This Week’s Top Story
If Andersonville were a bridal boutique, it would be Honey Bridal (5135 N. Clark St., honey-bridal.com). Not getting our drift? Let Hallie Borden, the new store’s co-owner explain.
When shopping for her own wedding gown with her sister, Dana Karlov, Borden began to tire of the cookie-cutter feeling she experienced at each lace-and-chiffon-filled boutique. “Dana and I saw potential for a different kind of shop,” Borden says. “We want to embody the spirit of Andersonville in Honey—welcoming, inclusive, relaxed, and a little bit irreverent.”
In addition to their own experience searching for The Dress, the sisters have backgrounds in the wedding and retail industries. Karlov is the founder of Bagable Gifts, which specializes in wedding gifts; Borden owns Milk Handmade, the shop that’s next door to Honey. (See now what they did with the names?)
The new store offers handcrafted dresses by local designers, as well as dress alternatives such as jumpsuits, and gowns in colors other than white. “We're seeing a lot of really beautiful colors in bridal right now, like blush, lilac, and light blue, and are big fans of those statement-making pieces,” Borden says.
The sisters pride themselves on offering personalized appointments for brides-to- be. They serve drinks to shoppers, play their favorite tunes as they browse, and offer comfy chairs for shopping companions. Some things they will not do? “We don’t judge, gasp, or ask if you’re saying yes to the dress,” the sisters said in a statement.
Top Sales This Week
Nordstrom’s (55 E. Grand Ave., nordstrom.com) massive Anniversary Sale starts tomorrow. The retailer’s biggest sale of the year offers brand new merchandise at a discount for two weeks; on August 7, everything returns to regular price. The sale will offer discounts on everything from fitted velvet blazers by Alice + Olivia to skinny jeans by Good American and suede booties by Rag & Bone.
La Perla (34 E. Oak St., laperla.com) is offering select, silky goods at a discount. Pick up a purple tulle triangle bra with embroidery inspired by wildflowers (reduced from $234 to $140.40) and a Chantilly lace babydoll with a tea-rose design (reduced from $2,228 to $1,336).
Maje (100 E. Oak St., us.maje.com) is offering Parisian style at a discount. Items are up to 60 percent off, and include a pleated tie-dye skirt (reduced from $325 to $162.50) and a multi-colored pendant necklace (reduced from $120 to $48) that would both fit right in at Lollapalooza (V.I.P. section, of course). Maje’s adjacent sister boutique, Sandro (102 E. Oak St., us.sandro-paris.com), is also holding its summer sale.
Escada (51 E. Oak St., escada.us) is offering select items at 60 percent off. Score a sequin-embellished camisole (reduced from $325 to $130) for ritzy summer weddings or printed ankle pants (reduced from $995 to $398) for lakeside cocktails.
Opening
Hanna Andersson (3452 N. Southport Ave., hannaandersson.com) opens a Lakeview shop tomorrow. The Swedish brand—which has a bold stripe pattern as its hallmark—slings clothing for babies, children, and women. (Its organic cotton PJs are particularly beloved—and soft.) The new shop marks the brand’s fifth in Illinois, and will have a minimalistic design inspired by a Scandinavian aesthetic. Giveaways will be on offer throughout opening weekend, and the first 500 customers to pop by tomorrow will get a free pair of long johns.
Health & Beauty
Advanced Clinicals (advancedclinicals.com), the locally based skincare brand, has launched its first men’s grooming collection. Available online, products include an easy-glide shaving cream, an ultra-hydrating beard oil, and a charcoal face scrub. Each product retails for $20.
Retail News of the Week
- Rapper Kendrick Lamar will bring his Damn pop-up to Chicago on July 27. Read more.
- Meyvn, the men’s clothing store, will close. Read more.
- Off-White designer Virgil Abloh has co-created a program for Chicago’s at-risk youth. Read more.