His—And Now Hers

Last year, Marc Engel, the creator of the recently closed Oak Street boutique Chasalla, opened CRAM Fashion (3331 N. Broadway St.; 773-477-1737, cramchicago.com), a small, affordable clothing and accessories shop in Boystown. Although aimed at male shoppers, CRAM still carried a few items for women from designers like Ark & Co. and Luly K. “The selection wasn’t big, but we had a lot of women coming in, and we were doing really well with what we had,” says Engel. But in an 850-square-foot space, the German native wasn’t left with many options. “It was either jam up the racks or open up another place and be successful,” he says. So, as soon as a nearby space became available, Engel jumped and launched CRAM For Her (3343 N. Broadway St.; 773-472-5260). The new boutique’s inventory consists of items that are mostly less than $100; the most expensive item in the store—a multicolored print dress from Agora—is only $139. “I owned Chasalla for 14 years, and it was time for a change,” Engel says. “We don’t want to build up the store labels and be brand-driven like Oak Street.” CRAM for Her is stocked with colorful jersey dresses ($39); cotton-linen blend jackets in seersucker, light gray, and black ($95); ruffle and lace tank tops (from $19); and novelty tees with fun sayings, such as “Hate My Boyfriend” and “Kiss Me” (from $29). Area exclusives include handmade vintage jewelry from local designer Paula Adams (from $20); and soaps, lip glosses, and fragrances from Tokyo Milk (from $9).

 

Top Sales This Week

The Highwood Street Market Festival (312-666-1200, highwoodstreetmarket.com) kicks off its first-ever monthly summer series with antique and vintage jewelry, furniture, clothing, linens, and more from 150 vendors on Saturday, June 26th, and Sunday, June 27th. Located between Green Bay Road, Everts Park, and Highwood and North avenues, the new event also features an antique trader’s tent, where guests can have their items appraised ($5 per item appraisal). Tickets, good for the entire weekend, are $8 in advance at highwoodstreetmarket.com or $10 at the gate. Highwood Street Market Festival will be held one weekend every month through September.

Take a tour of vintage shops in Wicker Park during Vintage Adventure by You Just Shop (youjustshop.com) on Saturday, June 26th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guests get up to 25 percent off at all participating boutiques, and snacks. Tickets, $25, are available at vintageadventure.eventbrite.com.

 

Best of the Rest

  • Robin Richman (2108 N. Damen Ave.; 773-278-6150, robinrichman.com) holds its “Shop and Swap” event Thursday, June 24th, from 5 to 7 p.m. Shoppers may bring in gently used clothes, shoes, and jewelry they have previously purchased from the boutique, and sell them back for cash.
  • Various Bucktown shops, including Virtu (2034 N. Damen Ave.; 773-235-3790) and Daniels Antiques (2062 N. Damen Ave.; 773-276-9600), extend their hours and donate a portion of sales to benefit Stacy Jurich and Natasha McShane, the women who were beaten with a baseball bat and robbed in the area, on Thursday, June 24th from 6 to 9 p.m.
  • Re.Stock Shop (312-243-9434, restockshop.com), a Chicago-based pop-up designer sample sale, celebrates one year with a party at 901 West Madison Street on Thursday, June 24th. The event features discounts, music, drinks, and food; the first 100 guests also receive complimentary goodie bags.
  • Save up to 90 percent on Zen Knits, Kiyonna, Comfy, and more at vive la femme (2048 N. Damen Ave.; 773-772-7429, vivelafemme.com), a boutique for plus-size women, through Wednesday, June 30th.
  • SGGrand (312-226-6654, sggrand.com), an antique home and garden accessories shop, opened last week at 1822 West Grand Avenue. The boutique is a brainchild of Debra Phillips, the owner of Scentimental Gardens (428 W. State St., Geneva; 630-232-1303, scentimentalgardens.com).
  • The outdoor courtyard at Tula (3738 N. Southport Ave.; 773-549-2876, tulaboutique.com) will be stocked with jewelry, handbags, scarves, and belts from an international list of designers, Friday, June 25th, through Sunday, June 27th. Mention reading about the bazaar in Chicago magazine and receive 15 percent off accessory purchases all weekend.
  • Susan Fredman At Home in the City (350 W. Erie St.; 312-587-8150, susanfredman.com) hosts a Michael Aram trunk show with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and interior design tips on Thursday, June 24th from 4 to 7 p.m. Guests receive a voucher good for 20 percent off their next purchase at the gallery. RSVP at susanfredman.com/events.
  • Save 15 percent on handmade Italian men’s clothing from the Roberto Pesce Collection at Atelier (714 N. Wells St.; 312-403-1998, atelierchicago.us) this month. Also, buy a Platinum Series custom suit and receive 50 percent off all shirts.
  • Every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in June, Mario Tricoci (for locations, tricoci.com) invites shoppers to bring in their makeup bags for a “Beauty Update.” Guests will receive advice on which products to keep and throw out; makeup brush cleanings; and a $10 store gift certificate.
  • Oak Park’s annual summer sidewalk sale, located on Oak Park Avenue and Lake Street, offers discounts, entertainment, and more Friday, June 25th, through Sunday, June 27th.

 

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