Beauty/Grooming
Merz Apothecary
Can’t make it to this beloved, jam-packed Lincoln Square apothecary, founded in 1875? Now you can find it—and its 13,000 salves and tinctures—online.
4716 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-989-0900, merzapothecary.com
Home Decor
Architectural Artifacts
This ginormous showroom contains remnants of demolished buildings from near and far.
4325 N. Ravenswood Ave., 773-348-0622, architecturalartifacts.com
Jayson Home
Designphiles make pilgrimages to this sophisticated furniture store—especially when there’s a big sale (the next one hits in July).
1885 N. Clybourn Ave., 773-248-8180, jaysonhome.com
Wrightwood Furniture Co.
Get great deals on factory-direct Indo-colonial, industrial, and French country furniture.
3036 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-687-9210, wrightwoodfurniture.com
Kids
Crush
This shop carries mainly tween sizes (with some grown-up ones mixed in) from lines such as Roxy, Kings of Cole, and Ella Moss.
2138 W. Roscoe St., 773-661-9481, crushonroscoe.com
Rotofugi
Like an art gallery of toys, this Lake View store displays vinyl pieces that are commonplace in Tokyo but less so here. Hardcore collectors geek out over Coarse toys from Hong Kong and Squat figurines from Austin, Texas, while kiddos can find something cute for under 10 bucks.
2780 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-868-3308, rotofugi.com
Men’s and Women’s Apparel
New!
Roam
As of March, you’ll find shoes for gals and guys, in addition to women’s (Halston Heritage, MM6) and men’s (Original Penguin, Citizen) casualwear.
1419 N. Wells St., 312-664-2222, roamchicago.com
Women’s Apparel
Luxury Garage Sale
Last August, Chicago named Luxury Garage Sale the city’s best new store for vintage clothing and accessories. And the stream of ladies-who-lunch favorites (Chanel, Lanvin, Valentino) continues to flow unabated.
1658 N. Wells St., 312-291-9126, luxurygaragesale.com
Union Handmade
At this North Center design collective, you’ll find—you guessed it—handmade clothing and accessories from several local designers, including Kara Hetz’s hammered silver earrings with semiprecious stones and Nancy Melvin’s lovely white cotton nightgowns.
3860 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-348-1400, unionhandmade.com
Women’s Shoes
À Pied
This Roscoe Village gem specializes in small brands, including edgy Jeffrey Campbell (who named the Trudy pump after shop owner Trudy Robinson-Foley) and the mecca of clogs, Swedish Hasbeens.
2037 W. Roscoe St., 773-281-2210, apiedshoeboutique.blogspot.com
Lifestyle
New!
Citizen Stone
Alexis Cozzini, owner
Less than a year after flooding destroyed her upscale Gold Coast boutique Sarca, Cozzini has reinvented herself with this store, tucked away in a Lincoln Park loft. It carries clothing, cookbooks, dog beds, tableware, and more.
How she buys: “I focus on items not easily found in our market. That elusive beauty line or that amazing tabletop piece.”
Latest obsession: LooHoo wool dryer balls. “They are nontoxic, wallet-friendly, nonallergenic, and they last for a year.”
1440 N. Dayton St., 312-624-9062, citizenstone.com