Jack Spade Brings Tchotchkes and Menswear to Oak Street

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A vintage brownstone on tony Oak Street has suddenly become a burgeoning shopping mecca for men's apparel and accessories. The building houses George Greene, which caters to fashion-forward gentlemen with a penchant for labels like Thom Browne and Yohji Yamamoto; Shrine, which specializes in European formal gear accessories; and the recently opened Jack Spade—which is home to cheeky, dapper merchandise for, well, cheeky, dapper lads.

The Chicago version of the Jack Spade store resembles a homey attic hidden in a family home, stuffed with forgotten treasures, dad’s favorite sweater vest, and his fancy briefcase from back in the day. The 950-square-foot, former Lucky Brand Jeans space—repurposed by designer Steven Sclaroff, who also fixed up Jack Spade’s Greene Street store in New York—is now meticulously furnished with locally found fixtures, artwork, and collected objects. Up at the front, comfy mid-century modern furniture are placed alongside antique cabinets, which are filled with an assortment of tchotchkes intermixed with fun accessories. Our shopping companion noticed several paintings on display were acquired from Prarieland Estate Service, an obscure garage sale/antique mall hybrid in west suburban Niles.

Branching out from its collection of signature utilitarian bags, Jack Spade now also wants to dress you from head to toe. The reasonably-priced clothing line has full-fledged expanded since launching a couple of seasons ago, offering winter essentials from woolly sweaters to sharp topcoats and beyond. We discovered the American Heritage line of button-up shirts ($175) to be beautifully fitted; however, fearing our impulses might take over and drop $995 right on the spot, we resisted trying on the limited-edition Mackintosh raincoat. The sturdy forest green wool felt brief ($365) is already on our Christmas wish list, and the Woolrich plaid credit card holders ($95) would make perfect stocking stuffers for those family members who are still using paper clips as wallets. As if there aren’t enough goods in the store to explore, be sure to stop in later this month and check out an exclusive collection of watches for sale—we’re talking about classic Omegas, Bulovas, and Gruens from the ’40s and ’50s.

Jack Spade Tips Its Hat and Says Hello to Chicago [Racked Chicago]
Jack Spade [Official Site]