I was in Chicago over the past weekend and couldn’t help but notice that Plaid was strong in Chicago. I must have seen 5 different women wearing plaid with their designer bags and shoes walking up and down E Oak Street.
E Oak Street is the fashionable street of Chicago, like Dearborn Street is to their real estate market. Overall I can say that Chicago is full of fashionable people, the locals supporting their local businesses. I couldn’t help but make a comparison to San Francisco. In San Francisco, the fashionable set do not really support their local businesses, they tend to shop all over the world and return in San Francisco. If the luxury stores made any money, it’s because of the tourism. I know this because I spent a decade or so working in the luxury business.
However I was digging the vibe in Chicago, if there is a next time I visit, I do plan on exploring E Oak Street further, to see if there are any cute coffee shops or restaurants like on Fillmore Street.
It’s a shame that Union Square is a tourist attraction, I really don’t blame the locals for not wanting to be seen downtown, if only it were more like Michigan Avenue.
Oh well, looks like Plaid is here to stay.
Run Around Chic 