Yvette Marie Dostatni

Gray

1361 N. Wells, 312-573-0750

June 15, 2007

USED TO BE Old Town was known mostly for restaurants and Second City. But it’s becoming increasingly attractive to clothing retailers—witness the relocation of the Nicole Miller boutique from Oak Street last fall. The neighborhood’s lively foot traffic won over Gray owner Laura Schoch, who opened her doors there last month. Schoch, who says she never met a black top she didn’t like, opened the first Gray boutique in Winnetka seven years ago, intending to highlight clothes in neutral palettes. That shop’s still going, but she closed her second location, in Lake Forest, to open the one in the city. On Wells, you can find basics in black and white, including a very Holly Golightly sleeveless empire-waist Cynthia Steffe dress with a button-closure keyhole neckline ($251). But not much besides the walls is in the namesake hue. “People love color,” Schoch says, noting that the store is also named for her son. The ubiquitous little cotton-print dresses of summer are in evidence, but there are also specimens suitable for the office, like a long-sleeved cotton shirtdress in a sprightly yellow-and-green floral pattern by Porridge ($189). Other casual fare includes tailored, narrow shorts in light blue by Billy Blues ($120), rectangular leather clutches with magnetic buckle clasps in red, green, and teal by Sabina ($106), and a blousy Jully Kang top in a blue-and-white pattern ($88) that brings to mind Delft pottery. —Heather Kenny

Belmont Army Lakeview 855 W. Belmont	Phaiz West Town 673 N. Milwaukee	Andersonville Galleria Andersonville 5247 N. Clark	2 Sisters West Loop 1167 W. Madison
Golden Age Pilsen 1500 W. 17th	Pivot West Town 1101 W. Fulton	Charlotte Russe Loop 10 S. State	Renegade Handmade Wicker Park 1924 W. Division
Gray Old Town 1361 N. Wells	Florodora South Loop 330 S. Dearborn	A.Okay Official Lakeview 3720 N. Clark	Intermix Gold Coast 40 E. Delaware
Bess & Loie West Loop 1015 W. Lake	Gamma Player Wicker Park 2035 W. Division	Malabar Bucktown 1880 N. Damen	Mia Mora Logan Square 2639 W. Fullerton
Roslyn Bucktown 2035 N. Damen	Ouest West Loop 1063 W. Madison	Kaveri Lincoln Park 1211 W. Webster	Lissa on Maxwell University Village 729 W. Maxwell
TK Men Bucktown 1909 W. North	MNG by Mango Downtown Water Tower Place	Doggy Style Pet Shop Wicker Park 2023 W. Division	Sweden Shop Albany Park 3304 W. Foster
Permanent Records Ukranian Village 1914 W. Chicago	Michelle Tan Wicker Park 1872 N. Damen	Akira Bucktown 1814 W. North

Send a letter to the editor.