And, no, we’re not talking about Blake Lively. We’re referring to one of the greatest fashion traditions in Chicago. Owned and operated by Marilyn Blaszka and Dominic Marcheschi, Blake has been a fashion-lover’s destination for 25 years.  The couple have an uncanny eye and a deep love of and appreciation for the artistry of fashion. You will not see any pictures of their amazing store and you cannot shop online –this is a store that you truly have to visit (what a great excuse to come check out our awesome city!) Among the racks in their impeccably merchandised store, you will find the very best of Dries, Margiela, Ann Demeulemeester, Roland Mouret, Marni, Chloe and 6267. While we cannot show you the pieces as they would merchandise them, we can at least give you a taste of their fabulous assortment. And the accessories are just the tip of the iceberg..

Dries Van Noten…

Maison Martin Margiela…

Ann Demeulemeester. This necklace was my favorite thing in the whole store. Pictured here on the runway in both black and white, you cannot even believe the drama of this thing in person. Mind-blowingly beautiful. Running it over and over in my head — how can I get my hands on this thing????

And behind all of this brilliance…

Blake is located at 212 W. Chicago Avenue, Chicago 60610

with long-standing Chicago Boutique, Clever Alice!!  Now at her new location in Bucktown and into her thirteenth year, owner, Tammy Chaponot, still lays claim to one of the best edited and wonderfully affordable boutiques in town.    We quickly fell in love with Eternal Child, shown above, as well as with her cozy, chic space on Damen.  Great indie lines that are similar in design to Mayle, Vanessa Bruno, Complex Geometries….best deal in town, love the prices!!  Thanks Tammy!!

want more….stop in:

Clever Alice

1920 N Damen

Chicago, IL 60647

Arlene and I were tooling around the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago today and were reminded of one of the main reasons we love our town: the neighborhoods! Broadway on the North side is a very unassuming, off-the-radar, socially neglected, adorable location with a thriving retail scene. We drove in to get soup from one of our all-time favorite lunch joints,Soupbox. (Delish. If you’re ever in town, stop by for a bowl.)

As we were driving down Broadway, we noticed the Threadless store and were ashamed to admit to one another that we had never been in. It’s a pretty fabulous Chicago success story and we love to support our local entrepreneurs. Sooo, after picking up soup to take back to the studio, we decided to head back up the street and check it out. But…

Spare Parts

…we got sidetracked by the serious cuteness of Spare Parts. I was gobsmacked by a leather elephant in the window and we just had to go in. So glad we did! After more than 20 years, this fantastic little shop is better than ever, featuring a variety of goodies in a variety of price points for a variety of customers. Arlene got a piece of artwork and a great tie for her husband, all for under $50! And I am definitely going back for the elephant! 

         artwork by Adam Kaplan                                   Flying Fish necktie by Josh Bach  

So, back on our quest to visit Threadless. The quick 411 on them: it’s a t-shirt company that started as an online competition — the winner had their shirt produced and sold. And now… it’s HUGE.

The first floor is all t-shirts, each with its own video screen displaying a close-up of the shirt’s design as well as shots of it on both men and women. Super cute. And as if that wasn’t enough, we ventured up to the 2nd level expecting more of the same, but instead what did we find? An ART GALLERY. Seriously? Those guys are insane. And some very cool stuff, as well…

So, back to the car, to soup, to work.

Passed this along the way…

I’m sure I’d appreciate it even more if I actually did anything physical, like biking. 

Also passed this along the way…

Well not exactly, but we did indeed get flashed. That’s right. A lovely homeless man wearing an old-school plain grey sweatsuit lumbered uncomfortably close to us and then proceeded to lower his pants and show us his penis. Never thought I would utter that sentence in my life!

All in all, a pretty interesting day.

On a side note, I’d like to give a big THANK YOU to Crystal of Plush Palate for featuring us on her blog. She did a lovely story, so please be sure to check it out here. Thanks, Crystal!! We’re so flattered!!!

So, most of you who follow this blog are undoubtedly familiar with the uber-stylish Jane of Sea of Shoes. We love Jane, but after reading Jane’s blog for some time, we have really become taken with Jane’s mom, Judy Aldridge. Judy should be the poster child (woman?) for twentythirtyforty.net. She wears what she loves and loves what she wears. She is not afraid to take risks and clearly dresses solely for herself. She rocks out every single outfit she dons with the utmost confidence and commitment. Just look at her in this shirtdress with piles and piles of accessories and good old-fashioned geek glasses.

Good, no? Judy has a long and prestigious history in the world of fashion (former model & boutique owner, now online purveyor of style), so it’s no surprise that she’s such a style maven. You’ll definitely want to check out her online vintage shop, Atlantis Vintage, as well as her fantastic blog, Atlantis Home(where she always posts about newly added shop items). Judy loves her some vintage shopping and she has a very keen eye, so things in her shop move quickly. Don’t wait too long or that YSL silk shift will be gone like McQueen on Gilt Groupe! 

It’s difficult as a woman over 40 to stay hip, stylish, current and age-appropriate. Somehow, Judy Aldridge always seems to get it right. She’s just down with who she is and that’s reflected in her impeccable personal style. I think what always gets us about her is how completely effortless and cool she always looks. We love those Olsen twins (haven’t talked about that much, but we do), but THIS is the style icon that we aspire to be.

Gotta love a woman who understands the power of a great shoe and some fabulous accessories…

And Judy’s style isn’t just about Judy: check out the skirt she made for daughter, Carol (this one bakes, by the way. such a creative and talented group of ladies!)

Thank you, Judy, for inspiring us all to take some risks, wear what we love, and embrace who we are.

Arlene and I were recently shopping at one of our favorite Chicago boutiques, Hejfina, and we were absolutely drooling over all the Margiela ligne 6, Isabel Marant and Vanessa Bruno (among others). The MM6 is what really got me, though. My birthday always falls during final spring markdown time and I usually score some pretty sweet deals (last year, it was an MM6 dress for $86!), so I’m hoping that one of these babies will still be around come summer…

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about why I love certain stores and designers and the reason is always the same: It’s all about point-of-view. In my opinion the reason that businesses are able to stay successful, strong, and relevant — even in a struggling economy — is because they are consistent. They have a point-of-view. There is something that they specialize in, something that is innately who they are, that always manages to come through. I’ve heard myself lately telling store owners that what I love about their stores is that not only do they have a very distinct point-of-view,  they have the courage and dedication to stick to that point-of-view. They created stores out of who they are. They have grown and changed and evolved as people, but the feeling is always the same. I have a couple of favorite Chicago places that I feel embody this, but I’ll start with this one:

Helen Yi

The lady. Pretty. Classy. Sophisticated. Cool. Everyone that knows this store — regardless of whether or not they know Helen herself — knows that Helen Yi is a lady. You can tell when you walk through the door that Helen loves beautiful, feminine, stylish clothes. And she loves being a woman. She obviously created a store dedicated to this point-of-view. The individual styles and trends may change, but the feeling is always the same. Each season, Helen manages to go out and find great designers. Not just “the next big thing,” but great designers that speak to her distinct point-of-view. Because, after all, that’s who she is. That’s what she loves, that’s what she’s passionate about, and that’s why you go to her when you want to feel like a lady.