Photos by Nathan Michael.
I got in the habit of tailoring thrift store clothes back in college. My at-the-time girlfriend’s mother was a fairly proficient sewer, and took-in a number of my second-hand shirts and jeans. Did a pretty good job too. After graduating and moving to Chicago, and breaking up with said girlfriend, I set out to find a suitable replacement (tailor, that is). I remember Googling a variety of different keyword combos (“best tailor chicago” “highest rated tailor chicago” “best alterations chicago”), and every time, the same name kept coming up: Golden Needle.
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Photos by Nathan Michael.
I first learned about Winter Session from the founders of local apparel consulting group Single Needle. We were having coffee together, when one of them, noticing my Filson bag, told me I should give the brand a look, as their stuff was similar. To be honest, I was a little skeptical. Up until that point, I hadn’t come across any truly impressive Chicago makers. That Winter Session was not only making here, but also supposedly producing goods on par with Filson’s, well it was a little hard to believe.
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Photos by Nathan Micheal.
I’ve been shopping at Penelope’s pretty much the whole time I’ve lived in Chicago. It might seem a little weird to say, but, I kind of feel like the store and I have grown up together. As my tastes and expectations about clothing have changed, so have theirs, and almost in all the same ways. However, it’s not just the clothes that have kept me coming back, it’s also the people. I’m not sure if it’s part of the employee training, or what, but every time I’ve ever walked in there, someone from the staff has warmly greeted me. That might sound small, but I can’t think of any other business about which I can claim the same.
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I’ve lived in Chicago since ’04. My relationship with the city has definitely been a love / hate one. To be fair, most of that hate isn’t really Chicago’s fault. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, and like most native New Yorkers, I have a terrible habit of comparing every place I visit with the city of my birth – and Chicago is absolutely nothing like NYC. But, as I said, there’s been a good amount of love these last seven years too. And a lot of that is thanks to the independently owned businesses here. It’s not just that they offer great product / services, they’re also run by great people. Many of whom, I’m happy to call my friends.
I’ve decided to spend the next four weeks spotlighting some of these businesses. In keeping with the local theme, I’ve asked Chicago-based photographer, and all around stand-up guy, Nathan Micheal to handle the visuals. My goal here is twofold. Firstly, with the holidays coming up, I’d like to remind all Chicagoans to please, if you can, shop locally. Without your patronage, these businesses wouldn’t exist. Secondly, these posts are my way of saying thanks to the people and places featured for keeping this city fun. I couldn’t imagine living here without you. First up, clothing boutique Sir & Madame.
I don’t know how many times I walked past Sir & Madame before finally going in, but I do know the number is far too high. Located just a few blocks from my apartment in the primarily residential Ukrainian Village area, the shop’s storefront always stood out amidst the drab facades surrounding it. However, almost every time I passed, I was en route somewhere else, and thus never ventured inside. But then, I heard from several trusted sources that it was actually worth a look. So, one afternoon, with my girlfriend in tow, I paid a long overdue visit. Immediately upon walking through the door, I realized how foolish I had been to not have gone in sooner.
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