Posh Pampering (Men’s Edition)
Last week, I talked about a few of the ways that women can luxuriously pamper themselves here in Chicago. But if you think high-end style is just for ladies, you'd be sorely mistaken.
If you're a man looking for the best of the best, make a stop at Nieman Marcus. Here you can find shirts by Stefano Ricci that go far beyond your average dress shirt. Hand-stitched by nuns in Italy, this excellent piece of tailoring will run you about $650.
And if you're looking good, you probably want to smell good too. Clive Christian's X Pure is a spicy, woody fragrance that comes in a 1-ounce, handmade crystal bottle with 24-karat gold-plated sterling silver collar. It sells for $850, and that's without the optional brilliant-cut diamond.
At home, you're not going to impress your, um, evening guests with bedsheets you've had since college. Frette Boutique on Oak Street features a historic line of Italian bedding which have been found on the Titanic and the Orient Express. Frette sheets have even been found in the Vatican! So if they're good enough for His Holiness, they'll be great for your slightly more sinful activities. A bed set (top sheet, bottom sheet, two pillowcases) can go for as much as $2400, and that doesn't even include the pure cashmere blanket ($5800) or the silk light quilt ($4200)! Of course, special sheets require special care. A 17-ounce bottle of scented ironing water runs for about $45.
When it finally comes time to sign the bill from all that shopping, you don't want to use a boring pen from the office supplies store. Century Pens has pens that range from $25 to more than $10,000. And the fountain pen actually has Midwestern roots. Lewis Edson Waterman actually invented the capillary feed fountain pen at his brother's work shop in Kankakee, about an hour south of Chicago.
It just goes to show, men are just as capable as women when it comes to living and shopping extravagantly.
Photo credit: (c/o Flickr) polomex (1, 2, 3)
Nieman Marcus: 737 N Michigan Ave; 312-642-5900; 800-642-4480
Mon ' Fri: 10:00 a.m. ' 7:00 p.m.
Sat: 10:00 a.m. ' 7:00 p.m.
Sun: 12 noon ' 6:00 p.m.
Parking pay lot
Public trans: Bus # 3, X4, 10, 26, 125, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 151 or Red Line train (Chicago)
http://www.neimanmarcus.com/
Frette: 41 E Oak St; 312-649-3744
Mon ' Sat: 10:00 a.m. ' 6:00 p.m.
Sun: 12 noon ' 5:00 p.m.
Street parking difficult
Public trans: Bus # 36
http://www.frette.com/
Century Pens: 231 S LaSalle St; 312-251-1090
Mon ' Fri: 9:30 a.m. ' 5:30 p.m.
Public trans: Bus # 1, 7, X28, 126, 134, 135, 136, 151, 156
Brown/Purple/Pink/Orange Line train (Quincy)
http://www.centurypenschicago.com/
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1 opinion for Posh Pampering (Men’s Edition)
Go Chicago Card
Aug 14, 2008 at 9:25 am
Wow that is an expensive scent!
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