Fashion
Friday, November 6, 2009
Posted
by Heather Kenny
on Fri, Nov 6, 2009 at 11:27 AM

- Carol Gillott/Paris Breakfasts
I know, there are fashionable people all over the globe, but let's face it: Paris still sets the pace. I've collected some clues about what regular Parisians are wearing from the Paris-based blogs I check out regularly and a quizzed a couple of friends who just got back from a vacation in the City of Lights about what they saw:
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Tags: Paris, Paris Breakfasts, God I Love Paris, Carol Gillott, Amy Thomas, trends, Michael Jackson
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Thursday, November 5, 2009
Posted
by Heather Kenny
on Thu, Nov 5, 2009 at 11:20 AM
Pop-up shops, vintage clothes, the millinery arts, and more:

- Millinery Arts Alliance
- Chicago Revealed host Katie Kijowski in a Loreta Corsetti cloche at last year's event
Tonight the
Millinery Arts Alliance holds an opening-night soiree for the 15th annual La Fete des Catherinettes, a festival of hats in honor of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, the patron saint of milliners. The party's at Perennial from 6 to 9:30 PM; it's free with a cash bar. If you miss it, you can head downtown to the Peninsula for afternoon tea ($38-$49) on Saturday (seatings at 2:30 and 4:30) or Sunday (4-6), where alliance members will once again have their chapeaux on display.
Also tonight, from 6 to 8, Sofia Vintage celebrates the launch of its permanent pop-up shop inside Jake's Rush Street location. There'll be champagne and nibbles.
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Tags: Millinery Arts Alliance, Le Fete des Catherinettes, Sofia Vintage, Jake, pop-up shops, Chicago Fashion Incubator, Chicago Fashion Resource, Melissa Gamble, Lara Miller, Elise Moran, Stitches Fashion Program, Gamma Player, Le Dress, West Loop, Beta Boutique, sample sales, sales, shopping, Chicago fashion designers
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Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Posted
by Heather Kenny
on Wed, Nov 4, 2009 at 3:29 PM
The West Loop isn't looking so much like the up-and-coming retail hub it seemed to be just two years ago: I just got an e-mail from handbag and accessories shop Bess & Loie, which opened in 2007, announcing that it will close at the end of this month. But owner Allyson Holleb will continue the business via a shop-within-a-shop concept.
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Tags: West Loop, shopping, Bess & Loie, Erin Gallagher Jewelry, shopping, boutiques, closings, Susan Elizabeth Designs, Bocue, Fix, Ouest, Pivot
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Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Posted
by Heather Kenny
on Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 1:39 PM
Fashion isn't the usual beat of local blogger, journalist, and author Claire Zulkey, who tends to focus more on the broader guilty pleasures of pop culture. But this weekend she got sucked in by the siren song of the Anthropologie catalog (the November book is full of Doctor Zhivago-inspired eye candy) and shared some of its unintentional hilarity on her Twitter feed.
October 31: "another classic from anthropologie. and at a reasonable price too for how much wear you'll get out of them"
The "reasonable" price on these "classic" bird-head-toed ankle strap platforms (which I was surprised to find are by Spanish designer Chie Mihara)? $350.
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Tags: Anthropologie, Claire Zulkey, zulkey.com, shoes, hats, shopping
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Monday, November 2, 2009
Posted
by Heather Kenny
on Mon, Nov 2, 2009 at 4:39 PM
Yet another fashion extravaganza gets underway today:
Latino Fashion Week, which runs through November 8, highlights the work of Latino designers from Chicago, including
Nora del Busto, Elda De La Rosa, and
James De Colon, as well as
others from Mexico, Puerto Rico and South America.
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Tags: Latino Fashion Week, Chicago fashion, events, Nora del Busto, Elda De La Rosa, James De Colon, fashion shows
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Friday, October 30, 2009
Posted
by Heather Kenny
on Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 12:00 PM
Let me be clear: I did not need another winter coat. I already had three that I wear regularly—black, white, and red—in addition to two more black coats waiting for me to get it together to donate them to charity or bring them to a clothing swap, a traditional Scandinavian jacket from Norway that was my mother's, and a vintage lambswool swing coat with a fur collar that must weigh about ten pounds. Obviously I had enough options to ensure that I would not freeze to death looking nondescript. Yet I'd always wanted a down jacket.
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Tags: Handle With Care, Chicago shopping, down jackets, Soia & Kyo, Blake
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Posted
by Heather Kenny
on Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 11:18 AM
It seems like every week I get at least one e-mail about yet another boutique and/or fashion business closing. Yesterday the Tribune took a closer look at two of the areas hit hardest by recession, the Armitage Avenue shopping corridor in Lincoln Park and Southport Avenue around Irving Park and Addison.
The main problem is neatly defined in this sentence: "The irony is that even as Americans eat up bargains, they often resent big-box stores for taking away the unique nature of their communities—from Starbucks to Wal-Mart to McDonald's."
Tags: Chicago shopping, Armitage, Southport, Chicago Tribune
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Thursday, October 29, 2009
Posted
by Heather Kenny
on Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 11:33 AM

- Chicago Vintage Clothing Show
If only more people were as concerned about their everyday clothes as they are about their Halloween costumes. For those of us for whom every day is an opportunity to dress up, here are some events this weekend and beyond:
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Tags: Bloomingdale's Shopping Benefit, Water Tower Place, Robin Richman, Ryan Davies, Sophisticated Science, Akira, French Connection, Custo Barcelona, Chicago Vintage Clothing Show, Manhattan Vintage Clothing Show, sales, fashion events, Chicago shopping
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Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Posted
by Whet Moser
on Wed, Oct 28, 2009 at 12:27 PM
I was checking out the latest copy of Michigan Avenue, because I enjoy knowing what the well-to-do in Chicago are up to, and the fact that they're usually not up to anything I want to do ("I have a feeling that if I achieved all my dreams it would cut into my sitting-around time" - Maria Bamford) makes me feel better about being ill-to-do. Anyway, this month they had a spread of expensive watches, all of which are surprisingly (or not) hideous, but the Le Cirque Animalier de Cartier eagle watch caught my eye:
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Tags: Michigan Avenue, Le Cirque Animalier de Cartier, fashion, kitsch, bad taste
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Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Posted
by Heather Kenny
on Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 11:05 AM
If you've ever dreamed of being a ballerina—or at just looked longingly at the costumes—this one's for you. Right in time for Halloween, the
Joffrey Ballet is offering a selection of some 200 costumes from its past productions. While many of the women's items are bound to be tiny,there will also be some capes and jackets, as well as shoes, hats, and other props. Prices start at $25. The sale is open to the public on Wednesday from 8 AM to 2 PM at the Joffrey Tower, 10 E. Randolph. Call312-386-8979.
Tags: Joffrey, ballet, costumes, Halloween, dance
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