Fit to a Tee The viral-marketing geniuses at online T-shirt purveyor threadless.com opened the doors yesterday, Sept. 10th, at their new Lake View bricks-and-mortar location, Threadless (3011 N. Broadway; 773-525-8640, threadless.com). The Ravenswood-based company has created a unique business model: Threadless.com runs an ongoing T-shirt design competition—designers submit and consumers vote. Seven new styles and … Read more
A bustling retail corridor blooms on Madison Street in Forest Park, Oak Park’s neighbor to the west.
Ms. Green Jeans The West Loop boutique Pivot (1101 W. Fulton Market; 312-243-4754, www.specialoccasionseparates.com) hosts a sample sale on Sept. 6th, prior to its grand opening at its new Gold Coast location, to liquidate all spring and fall merchandise, accessories, and samples. You’ll find coats, jackets, skirts, and pants as well as items from the … Read more
Encore, Encore Sneakerphiles, you have a new mecca. The owners of West Loop lifestyle-and-footwear shop Self Conscious have opened Encore (3941 N. Sheridan Rd.; 773-477-4007), which co-owner LaVelle “V-Dot” Sykes says is more sneaker driven than the other store. Sykes, who has designed shoes for Nike for 13 years, says the store cultivates exclusivity with … Read more
My Glamorama experience, in a nutshell: Lots of cowboy hats and sparkly shirts—and a midget zooming by on a scooter.
(Actually, he might have been a dwarf. I’m sure someone will write in and correct me, so I’ll just say right now that I’m not sure which category he falls into. He was small. That much I know. He is part of the MusikMafia, the country supergroup fronted by Gretchen Wilson, Big and Rich, and the rappin’ Cowboy Troy, who all played at the main runway event. Who knew that Chicago people would lose their cool during the song “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy?”)
A roundup of this month’s sales, store openings, and shopping news
Keep your style dramatic and unimitable
When Laura Schoch launched Gray, she did it with black, white, navy, and brown in mind. Along the way, pops of color started creeping in.
Kiddie Kicks Seems kids aren’t excluded from the recent explosion of shoe stores in the city. Sole Babies (2033 W. Division St.; 773-342-7653) in Wicker Park carries cute and orthopedically correct shoes for kids from first walkers to youth size 5 (which fits an 8 to 10 year old). Baraka and Teresa Nevels, the husband-and-wife … Read more
Gwyneth Paltrow has a lovely light pink pedicure. This is all I can see. I’ve crowded into the press “pit,” which is kind of like a cattle corral. The reporters and photographers in front of me have mostly blocked my view. So after a few minutes, I squat down, and peek between Bill Zwecker’s legs. Finally, an unobstructed view of Gwyneth—her feet…
