Category: Boutiques

Remember when you lived at home and your income was yours to spend as you liked? Remember back when you two were jealously referred to as DINKs by your straddled coworkers and clothes shopping was considered to be a leisurely pastime? Remember all those beautiful designer shoes your closet used to be loaded with but you can no longer afford to shop for? Well buck up! This is the best time of the year for getting a new wardrobe, for you and even your kids, and your wallet won’t even complain!

First off, the department stores are all trying to lure you in with their various sales, because they know many of you have your tax returns on hand, and you also need to start stocking up on a lot less layering. If you want to go that route, Carsons should be your first stop, because they’re having their annual Goodwill sale. For every item you donate, you get a coupon for a new item for 20% off, even if it’s on sale, and of which there is a lot of! You do good for someone else, and you get treated for it. Not bad! The other stores of its caliper, like Macy’s and Kohl's, are also having big sales right now, so you might want to explore all three.

Now if you’re like me and want to go vintage and retro, your first stop should be the Village Discount Outlet, especially if you’ve never tapped a store like this before. Hey! You there! Stop your moaning and eye rolling! Yes, thrift store clothes are used, and yes they have that weird smell to everything, but they’re also fun, cool places to shop and have really nice stuff if you know where to go! I like the one on Elston when driving, and the one by Diversey and Halsted has some pretty high end stuff to check out.

Now, once you get broken in to how the system works, you might just be ready for the smaller boutiques and theme shops. Shangrila Vintage in Roscoe Village is just so fun to check out, and the people working there are awesome! A Ragstock location is another place you’ll want to check out if you’re of the 20-30 year old persuasion, because they always have a sale going on, the stuff is so friggin’ cool, and they’re even a happy medium between new and used. I like the store on Belmont the best, even though the parking is pretty scarce.

So definitely get your shopping freak on and enjoy your new duds! Just remember to bring cash to the vintage joints!

Ladies, it’s time to go out for a night on the town. You’re gonna meet up with the girls and hopefully, later on, meet up with some guys. So you throw on your black stiletto boots, tight jeans, strappy low-cut shirt and accessorize with sparkly, dangly jewelry. Right?

Wrong. It’s time to spice things up. You want to stand apart when you go to the bar, am I right? My advice is: head to store B in Wicker Park. This upscale antique/thrift shop is full to the brim with classy accessories and rare clothing finds that will have you looking like an old-time movie star at a glamorous premiere.

I stopped in there a couple of weeks ago and the glimmer of style from an era past caught my eye with every unique handbag, cute hat and sophisticated fur coat. This is where you go when you want to liven up your wardrobe in a way that is completely new as well as old.

Beautifully decorated, this place gives me a vibe that I don’t usually get in antique stores. No stinky, dusty smell, no junk, nothing that made me cringe. Just upscale, good quality clothing in a soothing, relaxed environment. The exposed brick, pendant lighting and elegant chandelier certainly bring a modern feeling to the space.

Trying on a couple of hats, I thought back to a girls night out I had a few years back, where I loaned out some of my vintage hats to some friends before we ventured out and painted the town red. Sporting our unique style, we got plenty of interesting looks and lots of compliments. Store B has a great collection of hats, so grab your girls and try some on.

You’ll also find plenty of gift items here, like unique glasswares and captivating knick-knacks. Personally, I can’t keep my hands off the adorable handbags, some in shiny patent leather and some with intricate beadwork. You’ll only find the best of the best here, but expect to pay a hefty price for it. A vintage handbag in good condition will set you back between $50 and $100 dollars.

Ever thought of wearing a vintage party dress to a dinner party? Check out their dress racks and see if you can find something that you can pair with an old handbag or a awesomely gaudy necklace. Since a lot of the newer styles are throwbacks to the fashions of past decades, you won’t look outdated at all, just vintage chic.

When you’re shopping with the girls in Wicker Park, make sure to stop by Store B. It may make you change your mind about antiques.

