While Chicago’s got all the obvious spots to help you stock up for your next haul video (think Michigan Avenue, Watertower Place, and State Street in the loop), designer chain stores only scratch the surface of the city’s (often bizarre) shopping scene.
Lost Eras
Lost Eras is a vast and beautiful clusterfuck off Howard in Rogers Park that’s part costume shop, part antique store, and part hoarding grandma’s basement. It is a terrifying labyrinth that starts out in a sunny, well-windowed room and continues on for what seems like miles through a maze of masks and puffy skirts, into a musty basement with five-foot ceilings. Costume rentals are available if you find something dope but expensive. Go with at least an hour to kill because this place can take you down some weird rabbit holes—like, actual rabbit holes. The corner of the basement is made up of nothing but giant costume rabbit heads with buckteeth and dead eyes.
Videos by VICE
Rotofugi
A geeky knick-knack shop with an art gallery in the back, this place is the answer to the question “What should I get my nerdy boyfriend/girlfriend for his/her birthday?” You’ll find something for him in the sea of pop culture collectables and weird little toys.
Kokoroko
A funky Wicker Park vintage shop so steeped in 90s nostalgia that it could legitimately be a forgotten Nickelodeon Studios gift shop. Advocates of the all-black-everything approach to dressing may be hard-pressed to find an outfit that suits them in this veritable explosion of color and neon pattern, but that’s their loss. Rainbow is the new black, and this place is ON IT.
Reckless Records. Photo by Justin Schmitz
Knee Deep
This amazing Pilsen vintage shop is straight out of a mid-century pinup dream, and the owners are the best. Let Carlos give you the once over and he’ll come back with an arm full of retro shit that fits you like a glove. If you’ve ever watched Mad Men and thought, Damn, I wish I could be Christina Hendricks, you can. All you need is a red wig, two water balloons, and a half-hour at Knee Deep.
Brown Elephant
The Brown Elephant consignment shop has the power to read your mind and make things you didn’t even know you wanted appear in front of you. Looking for a solid wood dining room table and chair set? It’s here for a cool $75. Have a vague idea about a Versailles-inspired end table for your bedroom? They’ve got three to pick from and they’re all casually under $30. With two locations and a constantly rotating selection of clothes, furniture, and housewares to browse, this place is heaven on earth, especially if you just moved into a new place.
Reckless Records
Reckless has been around forever. It has a great selection of vinyl, CDs, and DVDs, and three different locations around the city. They’re famous for a reason. Go check them out.
