Blow by Blow
New York has Blow. Los Angeles has Drybar. And honestly, we were a little jealous. The idea of a walk-in salon where stylists are trained in the art of the blowout (a blow-dry and style, in other words), well, blew us away. On Saturday, June 2, Chicago gets its own version when Blowtique (1 E. Huron St.; 312-280-2400, blowtique.com) opens its doors at 9 a.m. (Previous salons with similar concepts, including Blo in Lincoln Park and Blo-Dri in River North, are gone with the wind.) Blowouts ($35 each) include a shampoo, blow-dry, and hairstyle, many of which are named after famous shopping streets across the country. For tousled waves, order the Los Angeles-themed Sunset. For straight and sleek, go with the New York-inspired 5th Avenue. And for a classic light-body blowout, finished with a custom recipe of Oribe hair products, order the salon’s signature Chicago style, the Magnificent. Make an appointment or blow in any time from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week.
Top Sales This Week
Lissa (750 N. Franklin St.; 312-563-9470, lissachicago.com) tries for some late-spring sartorial cleaning this week by marking down half of its inventory by 50 to 60 percent through Saturday, June 2. The women’s boutique also takes 10 percent off new pieces from fashion-forward collections including Sally Lapointe, Rodebjer, and Hare+Hart.
File under: attempts at cute overload. On Sunday, June 3, the men’s modeling agency Chosen Models (chosenmodels.com) hosts Man’s Best Friend (facebook.com/ChosenMansBestFriend), an event that packs a room with adoptable dogs and models from its roster to benefit the Anti-Cruelty Society (anticruelty.org). The event takes place from 4 to 7 p.m. at Rockit Burger Bar in Wrigleyville (3700 N. Clark St.; 773-645-4400, rockitburgerbar.com) and also features a men’s fashion presentation and silent auction. Admission is a $30 donation at the door; send an e-mail to rsvp.chicago@chosenmodels.com to reserve your spot.
The Best of the Rest
- Spex (1407 N. Milwaukee Ave.; 773-276-2020, spexchicago.com) in Wicker Park hosts a Betsey Johnson sunglasses and spectacles trunk show from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 31. Kryolan (2034 N. Halsted St.; 773-248-1419, kryolan.com) offers complimentary makeup applications, making it possible to try on colorful frames with lips to match.
- Perchance Boutique (3512 N. Southport Ave.; 773-244-1300, perchanceboutique.com) is moving its Lake View location to the space next door and wants to skip on the packing. In addition to taking 30 percent off apparel, the store puts its fixtures, décor, lighting, and furniture up for sale. Shop now through Friday, June 1 and consider picking up a tufted leather sofa ($960) or a few throw pillows ($20 each) to go with that discounted Tibi dress.
- Ten city blocks are stacked with racks Friday, June 1 through Sunday, June 3 during the Do Division Street Fest & Sidewalk Sale (do-divisionstreetfest.com). Hit up the stores on Division between Ashland and Leavitt for deep discounts–Penelope’s (1913 W. Division St.; 773-395-2351, shoppenelopes.com), for one, marks down past seasons’ items by as much as 75 percent.
- The Silver Room (1442 N. Milwaukee Ave.; 773-278-7130, thesilverroom.com), a jewelry and accessories boutique, hosts an Anna Fong Collection (anna-fong.com) pop-up shop from 4 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, during which a portion of sales benefit the International Justice Mission (ijm.org).
- Post 27 (1818 W. Grand Ave.; 312-829-6122, post27store.com) resumes regular business hours in a brighter, lighter space across the street from its former home. Help christen the new location with a celebratory drink from 5 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, May 31.
Closings
At the end of June, say goodbye to Fix (1101 W. Fulton; 312-226-4565, shopfixchicago.com), the West Loop boutique started by two sisters with an eye for casual-contemporary labels such as Rag & Bone, Halston Heritage, and Rachel Pally. Until then, everything in the store and available through its online shop is at least 40 percent off.