Wicker Park Store

Belmont Army

1733 W. Chicago, (312)226-0152, alcalas.com (1 votes, average: 1.00 out of 5)
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Goods: Boots, hats and Western garb for men, women and cowboys—and cowgirls-in-training. Designers: Boots are by Frye, Lucchese and Old Gringo; hats are by Stetson and Shady Brady. Owner: Luis Alcala founded the store in 1972. Luis’ son Richard and family now own it. Vibe: A lit-up, braying pony beckons shoppers to one of the largest retailers of Western wear this side of Texas. Inside, there’s a dizzying array of cowboy gear including everything from boots to lassos. Price Range: Moderate-Expensive. The Look: A beer-swigging, line-dancing, red-blooded American. Shopper’s Perks: The store offers free alterations and hat-shaping. They carry about eight thousand pair of boots.

UPDATED OCTOBER 2009

Alcala’s Western Wear

900 N. Michigan, (312)266-1545, altshoes.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Men’s and women’s shoes and accessories. Designers: Debut, Jo Ghost, Bruma’s, Brunate, Fru.it, Cinti. Owner: Sandro Ciurcina left Florence to be with his wife, a native Chicagoan. Using knowledge he gained from his father’s shoe factory in Tuscany, Ciurcina has kept Chicago customers happy for the last twenty years. Vibe: This longtime inhabitant of Rush Street moved into the 900 Shops complex last year, and uses a bright red carpet to stand out from the other stores. Price Range: Moderate. The Look: Everything from super-pointy stilettos to peep-toe heels are represented, but only the fashion forward will have what it takes to pull off these looks, which have a decidedly quirky flair. Shopper’s Perks: Because of Ciurcina’s close relationship with the designers and manufacturers of his shoes, conversations with customers often show up in the next season’s line.

UPDATED OCTOBER 2009

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