DePaul coeds who pinch their pennies will flock to Rugby, a Polo Ralph Lauren outpost with a younger and more affordable aesthetic.
| WHAT Rugby, one of 11 such stores recently opened by Polo Ralph Lauren, updates the brand’s traditional East Coast prep. Designs are geared more toward stylish campus wear than for summering in Nantucket; it’s fitting, then, that the shop is just a short walk from DePaul. WHERE 1000 W. Armitage Ave.; 773-525-4627 |
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Rugby retains the outdoorsy feel of other Ralph Lauren shops, outfitted with antique mahogany fixtures and packed floor to ceiling with oxfords, jeans, and jackets. Staples like clean-lined trousers, rugby shirts, and classic trenches mix with flirty dresses and slim-cut tops. All of the pieces adhere to the brand’s trademark attention to detail.
| The women’s spring collection Madras jacket ($178) complements a seasonal color palette of lime greens, pinks, and light blues. |  |
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A skull and crossbones replaces the eponymous man-on-the-horse insignia on polos and sweatshirts (pictured, $48 and $78). Pair one with jeans (from $88 to $140), which come in “distressed,” “raw,” or “salvage” washes. The “salvage” wash is so named because it is produced, 1930s style, on salvaged Levi’s machines. |
Sales Check
A roundup of this month’s sales, store openings, and shopping news
by Rebecca Little
The Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques & Garden Fair (1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe; 847-835-8326) runs April 20th through 22nd. Tickets are $15 in advance.
The Chicago Modernism Show and Sale (1422 N. Kingsbury St.; 708-366-2710) represents American and European dealers who specialize in pieces by prominent 20th century designers such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and Isamu Noguchi. The show runs April 14th and 15th. A $10 ticket is good all weekend.
The Left Bank (1155 W. Webster Ave.; 773-929-7422) hosts Gossamer and Gold, a bridal trunk show featuring Laura Jayne Bridal, on April 1st.
Paper Source (328 S. Jefferson St.; 312-906-9678) opens its warehouse for a sale in April. Cash only.
Thread Lounge, a San Francisco–based sample sale company, comes to town from March 29th through April 8th (2780 N. Lincoln Ave.). Thread Lounge last visited in December, so look for 65 new designers of clothing for men, women, and kids, including Rozae Nichols, Eva Franco, Joe’s Jeans, and Penguin. For a full list, visit www.threadlounge.com or call 415-269-3557.
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Just for Kicks
“Puff Daddy has his own line,” explains local hip-hop producer Shorty Capone, when asked why he’s starting his own streetwear line. Capone, who has worked with Lupe Fiasco and Kanye, hired designer Brian Lopez, 23, fresh out of the Art Institute: “I’m the only one who did hip-hop in the final fashion show,” says Lopez, whose talent is visible in the graffitied caps and colorful sneakers, in stores by fall.
Photography: Rugby By Selena Salfen, Shorty Capone By Todd Urban