Skinny. Boyfriend. Bootcut. Flare. With so many different styles of denim in today’s day and age, finding the perfect pair of jeans can be downright daunting. Throw in elements like wash and fit? The task becomes nearly impossible. Say hello to Lincoln Park’s latest, DNA 2050. Following on the heels of launches in both New York and Virginia, the boutique comes to Chicago specializing in premium denim and items that can be worn around it.

“When a customer comes in looking for a pair of jeans, we take a lot of time to figure out how the jeans fit and what the jeans are good for, like a bigger backside or a smaller waist or a petite person. We just help them find the perfect fit for their body,” assistant manager Kristin Wolfel says. “We have so many different types of jeans [that] it’s pretty easy.” And with tailoring services available at a minimal charge, the fit is practically guaranteed.

With an average price tag of about $300, the perfect pair may cost you a pretty penny, but Wolfel says the quality of the denim speaks for itself. “They’re gonna last for a really long time,” she says.

Look for brands like G-Star, Rich & Skinny, Bread & Butter, Justin Timberlake’s William Rast, Adam, Sport Max, Kooba purses and Frye shoes, some of which are rather obscure. “There’s obviously a lot of boutiques and a lot of competition, so we wanted to carry things that people haven’t seen,” Wolfel says.

Housing enough draping, flowing designs to make the entire cast of “The Hills” drool with envy, the women’s section could easily clothe and cater to the individual styles of Lauren, Audrina and Whitney. As for the men, selections go from funky coats and blazers to dress shirts to loungewear.

So far, DNA 2050 feels right at home in Lincoln Park. “We didn’t want to go downtown ‘cause it’s more touristy people,” Wolfel says. “Here is more of a fashion-conscious customer—they know what they’re looking for, and they know what they want to wear. I love Lincoln Park.” (Nicole Briese)

DNA 2050, 2122 N. Halsted, (773)525-8004

The Betsey Johnson store has decided that Lincoln Park’s Halsted strip is not the thing and has relocated to Water Tower Place. We’ve been hearing that the once-fashion-forward but lately touristy and mall-ratty vertical shopping center is undergoing a transformation designed to bring back some of that old magic; if anyone can help with that, Betsey can. Or maybe she’s just changing customers; after all, she’s got a store in Northbrook now, too. Here’s the addie and hours according to betseyjohnson.com.

CHICAGO	NORTHBROOK
Water Tower Place	2171 Northbrook Court # 2092
835 North Michigan Ave #3030	Northbrook, IL 60062
Chicago, IL 60611	T: 847.205.9025
T: 312.280.6964 Hours: mon-sat 10:00am - 9:00pm sun 11:00am - 6:00pm	Hours: mon-sat 10:00am - 9:00pm sun 11:00am - 6:00pm

You may have seen a Club Monaco retail store and wondered, “What’s the deal with the black and white?” Indeed, the two neutral colors make up the majority of Club Monaco’s selection, with hot accessories to complement the non-chromatic palate. As the newest member of the burgeoning Bucktown boutique scene opens its doors July 18, Chicagoans are offered yet another source for a rich, stripped-down aesthetic that bursts with class.

The simple, often minimalist pieces at Club Monaco range from updated classics to trends with elegance. Featuring both women’s and men’s lines, a new eyewear collection and a wealth of accessories, Club Monaco is an affordable addition to the boutique row in Bucktown, where it can be tough to find a dress under $200. But that doesn’t mean a sacrifice in quality. Club Monaco has taken steps in the last few years to upgrade their fabrics and overall standard while still retaining the affordable price point that has given them staying power. These luxurious improvements can be seen in their soft Italian cashmere sweaters, rich leather handbags and beaded jewelry.

Committed to the Chicago retail scene, the new Club Monaco will offer a special bonus, as well as giving back to their new community. Customers who spend $500 or more on opening day will receive a limited-edition Club Monaco black iPod Nano. The iPod Nanos are engraved on the back with the store’s moniker and they will be pre-loaded with Club Monaco’s store playlist, which is consistently requested by customers. And they’re also proving philanthropy is always in style, as a special black-and-white photography exhibit, curated by the non-profit Chicago Photography Center, will be on display for two weeks after the event. Scoop one up of these photos and redecorate your home as well as your wardrobe while supporting the arts. Proceeds benefit the Chicago Photography Center.
Because the new Bucktown location will be a Club Monaco flagship store, the new Fleur de Lys jewelry collection will be available. The symbol of French aristocracy will be featured on necklaces, bracelets and in other charms and perfectly sets off Club Monaco’s simple, no-frills designs. (Beth Dugan)

Club Monaco, 1731 North Damen, clubmonaco.com

On an average evening, as dusk settles in across the city, the Chicago History Museum closes its doors to field-trip groups, history buffs and curious tourists, and lies dormant for the night before welcoming them all back again in the morning. But on a recent Tuesday night the museum was the most bustling place in Lincoln Park, brightly lit and swarming with valets as rows of well-dressed folk made their way into the building. On this night, the museum was filled with Louboutains, mini dresses and champagne flutes, as industry members, Nordstrom regulars, press, socialites and fashion-philes gathered together to gear up for cool weather at the Nordstrom Designer Preview fashion show.

