1350 N. Wells, (312)440-1300, haberdashmen.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Clothing, accessories, shoes and grooming supplies for men. Designers: Clothing by Shipley & Halmos, Bureau, John Varvatos Star USA, Mike & Chris, Converse by John Varvatos, sunglasses by Mosley Tribes and grooming goodies from Billy Jealousy. Owner: Adam Beltzman, a former lawyer, set up this Old Town shop as an alternative to the cookie-cutter men’s store. Vibe: Sleek, masculine decor includes polished wood and oversized leather chairs. The totally clued-in staff has the scoop on each item and designer in the store. Price Range: Moderate-Expensive. The Look: Polished, confident and cool. Shopper’s Perks: Cocoa Room candy’s on the house—and so is the eye-candy: All the guys who work here are simply dashing. The Thing for Spring: Lightweight seersucker blazers and shorts.

Haberdash

1021 W. Lake, (312)633-4000 (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Men’s and women’s footwear; baseball caps, zip-up hoodies and tees. Designers: Nike, Adidas, Reebok, Timberland shoes; LRG, Artful Dodger, Adidas, Rock & Republic clothing. Owner: Percy Gibson helms this West Side boutique in addition to his North Side sneaker shop, Encore. Price Range: Expensive-Luxury. Vibe: The store is tricked-out bachelor pad meets upscale boutique. The front is filled with high-end footwear displayed like art, a big-screen TV, couches and a well-kept bar waits in back. The Look: Sneaker-head heaven—the walls are even decked out in autographed hip-hop photos. Shopper’s Perks: The store is open until midnight on the weekends, and a party vibe permeates the shop as the night goes on. Also, Self-Conscious is one of five stores in the Midwest to have a quick strike account with Nike, meaning that highly coveted shoes show up out of nowhere.

Self-Conscious

2639 W. Fullerton, (773)772-2007 (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Men’s and women’s designer resale and vintage clothing, jewelry, hats, shoes, coats and gift items like soaps and lotions. Designers: Marc Jacobs, Prada, Franco Sarto, Armani and dozens of vintage labels. Owner: Maria Morales took her personal collection of vintage items and filled a vacant storefront in her Logan Square building. Vibe: The hundreds of items are displayed in an organized clutter. Gorgeous pieces pull your attention from all corners, but Morales helps narrow the search for those on a mission. Price Range: Moderate. The Look: Like you just stepped out of a 1940s fashion magazine. Head-to-toe vintage makes a splash at a cocktail party, while an old-time purse or necklace is eye-catching anywhere you go. Shopper’s Perks: Morales will begin taking consignment in a few months.

Mia Mora

4341 N. Lincoln, (773)935-5511, traipseshoes.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Shoes for men and women as well as a select line of CYDWOQ bags. Designers: CYDWOQ, Cordani, Tsubo, Camper, Gentle Soles and Trippen. Owner: Margaret Jung had her heart set on opening a clothing store until she tried on a pair of CYDWOQ shoes. Now she travels the world to handpick shoes for her Lincoln Square boutique. Vibe: The small, sparsely decorated space can seem intimidating since there is no room for the salespeople to hide, but browsing is highly encouraged. Price Range: Expensive. The Look: A touch from Traipse would elevate a pair of sweats to the look of a laidback hipster. Shopper’s Perks: Since Jung was one of the first to carry CYDWOQ shoes in Chicago, she can custom order a pair in any style and color. The Thing for Spring: Traipse is excited about their brand new space, positioned right next to the park. So you can take those soles for a spin immediately.

