chicago

A local treasure hunt for free food and shopping discounts!

It's possible that nothing has done more to inspire the wardrobes of today's women than the now ubiquitous street-style blog.

A number of small companies based in Chicago are producing skincare and makeup products, all crafted with beauty-boosting natural ingredients. Here are five of our favorites.

There's no denying that a great pair of shades is an instant way to look infinitely cooler. In Chicago, prime frame-finding season starts as soon as the thermometer tips north, and the first sign of balmy days to come has us ready to buy. To help with the hunt, we enlisted Lesley Bramson, manager of Spex (2316 N. Clark St., 773-404-0777, spexchicago.com). Here, she runs down her top five styles of the season, from the standbys you'll have forever to the season's stunning new silhouettes.

Okay, so you already know all about Polyvore and Gilt Groupe. But it's not just the biggies that are embracing the creative connective power of the Web for the greater good of our wardrobes. Cool Chicago ladies are getting in on the online fashion action too. Here are four start-ups that make living the stylish life that much simpler.

A recent trip to this expansive antiques mall turned up both a Coogi sweater from the '80s and a rainbow's worth of Bakelite bracelets.

It's one of Chicago's big success stories 
(the label is sold at some of the best boutiques in the States), so it's no surprise that the Eskell flagship is equally cool: Beyond the beautifully patterned in-house line, there's a great array of nicely priced labels like Minkpink.

A giant oak library counter and antique card catalogs make it feel like a study, appropriate since Greer is exclusively devoted to exquisite stationery, journals and pens.

Helen Yi has been one of Chicago’s fashion pacesetters for nearly a decade, and somehow it's lost none of its edge: Gorgeously tailored Derek Lam blazers mingle with feminine blouses by Barbara Bui.

Everyday wearable underpinnings—that 
are still undeniably pretty—are consistently stocked at this Chicago institution.