Shopping - Chicago 2005 - page 223

WESTFIELD NORTH BRIDGE The newest addition to the Mag Mile
shopping scene is this mall at 520 N. Michigan Ave. The anchor of the devel-
opment is a four-story Nordstrom ( & 312/379-4300 ). The mall includes the
first Chicago locations for A/X Armani Exchange ( & 312/467-5702 ), Giorgio
Armani's younger and more affordable line, and Tommy Bahama ( & 312/
644-8388 ), which sells upscale tropical gear (plenty of Hawaiian-style prints
and bright colors). Moms and their kids can get decked out in fun, colorful out-
fits at Oilily ( & 312/642-1166 ). The third floor is devoted to children's shops,
the best of which is The Lego Store ( & 312/494-0760 )—look for the replicas
of Chicago landmarks built out of those distinctive colored-plastic blocks.
Future Easy Riders can get decked out in mini-size motorcycle gear at the
Harley-Davidson children's store ( & 312/755-9520 ). Tucked away in the kid-
die shopping area is the Linda Campisano boutique ( & 312/337-1004 ),

which showcases beautiful hats made by a local designer.
CHIC SHOPPING ON NEARBY OAK STREET
Oak Street has long been a symbol of exclusive designer-label shopping; if a store
has an Oak Street address, you can count on it being expensive. This posh, 1-
block stretch of exclusive shops is located at the northern tip of the Magnificent
Mile, where Michigan Avenue ends and Lake Shore Drive begins. While some
big-name boutiques (such as Giorgio Armani) have left Oak Street for higher-
traffic locations on Michigan Avenue, this stretch of converted town houses is
still well worth a stroll—for people-watching, if nothing else (this is Main St. for
Chicago socialites). Most of Oak Street is closed on Sunday, except during the
holiday season.
Without a doubt, the top independent designer shop in Chicago is Ultimo,
114 E. Oak St. ( & 312/787-1171 ), which carries both men's and women's
clothing and accessories. Although the store has had its ups and downs recently
(ever since the founder and longtime owner sold it), this is still the place to find
hot, up-and-coming designers before they show up in department stores.
Ultimo's distinctive lush, red interior also is a welcome change from the mini-
malist design of so many other designer boutiques.
Oak Street is home to several fancy footwear moguls: Italian shoemaker To d 's ,
121 E. Oak St. ( & 312/943-0070 ); Donald J Pliner, 106 E. Oak St. ( & 312/
202-9600 ), whose eponymous founder got his start in Chicago; and elegant
French designs from Robert Clergerie, 56 E. Oak St. ( & 312/867-8720 ), dis-
played in a sleek, modern setting. Shoes, stationery—and most importantly,
handbags—are available at kate spade, 101 E. Oak St. ( & 312/654-8853 ),
along with the Jack Spade line of men's accessories. The priciest accessories on
this very pricey block are probably to be found at French luxury house Hermès
of Paris, 110 E. Oak St. ( & 312/787-8175 ).
Thread-count fanatics swear by the sheets from Pratesi, 67 E. Oak St.
( & 312/943-8422 ), and Frette, 41 E. Oak St. ( & 312/649-3744 ), both of
which supply linens to the top hotels in Europe (and where sheet sets cost more
than what some people pay in rent). Other shops include Loro Piana, 45 E.
Oak St. ( & 312/664-6644 ), for Italian cashmere and wool clothing, and
Marina Rinaldi, 113 E. Oak St. ( & 312/867-8700 ), a division of Italian cloth-
ing company MaxMara that specializes in women's clothing sizes 12 and above
(making this a welcome respite from the fashion-model-size clothes at sur-
rounding boutiques).
Anchoring the western end of the block are two haute heavyweights: Barneys
New York, 25 E. Oak St. ( & 312/587-1700 ), for chic clothing, stellar shoe