Recent Store Openings: Lucy, SEE, Zella Brown (Feb 07)

Designer gear is a thing of beauty – but not just for the people who grace the pages of People and Star magazine. This week’s three new stores highlight designer gear for our own bodies, faces, and homes.   

Lucy is home to its own brand of athletic wear, SEE is an exclusive shop for specially designed spectacles, and home furnishings retailer Zella Brown is the brain child of a local designer. All three stores invite you to show off your style with designer flair.  

 

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Lucy

2122 N. Halsted St., Chicago (Lincoln Park)
773.248.3605

(Multiple locations)

www.lucy.com

If getting into shape is as important as looking good, this new shop in Lincoln Park is a must-see. Decorated in bright orange and light-toned wood, with photographs of women happily engaged in physical activities, Lucy is a good source of encouragement as much as a store for a good sports bra.   

The store is divided into cardio, Pilates/yoga and street wear – not unlike the stages of a balanced fitness routine.  On the cardio side, there are fitness journals, heavy-duty sports bras and gym wear and, importantly to many, nipple concealers. The Pilates/yoga side is where you'll find relaxation guides, sleep masks, totes, mats, and yoga clothes. Street wear is casual and nice, perfect for an easy transition from gym/yoga to brunch.  Lucy brand gear is throughout the store.  

There’s also a wall of pants starting at $45, available in tall and short sizes, stacked neatly in cubbyholes with a description of how each pair could be worn. And a room full of sale items includes sports bras and other gear from brands including Donna Karan and Champion.   

Good find? A pink zippered sweater for $88, a large fabric tote for $58, and a Lucy brand Buddha t-shirt for $24.   

This is a great place to go for high quality, good looking active wear – perfect if you want to attract a cute somebody in your next exercise class.

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SEE

Water Tower Place
835 N. Michigan Ave, Level 2
312.884.8500

(Multiple locations)

www.seeeyewear.com

See is a chain of designer frame and sunglass stores, with two stores in Chicago and several others in the area.  Stocked primarily with See brand eyewear, the stores make a dramatic display of their unique plastic frames. Splashy colors and vivid designs –orange, blue, leopard, red, two-tone, striped, studded – the designs can be too extreme for some, love at first sight for others.   

Sunglasses include designer brands like Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Dolce & Gabbana, Cartier, Tom Ford and Prada. See’s own line of mainly plastic sunglasses come in popular designs, including the over-sized Jackie O frame.  

You won’t find many wire frames here, and not a single John Lennon look. But there’s something to flatter every face, and before you know it, you’ll have a new face distinguished by spectacles.   

Even longtime friends may not recognize you without them! (Full disclosure: I am a devotee of See and have had the same red frames since 2004. They look ridiculous on most people but they look great on me, and I have gotten dozens of compliments.) The store is decorated with black and white photos of customers in their See glasses.  

Good find? The quality that sets See apart from other eyeglass shops, particularly the larger chains, is that the fashionable salespeople give good advice. They won’t let you get bad frames. Under their watchful eye, you can try on every pair of glasses until you find one that suits you best. Expect to pay about $200, which includes single-vision prescription lenses.  

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Zella Brown

1444 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago (Wicker Park)
773.276.1746

www.zellabrown.com

Unique is a word that is so easily tossed around, but this new home decor shop in Wicker Park is all about eye-popping, original items. This is, after all, a store with a sunflower made of license plates in its window. So many items inside are deliciously delightful, and so many inspire that "Oh, this is so-o-o me!” feeling that is the mark of a great shopping trip. Seriously, where else could you find a brand-new rotary phone?  

Zella Brown stocks accessories like throw pillows, vases, lamps, and clocks, as well as accent furniture, including tables, divans, and chairs. Customized rugs can be ordered, as well as work from local artists, like the sunflower art.  

Good finds include accent pillows, some of which are covered with layered fabrics for a textured effect. A funky and fun addition to your decor. Pillows run from about $35 to over $100. Other great items include artisan dressers and slanted bookshelves. And a set of slanting vases, each inclined to a different degree, is irresistible.   

There are many great home stores in Wicker Park, but this one is original and fun.  

 

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We recommend checking with stores for product availability, prices and store hours. Suggested prices may change without notice.  SeeMore Shopping is not responsible for errors or omissions.

SeeMore Shopping Contributing Writer - C. Magnotta

Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. SeeMoreShopping incurs all expenses associated with reviews.  Publ. 02/05/07.