2959 N. Lincoln, (773)248-1996, yellowjacketvintageclothing.com (No Ratings Yet)
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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

855 W. Belmont, (773)549-1038; 1318 N. Milwaukee, (773)384-8448, belmontarmy.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: New and vintage clothing and shoes for men and women. Designers: Clothing by Ben Sherman, BB Dakota, Paul Frank and Bobi; shoes by Vans, Camper, Converse, Gravis and New Balance. Owners: Chang Yoo, Tae Yoo, Tony Lee and Craig Scholla moved the legendary Belmont store over to the West Side early last year. 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-Moderate. 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. The Thing for Spring: Belmont Army recently opened back up on Belmont, just doors down from the original location. Staffers are excited about the new collection of Vans, which are simple, comfortable, and all-around phat.

Lakeview Store

Belmont Army

Wicker Park Store

Belmont Army

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

4617 N. Lincoln, (773)293-2903 (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Vintage and contemporary clothing and shoes for women and a dazzling array of new purses. Designers: A bevy of higher-end designers supply the must-have purses that could easily fit in at Anthropologie. Owner: Carmen Mooses’ friendly demeanor has turned her vintage store into a neighborhood staple—friends come to peruse her latest handpicked finds or just stop by to chat. Vibe: The true definition of vintage, this tiny store is chalk full of timeless furniture lined with gently used designer swag. Price Range: Inexpensive. The Look: Perfect for grad students or aspiring actors: this shopper knows how to stand out in a crowd while on a budget. Shopper’s Perks: The secret in this closet? Walls of affordable, stylish purses that seem to have found their way off Madison Avenue.

A Secret Closet

3744 N. Broadway, (773)975-8199, kreativesoulsbypilar.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Shoes, tops, dresses and skirts for women; jeans for both men and women; handcrafted jewelry. Designers: Most of the clothing is vintage, and the jewelry comes from both Shadows of Ebony and owner Pilar Audain-Reed’s own line. Owner: Audain-Reed walked away from her career as an epidemiologist to open this store and design jewelry. Vibe: Not a spot in this store is empty, but instead of feeling cluttered, it’s as though you’re being embraced by the universe. Price Range: Inexpensive-Moderate. The Look: Chunky amber necklaces. Sheer blouses with sequined spider webs. T-shirts with positive life messages. Mellow and gorgeous. You could hang out any place across the globe and be the hippest person there. Shopper’s Perks: Pilar handcrafts jewelry for her clients while they wait; she also dispenses life-wisdom that will give you goose bumps.

Kreative Soul

2918 N. Clark, (773)296-6630, myspace.com/clothesoptionalchicago (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: This vintage resale shop features goods from the 1950s-1980s. There’s clothing for men, women and children alongside home goods. Designers: Polyester disco shirts, Levi’s bell-bottoms, Members Only jackets, “plaid anything and everything.” Local designers, including katemade and SquirrelyGee, are included on a rotating basis. Owner: Jamie Issler owns up to an “obsession” with items from the fifties through the eighties and opened the boutique over three years ago to “create a nostalgic flashback into time.” The Vibe: The shop is decorated with old Zenith radios, orange diner booths and well-worn mannequins. Children’s bicycles dangle from the ceiling and oldies waft from the speakers. Owls—the store’s signature motif—show up everywhere. Price Range: Inexpensive-Moderate. The Look: Casual, funky and retro-flavored. Shopper’s Perks: Bimonthly, onsite art openings feature complimentary PBR and fifty-percent discounts on clothing.

Clothes Optional

1472 N. Milwaukee, (773)772-4296 (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Vintage clothing for women, a smaller selection for men and children, vintage home accessories, jewelry and shoes, as well as modern home-decor pieces, candles and lotions. Designers: The array of designers is vast, as consignment clothing and accessories come from estate sales. New arrivals come in every day. Owner: David Ginople, owner of home-decor store Findables, opened this high-end vintage clothing store four years ago. Vibe: Store B is eclectic and busy, with displays that keep your head constantly turning with new things to see. With a welcoming and enthusiastic staff, you’ll want to spend all afternoon pillaging the mint-condition clothing. Price Range: Moderate-Expensive. The Look: Take your pick: Audrey Hepburn, Sandra Dee, Mary Tyler Moore or Farrah Fawcett. Shopper’s Perks: Clothing is cleaned and repairs are made before the items are put out onto the floor.

store B

1528 N. Milwaukee, (773) 276-7002, unamaesclothing.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: New and vintage clothing, jewelry and shoes for men and women. Designers: Insight, Central, Gentle Fawn, Free Gold Watch, Shades of Greige, Lifetime Collection. Owner: Nancy Becker recently went solo, expanding her beloved boutique to bigger, better digs. Vibe: Head shop goes upscale and elegant. The space may be new, but it’s retained the retro, incense-drenched air (and those mushroom-cut mannequin heads scattered about). Staff is willfully quirky. Price Range: Moderate The Look: Fit for the aspiring Jane Birkin. Shopper’s Perks: Becker plans to hold fashionably fun events through the warm weather days. The Thing for Spring: Over-dyed, skinny acid-wash jeans, high-waists for women, drop-crotch pants.

Una Mae’s Freak Boutique

1755 W. North, (773)235-5797, silvermoonvintage.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Vintage clothing for men and women, vintage housewares and new pieces from Vivienne Westwood and a wide selection of vintage bridal gowns. Designers: Vivienne Westwood and vintage. Owner: Liz Meyer, stylist for the rockin’ likes of Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler. Vibe: Clean, organized displays, a spacious layout and carefully marked tags make finding pieces a breeze (not always the case in a vintage store). Liz Meyer acts as a tour guide, happily leading customers through sartorial history. Price Range: Inexpensive-Luxury. The Look: From the pages of a gothic storybook or an old-time Hollywood magazine. Glamorous bombshell or shrinking violet. Loves bits of lace, rock ‘n’ roll and anything quirkily morbid. Picture Dita Von Teese, who stops by the shop when she’s in town. Shopper’s Perks: Makeup artists trained in airbrushing offer onsite vintage makeovers by appointment; for about $90, you’ll look like a pinup girl.

Silver Moon

1509 N. Milwaukee, (773)486-0830, eskell.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Women’s clothing and accessories. Designers: Handmade tops, dresses and skirts by Eskell, Iro, What Goes Around Comes Around, by francine, jewelry from In God We Trust, as well as a selection of vintage attire. Owners: Best friends since high school, Elizabeth Del Castillo and Kelly Whitesell co-design Eskell’s eponymous line from a studio in back of the shop. Vibe: Rustic meets girly; a cozy, log cabin feel blends with modern details. Price Range: Expensive. The Look: Vintage-inspired, creative and just plain pretty. A DIY vixen with fashion-forward taste. This romantic girl loves to infuse her wardrobe with a touch of fairy tale (think wispy fabrics, poetic ruffles and pretty prints). Shopper’s Perks: Designers Kelly and Elizabeth are on hand to dole out expert fashion advice and the store offers truly hard-to-find pieces. Plus, the combination of vintage and new pieces means you can craft an entirely one-of-a-kind ensemble.

Eskell

UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2008