Emerald City
Em Bo. (3432 N. Southport Ave.; 773-360-1501, shopembo.com), a clothing and accessories boutique, opened last month in Lake View with a goal of promoting vintage and environmentally sustainable items as everyday fashion. “A lot of our focus is on exposing new eco-friendly lines to Chicago, even to people who may have worn eco-friendly clothes in the past,” says owner Heather George, who named Em Bo.—short for Emerald Boutique—after an emerald-green vintage dress she purchased at age 14. Most of the store’s inventory is priced below $180 and features up-and-coming sustainable fashion labels, including ecoSkin (ecoskincollections.com), Juleselin (juleselin.com), and Salts Organic (saltsorganic.com). Some of George’s favorite pieces this season include a black and white tie-dye dress from ecoSkin ($172), as well as a gray slub-neck t-shirt ($88) and an organic cotton coat from Juleselin ($260). On the vintage side, find a well-edited selection of 1950s- through 1980s-era clutches and handbags in various colors and styles (from $25).
Top Sales This Week
Idlewild Country Club in Flossmoor (19201 Dixie Highway; 708-798-0514, idlewild.clubhouseonline-e3.com) hosts a holiday shopping extravaganza with one-of-a-kind items and gifts from 43 artisans and vendors on Thursday, November 3 from 5 to 9 p.m. The $10 admission price includes hors d’oeuvres, soft drinks, and a raffle ticket.
The Left Bank (1155 W. Webster Ave.; 773-929-7422, leftbankjewelry.com), a jewelry and bridal accessories boutique, holds its annual sample sale Thursday, November 3 through Sunday, November 6. Enjoy up to 80 percent off shoes, veils, jewelry, and more from Haute Bride (hautebride.com), Sara Gabriel (saragabriel.com), and other designers.
The Best of the Rest
- Victoria’s Secret (victoriassecret.com for stores) opens its first Chicago PINK store at Water Tower Place (835 N. Michigan Ave., fourth floor; 312-649-0035) on Thursday, November 3 at 10 a.m. Guests receive a complimentary limited-edition water bottle with any purchase on opening day, while supplies last.
- Neapolitan Collection (715 Elm St., Winnetka; 847-441-7784, neapolitanonline.com) features the Spring 2012 collection by up-and-coming designer Wes Gordon Thursday, November 3 through Saturday, November 5. Gordon provides fitting consultations on Thursday, November 3 and Friday, November 4; call 847-441-7784 to schedule an appointment.
- SOFA CHICAGO 2011 (sofaexpo.com) and the Intuit Show of Folk and Outsider Art (outsiderfolkartfair.com) offer works from more than 60 international art galleries and art dealers at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall (600 E. Grand Ave.) Friday, November 4 through Sunday, November 6. Tickets, available in advance at sofaexpo.com or outsiderfolkartfair.com, are $15 per day or $25 for a weekend pass.
- Sofia (72 E. Oak St.; 312-640-0878, sofiavintage.com) hosts a holiday trunk show by The Park Showroom (theparkla.com), a Los Angeles-based fashion wholesale company, featuring clothing and accessories by Winter Kate (winterkate.com), Kova & T (kovaandt.com), and Ember Skye (emberskye.com), on Saturday, November 5 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Virtu (2034 N. Damen Ave.; 773-235-3790, virtuchicago.com) introduces the Snow & Graham (snowandgraham.com) collection of holiday gift wrap, cards, and other paper goods with a reception on Saturday, November 5. Guests receive a complimentary goody bag while supplies last. The boutique pledges to donate 10 percent of the event’s profits to the Greater Chicago Food Depository (chicagosfoodbank.org).
- Dose Market (dosemarket.com), a monthly food and fashion bazaar, returns to the River East Art Center (435 E. Illinois St.; 312-321-1001, rivereastartcenter.com) on Sunday, November 6. Find boots and outerwear from Roslyn (2035 N. Damen Ave.; 773-489-1311, roslynboutique.com), jewelry from Toki (tokicollection.com), and goods from more than 40 vendors. Tickets are $10 at the door or $8 in advance at dosemarket.com/tickets.
- Odile (710 N. Wabash Ave.; 312-255-0800, shopodile.com), a children’s boutique, celebrates the launch of its new e-commerce site by offering shoppers 15 percent off online purchases through Thursday, November 24. Enter promo code “Launch15” at checkout to receive the discount.