By Emily Torem

Two still fresh-on-the-scene streetwear boutiques in the South Loop prove that the Windy City is not just a place for trends to proliferate; it’s where they’re made. Lifestyle store Jugrnaut stocks everything from clothes and accessories to art, hats and action figures, while self-described “sneaker geek and stylist” SuccezZ focuses on providing rare and limited-edition footwear to the shoe-obsessed. Both stores are big supporters of local talent, whether it’s through music, art, style or design.

Jugrnaut

“There are people who are fashion forward in Chicago that are ahead of the curve, like in Japan, but not that many. It’s a slow process, but we’re getting there,” says Roger Rodriguez, one of the South Loop streetwear shop Jugrnaut’s owners.

The team of four men—Rodriguez, Brian Navado, Manny Rodriguez and Arthur Banks—opened the store in October of 2007 after a previous venture fell through. The four own and operate the shop, as well as their own eponymous brand, which includes hats and shirts with the store’s lightning-bolt logo. The partners emphasize that the store is more than just a retailer of apparel. Read the rest of this entry »

1747 S. Halsted, (312)733-0407, dvchicago.com (3 votes, average: 3.67 out of 5)
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Goods: Vintage clothing with modern tailoring for men and women, but primarily for women. Shoes and accessories, including hats, jewelry and designer sunglasses. Designers: Dior, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Lanvin, Oscar De La Renta, St. John and others. Read the rest of this entry »

900 N. Michigan, Level 3, (312)944-0040 (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Men’s and women’s denim, shoes and accessories. Designers: The store houses thirty women’s denim brands and twenty men’s, including C.R.A.F.T. Denim, Hudson, G-Star, Rebecca Minkoff, House of Harlow, Naked & Famous, Nobody and Grace Sun to name a few. Read the rest of this entry »

2145 N. Damen, (773)727-9846, personalprivilege.com, myspace.com/personalprivilege (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Trendy casual clothing and accessories for men and women. Owner: Celebrity stylist Tracy Lemke has created her own store, Personal Privilege, and she promises to dress you the way she’s dressed athletic superstars like White Sox player Octavio Dotel, Lakers player Shannon Brown and Cubs player Carlos Marmol. Read the rest of this entry »

1355 S. Michigan, (312)353-2300 (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Men’s apparel, shoes and accessories. Designers: Michael Westley, Rivet de Cru, X-Ray Denim, Civil Society and Report Collection. Read the rest of this entry »

1165 N. Clark, Suite 400, (312)640-3878, sofiavintage.com (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Goods: Men’s and women’s vintage apparel. Designers: Bob Mackie, Gucci, Ungaro , Armani, Escada, Chanel, Missoni and Valentino. Read the rest of this entry »

5668 N. Clark, (773)447-8527, mrandmrsdigz.com (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Goods: Men’s and women’s clothing, shoes, accessories and gifts. Designers: Mixing couture vintage with great new finds, you can find everything from classic Yves Saint Laurent and Chanel to fun tees, hoodies and frocks from labels like Eva May, Nabi and Corporate Punk. Read the rest of this entry »

1101 West Fulton, (312)226-4565, shopfixchicago.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Casual, professional and semiformal clothing for women and men. Owners: After working in retail for years, sisters Maggie and Jennifer Gelber decided that it was time to be their own bosses and run their own store in their own town. Read the rest of this entry »

1405 N. Wells, (312)587-9800 (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Men’s and women’s couture clothing and shoes. Designers: Big names like Chloe, Marc Jacobs, Moschino and Richard Tyler are present, to name a few. Read the rest of this entry »

When Emilia Dlugolecka was laid off from her corporate job in January, she never imagined she’d become an entrepreneur.

“At first it was like, this is great, I’m gonna hibernate this winter and I don’t have to fight traffic or get on the El when it’s like zero degrees,” she recalls. A few months later, she went into panic mode. “I kind of woke up from hibernation in late March and said, ‘ohmigod, I don’t have a job,’” she says. “I literally got in my car one day and started looking for storefronts… I called every place on Clark in Andersonville that had a ‘for rent’ sign on it.”

Just two months later, Dlugolecka was “standing in line downtown, getting [her] business license. I’m going, ‘what the hell am I doing here?’” she says. Read the rest of this entry »