By Kari Skaflen
It’s the party of the year, a farewell to the past 365 days, and a fresh start, a new year. We all know some of the best and biggest bashes take place on a night where bubbly, streamers and fireworks are mandatory. With all of this pomp come high expectations for the evening and pressure to shine. And for us girls, that means donning the perfect outfit. It’s a look that expresses a carefree enjoyment of the present and an optimism for the future. And in my humble opinion, the safe little dress just doesn’t cut it anymore. So we’ve compiled a photo collection of ten edgy, atypical New Year’s looks that are bound to turn heads and make a girl stand out in a sea of mini dresses. All looks are available at local boutiques, many of which are having killer sales—this is the time to splurge on a decadent New Year’s outfit that will carry you into the next year with sass.

3512 N. Southport, (773)244-1300, perchanceboutique.com (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Goods: Clothing, accessories and shoes for women. Designers: Clothing by Diane Von Furstenberg, Cynthia Steffe, Alice + Olivia, Qi Cashmere, Blake Standard, Adam, Mackage; shoes by Bettye Muller, La Canadienne, Anyi Lu, Attilio Giusti; bags by MZ Wallace. Owner: Upon graduating from Northwestern’s graduate school of business, Mary Liz Lehman pursued her longtime dream of opening up her own boutique. Vibe: Vintage glam all the way. The black-and-white décor, green accents and large black chandeliers evoke a classic feel, while photos of style icons such as Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Faye Dunaway are a nod to old-school Hollywood glamour (as well as style inspirations). Price Range: Moderate-Expensive. The Look: The Perchance girl looks good from top to bottom, whether she’s running to Target or to dinner at Takashi. The stock caters to the economic range, providing affordable outfits for the college crew headed to the Hidden Shamrock, or the more established folks for a dinner date at Sepia. Shopper’s Perks: Perchance is one of the standard signature stores for the Blake Standard brand.

UPDATED OCTOBER 2009

Perchance

1211 W. Webster, (773)296-2141, ekaveri.com (1 votes, average: 1.00 out of 5)
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Goods: Women’s clothing, bags and jewelry. Designers: Hoss Intropia, Alice + Olivia, Rag & Bone and Adam Lippes are only a few of the lines that this well-stocked shop carries. Owner: Kaveri Satpathy opened her eponymous shop in 2006. Vibe: Modern and warm, with loads of clothes but equally large amounts of space. Indian rugs and handcrafted furniture make the boutique feel like the living room of a well-traveled soul. Price Range: Moderate. The Look: Sleek and fashion-forward, with a splash of Bohemian-chic. Shopper’s Perks: Sales help is not only friendly, but honest—always an asset in the boutique-shopping experience. When stocking her shop, Satpathy focuses on styles that flatter a wide range of body types.

UPDATED OCTOBER 2009

Kaveri

Chicago is ripe with intra-city rivalries: the Cubs versus the Sox, Northwestern versus University of Chicago, the Sun-Times versus the Tribune. Add one more rivalry, brought to us by way of NYC: Intermix versus Scoop. After the opening of Intermix last week, we stopped by both ultra-chic retailers to compare shopping experiences. Here are our field findings.

Merchandise
Scoop NYC: Women’s clothing by Tibi, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Nili Lotan; Men’s clothing by James Perse, John Varvatos; kid’s clothing by Chip and Pepper Kids and Ella Moss; shoes and accessories for both sexes.

Intermix: Women’s clothing and accessories from D&G, Valentino, Stella McCartney, Matthew Williamson, Missoni.

Our Favorite Finds

Scoop NYC: Old-school sneakers for guys by John Varvatos for Converse, colorful linen shifts by Alice + Olivia, metallic python flats by Stuart Weitzman for Scoop.

Intermix: A hot pink dress by D&G embellished with gold chains; Valentino Diamante Ballerina Flats.

Sales Help (For this category, we got a general vibe on the sales crew, then tried on something that was decidedly “not for us” to gauge how honest the feedback is.)

Scoop NYC: Available but not pushy. We tried on a silk dress by Nili Lotan, and after deeming that the hem was too short, the associate suggested a number of ways to adapt the dress so we’d be more comfortable wearing it.

Intermix: Busy (it was opening weekend, after all) but constantly supervising their shoppers. When a silver silk halter tunic by Toronto-based Jay Godfrey looked too much like a maternity dress, the associate ran out and came back with a smaller size and two similar pieces for comparison.

Dressing Rooms

Scoop NYC: Navy velvet curtains conceal huge dressing rooms with large benches to lay out outfits and accessories. A mirror-lined wall allows you to see how you look as you walk.

Intermix: A circle of smaller rooms with red suede curtains. Associates can swing around, checking on everyone in one swoop.

Perks
Scoop NYC: Free one-on-one consultations and personal shopping, free delivery to home or office.

Intermix: In addition to personal shopping, extended hours and in-home consulting, the staff associates are trained as stylists. (Tina Trenkner)

Intermix, 40 East Delaware Place, (312)640-2922; Scoop NYC, 1702 North Milwaukee (773)227-9930