Traipse

4164 N. Lincoln, (773)388-2626, stellar26.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Clothing, shoes and accessories for men and women and a small selection for babies. Designers: Free People, Spicy, Roxy for women; Penguin, Billabong and Quicksilver for men; flip-flops by Reef. Owner: Carrie Bowers designed this shop to mimic the stress-free, beachy feel of her South Haven upbringing. Vibe: Comfortable, laidback and easy—just like the clothing. The eclectic displays give it a vintage-store vibe, while the folksy music in the background contributes to the no-stress shopping experience. Price Range: Moderate. The Look: The perfect blend of comfort and style. Just right for the shopper who wants to look good but doesn’t want to spend hours getting there. Take a walk down one of the boulevards, hit up the Double Door for a concert and finish off the night next to the fireplace at Moody’s Pub. Shopper’s Perks: Carrie and crew have won the hearts of this family-friendly neighborhood by offering “Mom Nights,” which offer an after-hours shopping experience enhanced by champagne, appetizers and twenty percent off. The Thing for Spring: Hand-embellished goods from Bali-based Spicy, which uses organic cotton and all-natural dyes.

Stellar 26

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

Untitled

Bucktown Store

Untitled

Evanston Store

Untitled

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.

Encore

5210 S. Harper, (773)493-7454, phliworldwide.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Sneakers for men and women. Designers: In-house line Phli. Alife, Nike, K Swiss. Owner: Dave Jess, the brains behind local streetwear brand Phli, opened his shop five years ago. Vibe: Manager Jay describes the shop as an “Urban Gap.” Price Range: Shoes ring in at anywhere from $65-$350. The Look: Hip-hoppin’, no stoppin’. The Phli guy is looking casual yet hot, with all eyes turned to the super sweet, hard-to-find kicks on his feet. Shopper’s Perks: The stock here caters to a variety of sizes. “Some guys come in here looking for a 5X shirt; and some of the skateboarders come in looking for a medium shirt,” Jay says. “We have a range of people.” The Thing for Spring: Look for a new selection of shoes, logos and designs. Phli is keeping its devoted clientele on the up and up with their new blog. Visit thephliworld.blogspot.com.

Phli

1726 W. Division, (773)572-6084 (1 votes, average: 3 out of 5)
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Goods: Women’s and men’s clothing, shoes, accessories. Designers: Tulle, Donatella, N.Y.L.A., Gracia Fashion. Owner: Eight years ago, Clara Pilault changed her vintage store, Le Garage, into one of the first Division Street boutiques. Vibe: If Noir stayed open past 10pm, it could be a small club. There is space for a DJ in the back, and the attention-grabbing tops beg for dimmer lights. But Clara’s gentle nature and genuine assistance make you feel like you’re shopping with family—if your family helped you buy halter-tops and mini skirts, that is. Price Range: Inexpensive-Moderate. The Look: A girl on the prowl. Clubby. European. Eye-catching. Shopper’s Perks: While current styles dominate the upper level, Noir has a bargain basement full of discounted finds.

Noir

4351 S. Cottage Grove, (773)285-1067; 1400 N. Milwaukee, (773)489-1900, leaders1354.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Clothing and shoes for men. Designers: Ice Cream, BBC and Ten Deep for clothing; Reebok, New Balance, Puma and Adidas for shoes. Owner: There is no singular owner at this shop, as the entire crew behind this operation functions as a team. Riding the heels of their successful 5-year-old Bronzeville operation, they opened a North Side outpost last this year. Vibe: Artwork both hangs and is painted graffiti-style right on the walls, hip-hop music plays overhead and a DJ booth sits in the back, which is occupied a few times a week by local spinners. This place is so chilled out, it seems worlds away from the bustle of Milwaukee Avenue. Price Range: Moderate. The Look: A fusion of skater meets hip-hop meets Average Joe. The clothing here is streetwear, and the selections cater to those who are heavily influenced by the growing sneaker culture. Shopper’s Perks: There’s just something about shopping at a trendsetter: Leaders 1354 was the very first streetwear boutique in Chicago. Plus, they have the Chicago exclusive on several lines, including Lemar and Dauley, The Hundreds, Ice Cream, BBC and 10.Deep. The Thing for Spring: Cardigans, hats and windbreakers from Pegleg.

Bronzeville Store

Leaders 1354

Wicker Park Store

Leaders 1354