The Chicago thread - local recommendations, trunk shows, goings-on, etc.

[style_geek]

What's the deal with Chicago retail downtown? Both Brooks Brothers closed. They seem to have struggled to support higher end shoe brands.

It seems that New York / Boston / DC / SF have more options from a style / dressing perspective. What gives?

 

[nevaeh]

Got my suede jacket back from Davis Imperial today, and can't even tell there was every anything on it. They did a fantastic job - it was like opening a new jacket again.

Excellent! And Davis Imperial’s pick up and delivery service can’t be beat. Ideally, the weather will warm up and you won’t need your suede jacket till next winter!!

 

[nevaeh]

Got an email from Divij Bespoke a few weeks ago that he’ll be in Chicago. Tomorrow (Wednesday) is his last day in the city on this trip.

 

[adschus]

What's the deal with Chicago retail downtown? Both Brooks Brothers closed. They seem to have struggled to support higher end shoe brands.

It seems that New York / Boston / DC / SF have more options from a style / dressing perspective. What gives?

Dashing sells Edward green and Alden plus accessories. Sean is in the heart of the loop.

BB should have closed those locations pre pandemic. They have Way too many brick and mortar stores and their current offerings are junk City compared to what they use to produce.

 

[nevaeh]

What's the deal with Chicago retail downtown? Both Brooks Brothers closed. They seem to have struggled to support higher end shoe brands.

It seems that New York / Boston / DC / SF have more options from a style / dressing perspective. What gives?

Brooks Brothers is one store, and doesn’t represent the Chicago retail market. And I’m curious in what ways Boston, D.C., and San Francisco have more style or dressing options? New York is New York, so I’ll leave that one out.

 

[Phileas Fogg]

What's the deal with Chicago retail downtown? Both Brooks Brothers closed. They seem to have struggled to support higher end shoe brands.

It seems that New York / Boston / DC / SF have more options from a style / dressing perspective. What gives?

there’s Neimans and Saks. There’s Syd Jerome, Paul Stuart and a number of independent custom tailors. There are a number of boutiques on Oak Street. There’s RL and if you’re looking for a bit of hipster vibe, Independence and Mildblend.

People come from all over to NYC specifically to shop. Chicago is not like that. It’s not as big and not as international. People come to Chicago for other reasons.

The policy response to Covid wiped out a lot. I’m sure other cities were affected by it as well. There’s plenty here depending on what you’re looking for.

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

I'm sad to learn that Morris & Sons closed. The service was a bit more "attentive" than I'm used to, but I bought a Brioni raincoat that is still my go-to for inclement weather over a decade later.

 

[ld111134]

there’s Neimans and Saks. There’s Syd Jerome, Paul Stuart and a number of independent custom tailors. There are a number of boutiques on Oak Street. There’s RL and if you’re looking for a bit of hipster vibe, Independence and Mildblend.

People come from all over to NYC specifically to shop. Chicago is not like that. It’s not as big and not as international. People come to Chicago for other reasons.

The policy response to Covid wiped out a lot. I’m sure other cities were affected by it as well. There’s plenty here depending on what you’re looking for.

I agree. Another factor that cannot be ignored is that many shoppers, both locals and visitors, may not feel as safe as they did before the riots of May 2020, which saw extensive smash-and-grabs along the Magnificent Mile. Add to that the belief that shootings and carjackings have increased in areas previously regarded as relatively ”safe” (e.g. River North, Streeterville and the Gold Coast). This fear may be keeping foot traffic away from downtown stores (and restaurants).

While Chicago has never been the shopping Mecca that New York or Miami are, there has always been many foreign and domestic visitors shopping downtown (if the lobbies of the Drake, Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton or Omni are any indication). There might be a decrease in these shoppers, which has affected stores along Michigan Avenue (I have no statistics to back this up).

P.S. Let’s hope that Ryan Poles doesn’t **** this one up.

 

[abracadabra]

Both Brooks Brothers closed.

Brooks Brothers filed for Chapter 11 protection during the pandemic and shut down a number of stores, including their flagship on Madison Avenue. The pandemic really wrecked the mid- to high-end mens businesswear brands like BB for a number of self-evident reasons. Many of them had locations that were specifically targeted at people going to and from the office, and so between this and a suggested shift to a generally more casual work environment, it's not surprising that BB, Leffot, etc. closed in 2020. There were similar issues in NYC with stores in Midtown (Kamakura shirts being another prime example)

 

[Duke Santos]

Switching things back to restaurants for a moment, I took a visiting friend to Le Bouchon last week. It was my first visit since the pandemic. Packed on a Monday night, and everything was exceptional: apps, entrees, wine.

 

[jimney]

Switching things back to restaurants for a moment, I took a visiting friend to Le Bouchon last week. It was my first visit since the pandemic. Packed on a Monday night, and everything was exceptional: apps, entrees, wine.

Love Le Bouchon. Was tragic when La Sardine closed - it was a refreshingly old school dining experience in the West Loop that really stood out for how good it was.

 

[Duke Santos]

So, I decided to give Davis Imperial a shot. Not sure what I walked into, but the following items cost $150.

3 linen shirts for dry cleaning
4 cotton shirts for laundering and pressing
4 sweaters for dry cleaning.

We're literally talking over 3x what my normal amd perfectly acceptable cleaner runs.

Maybe for a suede jacket or something really tricky, but I can't see ,e switching to them for regular run of the mill care.

 

[nevaeh]

So, I decided to give Davis Imperial a shot. Not sure what I walked into, but the following items cost $150.

3 linen shirts for dry cleaning
4 cotton shirts for laundering and pressing
4 sweaters for dry cleaning.

We're literally talking over 3x what my normal amd perfectly acceptable cleaner runs.

Maybe for a suede jacket or something really tricky, but I can't see ,e switching to them for regular run of the mill care.

Who’s your standard cleaner? I’m trying to find a new, standard cleaner after mine in the West Loop closed as a casualty of the pandemic. Right now, Davis Imperial is the only option, but I can sure use a cheaper option.

 

[jimney]

So, I decided to give Davis Imperial a shot. Not sure what I walked into, but the following items cost $150.

3 linen shirts for dry cleaning
4 cotton shirts for laundering and pressing
4 sweaters for dry cleaning.

We're literally talking over 3x what my normal amd perfectly acceptable cleaner runs.

Maybe for a suede jacket or something really tricky, but I can't see ,e switching to them for regular run of the mill care.

I'd say it's probably worth it for suede and bespoke jackets. High end knitwear maybe. I just dropped two pairs of bespoke pants at my regular dry cleaner and I'm sure it will be fine, and cheaper.

 

[Duke Santos]

Who’s your standard cleaner? I’m trying to find a new, standard cleaner after mine in the West Loop closed as a casualty of the pandemic. Right now, Davis Imperial is the only option, but I can sure use a cheaper option.

Even though I live in Lincoln Park, I usually make a run up to Northfield on a weekend morning when there's no traffic. The cleaner is Village Cleaner of Northfield (everything is done on site). It's a block off the Edens exit. and there's a great, classic Greek diner next door. Drop off and pick up my cleaning, grab some eggs benedict and my troubles are over, Dude.