The Chicago Traveler

Alright, I’ll admit it. The whole retro fashion fad? I don’t get it. I stopped wearing my ‘80s outfits for a reason. But if vintage is your thing, then browse through the racks at Strange Cargo.
The racks and shelves (just north of Purgatory Pizza) are full of retro clothes, shoes, jeans, pea coats, accessories, and more. While most of the customers found perusing here don’t look like they even remember the ‘80s, they appreciate the quirky store for its old trading cards (“Saved by the Bell”?!), button-pins, and hundreds of iron-on T-shirt decals.
And just in case you don’t find a …read more

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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 …read more

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You’ve probably been making sacrifices with your budget in today’s economy, but many of us have a few indulgences we just can’t do without. There are many Chicago locales where you can find the hottest trends and must-haves in beauty and fashion that are on every well-pampered lady’s list.
At downtown’s Oak Street (near Le Colonial), you don’t have to look far to find high-end beauty treatments. One hot new trend for hair is long, luxurious locks. However, almost every time you see a celebrity with lusciously long hair, it’s being “assisted.” You can get the celeb treatment right here in …read more

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• Check out two local designers and their earth-friendly clothing for women at EcoFashion: Beyond the Basics. Sip on pomegranate martinis with organic vodka at Pivot, while seeing how scarves are made with natural pomegranate dye. (Apr 4)
• The 24th Annual Chicago Latino Film Festival features more than 100 short, animated, documentary, and feature films from the United States, Portugal, Mexico, Argentina, and Spain. Screenings take place in several venues across the city and explore politics, race, sex, and social issues. (Apr 4-16)
• Doug Benson, as seen on VH1’s Best Week Ever, will be appearing at Lakeshore Theater. (Apr 4-5)
• …read more

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“Necessity is the mother of Invention.” Well, these two Chicago moms needed a place to get fashionable, comfortable duds for their little ones. When they couldn’t find one, they decided to create their own.
When designer Nicole Rairigh gave birth to her first daughter Ashor, her line of mini-wear, a.k.a. Ashor’s Room, was also born. Rairigh had just graduated from fashion school at Columbia College and started making clothes for little Ashor. She began introducing the clothing to various boutiques, and now these locally-designed duds can be found in stores all across the country. All of the screens and patches are …read more

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Maybe you’re not as eco-friendly as you’d like to be. You may not always recycle when you should, and on more than one occasion, you’ve left the kitchen light on. You can start making up for it at Pivot.
Owner Jessa Brinkmeyer proves that earth-smart doesn’t have to mean crunch, grungy, or hippie. Her eco-boutique (just north of Red Kiva) is filled with recycled furniture, bamboo flooring, fluorescent bulbs, and toxin-free paint. And the clothes themselves? They’re as “green” as the recycled-metal racks they’re hung on: organic cotton, bamboo, soy, hemp, recycled leather, silk, linen, etc. These are some of …read more

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In the Lakeview neighborhood (around the corner from North End), there’s a little boutique called Kreative Soul. If you’re looking for accessories that will complement both your body and your aura, this is the place to be.
Owner Madame Pilar loves natural things and offers beautiful items for delightful prices. Check out her unique style, exemplified in her handcrafted hip sacks and stylish jewelry. Many of the trinkets incorporate semi-precious stones and encourage chakra healing and wellness. Pilar loves helping customers find what they need, both physically and spiritually. Folks can even come in and choose their own stone, which Pilar …read more

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• Sip on specially-priced $29 bottles of wine from past leap years (2000 and 2004) at the Leap Year Dinner at Café Matou. (Feb 29)
• Shane Salois of Cream Wine Company and sommelier Rashed Islam lead a tasting of more than 12 champagnes with appetizer pairings at the Leap Year Champagne Seminar at Viet Bistro. (Feb 29)
• At the Leap Year Celebration at Zocalo, get a flan dessert for $2.29 (in honor of the day 2/29) plus half-price appetizers and live music in the bar. (Feb 29)
• The Leap Year Celebration at Café Penelope features buffalo frog legs, “frog’s leap” …read more

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I’ve been called crafty at times, but I’m by no means a craftsman. Just putting together bookshelves from IKEA is a challenge for me.
Fortunately, there are plenty of artists out there whose functional and beautiful handmade products can be found at the Renegade Craft Fair. But if you happen to miss the two-day event, no worries. You can find all the screen-printed T-shirts, jewelry, poster prints, and more at Renegade Handmade.
Featuring the work of over 100 artists both local and international, this Wicker Park store (next door to the Milk & Honey Café) was created as an extension of the …read more

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• Can you shake your booty to a Latin beat? Club 720 holds a weekly salsa competition where winners advance to the finals in the hopes of earning the $2500 cash prize. (runs through Feb 15)
• Those handsome Chicago calendar firemen will be hitting the town again, this time at Crobar. They’ll be signing autographs, posing for pictures (slightly more clothed this time), and even giving out kisses from a kissing booth. Have a favorite month? Vote for the handsomest hero as the men compete for the title of “Chicago’s Hottest Fireman.” Actor Daniel Sunjata of the FX show “Rescue …read more

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