Champagne and Sushi

Shopping: State Street
We started at State Street. Macy’s to be exact. Sure there were boutiques to invade, but there’s not much that compares with the mega—second largest in the United States—department store. It was our first day, and I only had a couple of hours before I needed to be on location for my shoot. We headed straight to Seven on State (the upscale equivalent of Minneapolis’s Skyroom) for lunch at Takashi’s Noodles. After fueling up, we checked in at the nearby visitor’s center for our five-day discount card. (It’s only 11 percent off, but it covers the sales tax we pay in Illinois.) Our immediate shopping need was a coat for Shelly. She hated the one she had along, and to make fashion matters worse, she had lost the belt on the plane. Of course, being January, outerwear was on sale. After trying on no fewer than twenty coats, our team consensus was a chic black wool belted car coat. Shelly asked the sales woman if she could dispose of her old, dated coat. “You aren’t the first woman to ask that today,” she replied.

My mind was focused on resort wear since I had a trip to the Bahamas in the coming weeks. I nabbed a royal blue, navy, and white long-sleeved tunic by INC that will be perfect over my swimsuit.

I reconnected with my pals later in the day at Nordstrom Rack (across the street from Macy’s) where we all found a score or two. Mine? A brown and white daisy floral shift by Milly ($40!), also for my trip to the islands.

Shopping: Bucktown
You’d think with Michigan Avenue practically out our front door—and oh-so-fabulous Oak Street in the Gold Coast district only ten blocks away, we’d stay close to The James. But Bucktown was beckoning. There was news that Cynthia Rowley and Nanette Lepore had each recently opened shops in the artsy-bohemian retail district. (Marc by Marc Jacobs opened two weeks after our visit). Bucktown is what Twin Citian’s wish Uptown could be. There’s a nice mix of owner-operated shops and boutiques focusing on local and emerging designers. Plus plenty of specialty retail stores and eateries. I was personally drawn to Nanette Lepore. This is her fifth store in the United States and the closest to Minneapolis. I’ve enjoyed her vintage-inspired designs since discovering her at Anthropologie many moons ago. My friends and I took the place over for about an hour (fall and winter collection was half off). Trish bought a black dress—I’ve lost count of how many she owns. And somehow, I walked out with not only a sweater, but a just-above-the-ankle brocade halter-style dress. Only girlfriends can get you to buy a long dress when there’s not a particular event you’re shopping for.

Our time in Bucktown was focused on a stretch of Damen Avenue north of Milwaukee Avenue and included stops at Helen Yi, p.45, PsychoBaby, Pagoda Red, Tangerine, and Stitch. Had we headed farther north on Damen, we would have discovered Apartment No. 9, Roslyn, and Veruca Salt—all recommended by the Nanette Lepore staff.

Shopping: Off the Beaten Path
Our photographer for this story, Callie Lipkin, is a TC native now making a name for herself in Chicago. She met up with us in Bucktown, and once we’d had our fill, she said she wanted to take us to one her favorite shops. We made our way to the West Loop to visit Bess & Loie on West Lake Street. The handbag and accessories boutique captivated us the minute owner Allyson Holleb opened her ring-the-bell-for-entry door. She offered us sparkling wine and then we did the divide and conquer. A half-hour later I had a great bag for schlepping stuff, Trish and I each acquired a new necklace, Trish and Shelly had new lipsticks, and we each decided we needed chic headbands. We also popped in next door to Koros, a stylish store that I’m sure would become a favorite if I was a local.