The best vintage shop in Chicago, in my opinion, is Tilly, (5232 N. Clark St.) located in the heart of Andersonville (side note: if you live in Chicago and haven’t shopped or eaten in this neighborhood, please venture to this ‘hood. You’ll thank me). A tiny little shop, Tilly is packed to the brim, literally from floor to ceiling, with treasures. And if you’re like me and admire and collect vintage pieces, the inventory in here will kind of take your breath away when you first step in the store.
I spent some time last week admiring all the vintage finds, chatting with the owner, Susan, and playing a little dress up. Here are a few reasons why I love Tilly and what sets it apart from other vintage shops.
Seriously, the wall-to-wall apparel and accessories makes you feel like you’ve stepped into a Hollywood wardrobe trailer. Everything from evening gowns to costume jewelry and mink fur coats and stoles. The pristine condition of everything is just one reason why Tilly stands out to me along with the reasonable price points.
The owner, Susan, curates her collections exclusively from estate sales, and she ensures everything is in impeccable shape before it hits the store floor. And she has the best stories about everything in the shop, which to me, is half the fun of finding and buying vintage pieces. Take this gorgeous snake wrap bracelet, for example.
This piece came from the estate of Mildred Morton Gilbert, former executive editor of Vogue magazine (1947-1966). The shop is stocked right now with gorgeous pieces from her estate and they are all Vogue cover-worthy!
This pretty fur-trimmed wool camel coat came home with me. It looks brand new, but I love knowing it’s one-of-a-kind and made during a time when apparel was made with fine fabrics and created to last.
For those of you in the Chicago area, Tilly is a must stop especially for the holiday season. Jeweled bracelets, pretty brooches, earrings and monogrammed handkerchiefs make touching little gifts and stoking stuffers and for the fashion-admirer you’re shopping for, there are racks upon racks of stunning dresses, coats and accessories to choose from. If you don’t live in in town to drop in on Small Business Saturday, make sure to tune in to Tilly’s Instagram account to shop directly from their pictures
Are you a vintage fashion collector? If so, please tell me about your favorite place to shop!
XO,
Emily
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Let’s go there the next time I’m in Chicago!