The annual event marks the first opportunity to view the new fall collections, which hit the floor at Nordstrom the very next day. Upon arrival, guests sipped cocktails and Veuve, dug into a sushi-filled buffet dinner and chatted excitedly before being whisked into an adjoining tent for the big presentation. The show, divided into eleven different “scenes,” featured collections from a variety of fashion’s heavy hitters: Burberry Prorsum, Peter Som, Nina Ricci, Missoni, Andrew Gn, Marc Jacobs, Tuleh, Stella McCartney, Donna Karan, Marni and Oscar de la Renta. Strutting out to thumping music amidst lightly colored lighting, the models (donning million-inch high heels from designers like Prada, Lanvin and Jimmy Choo) showed the crowd exactly what’s hot for this fall. Mod silhouettes, 1950s-inspired looks, a dose of sparkle, sleekly tailored coats and garments with plenty of movement dominated the runway. Nearly all the designers showed many neutral colored pieces (brown, grey and camel were popular colors), throwing in one powerfully colored piece—a plum sweater, a red pencil skirt, an iris halter gown—which often seemed to explode off the runway. Purple in all its shades—amethyst, iris, plum—was seen in many collections, and blue, rose and soft pinks also made appearances. A few of the showstoppers: Missoni’s teal cashmere belted minidress, Andrew Gn’s black-and-white tweed coat, Marc Jacobs’ utterly mod sky-blue jersey dress with beaded cuffs and a pebble-lurex-silk-chiffon one-shoulder dress from Stella McCartney. But arguably the take-your-breath-away piece of the night came from Oscar de la Renta’s grand finale. To the tune of Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida,” there emerged a brightly colored, small flower-patterned silk zibeline strapless gown with a flamenco hem. It stood out not only for the bright colors and unique silhouette, but because there wasn’t anything else in the show that even looked remotely like it.

Post-show, the crowd returned to the museum, where mini designer boutiques (and several fitting rooms) had been set up, and guests eagerly scooped up many of the items they’d just seen making a pass on the catwalk. But aside from alerting Chicagoans to the new fall trends and stocking the closets of our city’s fashion fans, the Nordstrom Designer Preview annually serves a greater purpose: to fund the Costume Council of the Chicago Historical Society and their educational and research programs. (Molly Each)

We were sad to hear about the demise of Paul Stuart’s Hancock building store, but ’twas a false alarm. They’re just moving to their own flagship on Oak Street!

LeSportsac, the American handbag company with the French name, is opening its first Chicago boutique in, you guessed it, Bucktown  July 1, at 1727 North Damen. The company will dispatch “treat carts” in Bucktown on July 30 and 31, culminating in a private grand-opening party on July 31.

The Trib reports that Michael Kors is coming to 900 N. Michigan, taking over the Stuart Weitzman Shoes space, as well as part of Club Monaco’s space. Also noted is that Club Monaco’s opening a 3,500 square foot store in Bucktown next month.

Meanwhile, Original Penguin is opening a store at 901 N. Rush, formerly the site of Johnny Rockets, the faux diner.

Thrillist reports that Brooklyn Industries, the artful tee, bags and apparel chain from the borough, has ventured to Chicago, in its first store outside of New York. Someone should tell them, however, that their store’s in Wicker Park (1426 North Milwaukee), not Bucktown.

We just got the details on the Diesel store redo, set to be unveiled at a TBD date in June, ten weeks or so after the nine-year-old Chicago shop temporarily closed its doors. We haven’t peeked inside yet, but here’s how a company press release describes it:

“Starting from the exterior, the formerly white, clean façade is transformed with rough black steel panels, exposed nuts and bolts and expanded windows, signaling the new look and feeling of the store.

The interior layout and atmosphere also dramatically alters, now offering a warm, dark environment in which the distinct moods of male and female push up against each other with equal but opposing power. The male side draws influences from aircraft and industrial systems, and the female side plays with kitchen design from the 30’s and 40’s.

This stark duality resolves itself with the undisputed heart of Diesel – denim. The denim area is crafted from a MD 80 fuselage, cunningly reconfigured to suit its new purpose and set strikingly in the center of the store. Also serving as a design merging point for the two distinct styles are the shoe and fitting room areas, fashioned from a Midwestern barn frame in unexpected black steel.

The selling floor will be equally divided between men and women’s fashion collections. In addition, a complete range of accessories will be offered including leather bags, jewelry, time-pieces, and the newly re-launched Diesel footwear collection in dedicated sections throughout the store.”

Nau, the startup eco-oriented and fashion-forward retailer, with a store at 2118 North Halsted, abruptly announced that the entire company was winding down operations, just two weeks after opening its first LA store in the Beverly Center. In a statement on its Web site, entitled “Goodbye for Nau,” it blamed its demise on its inability to raise the funds necessary to continue, pointing to the difficult retail climate and the extremely constrained capital markets. It’s a sad day for the green cause, since Nau was a company designed at its very core to reconstruct the retail model around sustainability and good citizenship, with 5 percent of its revenues going to local and national nonprofit causes, chosen by the consumers.