Fit for Fashion

Athleta (3415 N. Southport Ave.; 773-525-5881, athleta.com), Gap Inc.’s activewear catalog for women, opens its first brick-and-mortar shop in Chicago this Wednesday, April 4. Located next to the Southport Brown Line stop in Lake View, the 3,600-square-foot store features fitness and lifestyle apparel, footwear, and accessories for a mix of athletic activities, including yoga, swimming, running, tennis, and golf. In addition to the always-stylish, comfort-fitting tanks and bottoms (from $34), this season’s most coveted pieces are the UPF 50+ hooded pullovers ($79), flattering organic cotton dresses ($69 to $79), and the colorful seamless undergarment collection ($18 to $49 per piece). The new Chicago location, which is Athleta’s 11th store nationwide, offers free in-house alterations, complimentary fitness classes, and kiosks that link to additional products and sizes online.

 

Top Sales This Week

Luxury Garage Sale (847-609-5012, luxurygaragesale.com), an upscale consignment service, holds its next major shopping event at Spiaggia (980 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-280-2750, spiaggiarestaurant.com) this Wednesday, April 4 from 1 to 7:30 p.m. Stop by early to find the best selection of high-end, brand new clothing and accessories from Chanel, Lanvin, Balenciaga, Tom Ford, and more. Discount alert: Everything will be marked down by 40 to 75 percent.

After gaining popularity in San Francisco and Los Angeles, Glamour Closet (209 W. Illinois St.; 312-245-2790, glamourcloset.com), a bridal sample outlet store, recently opened its third location in River North. Glamour Closet constantly updates its inventory, which means lucky ladies can nab 25 to 75 percent off designer runway and bridal salon showroom samples as well as overstock wedding gowns from Vera Wang, La Sposa, Amsale, and Carolina Herrera.

 

The Best of the Rest

  • Mallory Ulaszek, owner of Cityblue Apparel & Denim (1444 N. Wells St.; 312-664-2222, citybluedenim.com), opens her second boutique in her hometown, Lake Forest, this week. Called CB (662 N. Western Ave., Lake Forest; 847-283-8888), the 2,600 square-foot store features goods for men and women from Yigal Azrouel, MM6, Gryphon, and Theory.
  • Meet photographer and author Dr. Michael S. Lewis—best known for his captivating snapshots of animals and people from all over the world—while enjoying appetizers and drinks at Mark Shale (900 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-440-0720, markshale.com) on Thursday, April 5 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Following the event, photographs by Dr. Lewis will be on display at all Chicago Mark Shale locations through Thursday, May 31.
  • Need a refresher on the hottest trends for spring? Garmental.com and The Underground (56 W. Illinois St.; theundergroundchicago.com) kick off a series of weekly fashion events on Thursday, April 5 with a show featuring brightly colored neons and trendy digital prints. Taking place every Thursday this April from 9 to 11 p.m., upcoming sessions will highlight local fashions modeled by real Chicagoans, the latest trends from England, and the season’s best swimwear. RSVP at styleseries@theundergroundchicago.com.
  • Explore more than 30 years of shopping history at the Water Tower Place (835 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-440-3166, shopwatertower.com). The iconic, eight level shopping center launches free 30-minute guided tours every Friday at 3 p.m., starting April 6. Participants each receive a complimentary Water Tower Place tote, a $10 Foodlife gift card, and unique deals from select retailers. Registration is required; click here for details.
  • Take 20 percent off all men’s linen and seersucker suits this month at Sebastien Grey Clothiers (for locations, sebastiengrey.com). The men’s boutique also holds a buy one get one free deal on custom shirts through Monday, April 30.