Next time you have a whole day set aside for shopping, head over to Buffalo Exchange in Wicker Park, but don’t expect to go anywhere else. This store has everything you need, and chances are, you’ll find yourself unable to leave.

Trendier than a typical thrift shop but full of the one-of-a-kind items that only thrift shopping can turn up, Buffalo Exchange is a fabulous new addition to Wicker Park’s line of second-hand shops. This particular store opened in October of 2007 and is part of a larger national chain, although you definitely don’t get that feeling when you walk in. Right away, a jewelry counter overflowing with colorful, sparkling treasures will call out to you. And sprawled out before you are clothing racks that are just waiting to be explored. Tons of different styles are intermingling in this shop, and I guarantee there’s something for everyone. Putting an entire outfit won’t be hard; they have purses, hats, shoes, boots, coats, jeans, belts, sunglasses and other accessories in abundance.

The walls are decked out in the vibrant red paint color that has become popular as of late, a nice touch with the classic high ceilings and the thoughtfully tasteful displays. And when your arm is about to give out from the huge stack of clothes you’ve picked out to try on, you’ll be glad to know that this unique store has a wonderfully not-so-unique feature: eight, count ‘em, eight oversized dressing rooms! This is not your neighborhood Salvation Army, that’s for sure.

Not used to thrift shopping? No worries. This place doesn’t even really feel like a second-hand shop, with its friendly staff, wide aisles and laid-back vibe. As long as you have an eye for fashion, you’ll feel perfectly at home.

Of course, once you’ve sifted through the racks and compiled a mound of new additions to your wardrobe, you’ll undoubtedly feel that sense of apprehension as you head to the register. But the best part about Buffalo Exchange is that this sense of worry will dissolve once you’ve been rung up, thanks to the amazingly affordable prices. You’d be surprised at how much bang for your back you can get at this place, compared with some of the pricier shops in the same neighborhood.

And if you really don’t have much in your budget for shopping, keep in mind that this shop will actually buy your clothes from you, for either cash or store credit. So whether you need rent money or a new dress, this place can hook you up and will keep you coming back for more. Happy shopping!

Have you ever found yourselves in one of these situations?

a) Your hair style probably makes your Grandma cringe, and your specialist stylist is no longer around.
b) You haven’t done a thing with your hair in years, and you want a stylist that won’t mess with the length you worked so hard to grow.
c) You’re sick of your current stylist cutting your hair a certain way, because that’s what he / she likes!
d) You’re a guy that likes his hair styled and not clipped, but you don’t want to go to a foux foux place to get it done.
e) You’re female as far as anatomy is concerned, but your style is anything but girlie!
f) You want an expert stylist that doesn’t make you gulp when you pony up to the register.

Then get your potentially sexy butt on the phone with the folks at Milio’s and make an appointment! They can make the impossible possible and have been doing so for decades! This is the number one place in town that really does “get it”, no matter what “it” may be, and do it in a fun and crazy atmosphere!

Like many folks, I too have family members who are registered beauticians, but I see what their specialties are, and I really don’t like it. No hard feelings, but it seems it’s always better to get your hair done by an unbiased third party who listens to you and not to your other family members‘ ideas of what looks cute. And, as most ladies go, I’m pretty particular about my hair, so when it comes to suggesting a place for a great style at a fair price, there are very few places I will go out of my way to get it done - Milio’s is one of those few places.

It goes without saying Milio’s is a place that caters to those with a rebellious side, what with all the far out hair styles, tattoos and piercings seen on the other stylists. People who want to get dread extensions done go here often, as do those who want to make sure their multi colored hair is done professionally. If you want to look like a total Rock Star, this is definitely the place to go! But even if you’re the super fabulous, fashion model type and far from the post-Punk dye jobs many of the stylists sport, you can be rest assured you will look absolutely stunning. And yes, you can get your eye brows done while you’re at it! The best part is, no matter what you want, you will leave with plenty of cash left over for shopping for a new outfit afterwards. After all, you’ll need one to go with the new you!