Aug 30
Go gallery-hopping, buy beautiful clothes, then sip a glass of bubbly and nibble on dessert. Art and fashion at Atelier, then food and wine at Prosecco. “Now we have a one-two punch,” says Kathryn Alvera, co-owner of both Atelier and Prosecco, although it’s really more of a one-two-three-four punch.
Walking into Atelier is like stepping into the closet of a mature but hip art collector/clotheshorse: paintings, photographs and antiques coat the velvet walls and wooden countertops. The clothing is well-organized and dense, but there’s certainly a lot of it (for both men and women), and it ranges from cheap (I eyed a thrifted $10 C&C tank) to bank-breaking (vintage Lanvin, Chanel and Stella McCartney).
Atelier will also be working with legendary tailoring house Cesare Attolini to design custom suits. Alvera says “It’s something of a coup” that the prestigious Neapolitan suit-makers are partnering with her boutique, which opened in April, but she’s convinced the exquisite suits, with prices reaching far upwards of $4,000, will find a niche among sartorial Chicagoans. Read the rest of this entry »
Jun 11
No primly dressed editors with the latest “it” bags sitting at their Louboutin-shod feet grace this front row; here Converse and fringed messenger bags are de rigueur. They serve Pabst and not Champagne. Instead of invitation-only, this event is free and open to anybody with even the slightest interest in fashion walking along Damen Avenue, allured by the thumping beats coming from upstairs. While none of this fits the the standard for what a fashion show should be, the result is a very stylish affair.
Kokorokoko, a vintage boutique started by Sasha Hodges and Ross Kelly in March 2009, sells eighties and nineties vintage fashions. The name sprouted from the title of the jewelry line Sasha started out of art school, because she thought Coco Rococo “sounded like a cool drag queen name.” Working as a jewelry designer/stylist by day and DJ at night, she met Ross—who suggested all the Ks—and so started Kokorokoko. They wanted the boutique to evoke the music, things and happenings from their favorite years, 1979 to1993, a time that Sasha feels was “pre-irony.” In her opinion, people would buy a cotton jumpsuit covered in bicycles simply “because they liked bicycles,” rather than trying to be kitschy or nostalgic. Designers and their customers shared a certain genuine love of craziness back then, and this same candor with self-expression and passion for silliness reverberates throughout the entire Kokorokoko show. Read the rest of this entry »
Oct 21
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 »
Oct 21
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 »
Sep 07
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 »
Jul 06
Law Roach and Siobhan Strong
Most of us don’t have a celebrity image consultant to help us decide what we should wear the next day, but now there’s a clothing store in Chicago where we can get a “free consultation” included in the price of any purchase. Celebrity fashion stylists Law Roach and Siobhan Strong have dressed stars like “America’s Next Top Model” Eva Pickford, “Prison Break”’s Rockmond Donbar and supermodel Veronica Webb and—at their new Pilsen store Deliciously Vintage—they will do the same thing for any customer who walks through the door. Read the rest of this entry »
Jun 09
Ashley Zisook and Allison Zisook Goldstein/Photo: Geoff Adler
Trends come and go, but elegance never goes out of style—and sisters and co-owners Ashley Zisook and Allison Zisook Goldstein are reintroducing that element to the Windy City with their vintage boutique, Sofia. Ashley says she and her sister named the store for Hollywood goddess Sophia Loren (her given name is actually Sofia). “She is the epitome of beauty, class and glamour; all of the qualities that the store embodies,” Allison says in the store’s press release.
Sharing a love of vintage that began in their grandmother’s closet as children, Ashley says she and Allison aim to bring back the grace of eras like the fifties and sixties. “Girls don’t have to wear tiny little dresses with their boobs hanging out to look pretty,” she says. “We’re bringing back those dress lines and shapes from [those eras].” Read the rest of this entry »
May 12
1452 W. Chicago, (312)243-3100, dovetailchicago.com
Goods: Men’s and women’s vintage clothing, shoes and accessories. Designers: Cole Haan, Cortina, Joseph Magnin. Read the rest of this entry »
Sep 23
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
Go gallery-hopping, buy beautiful clothes, then sip a glass of bubbly and nibble on dessert. Art and fashion at Atelier, then food and wine at Prosecco. “Now we have a one-two punch,” says Kathryn Alvera, co-owner of both Atelier and Prosecco, although it’s really more of a one-two-three-four punch.
5668 N. Clark, (773)447-8527,