When I'm invited to a boutique opening, I always assume that there will be some kind of discount, free drinks and/or the occasional gift bag. All of which are great ways to attract a following, especially when you are new on the scene, but tends to become boring(as a blogger)after the first 20 you go to.

At a recent opening I went to, I definitely was not bored. It was because this time, the owners did something a little different. Instead of having their party IN their store, they had it ABOVE, on the the rooftop of the building their new boutique is housed.

The view was amazing and of course, the Champagne and chocolate fondue station were nice, too!

The new boutique I'm talking about is Michelle Levelle. The high-end dress boutique will be selling gorgeous dresses and is by appointment only. Pretty fancy.

It was no surprise, with the caliber of this party, that beautiful Chicagoans abound. In the crowd I spotted a top model and project runway alum.

Did I mention the hot tub? Yea, this was definitely the best boutique opening in a while. Check out Michelle Levelle's designs at www.michellelevelleboutique.com

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For the past seven years I lived in the Damen and Division vicinity, which, as of the last few years, has become a shoppers paradise. Within walking distance from my apartment(s) were awesome boutiques like Penelope's, Pump, Gamma Player and Renegade, to name a few.



The kitschy-chic boutique has definitely shined a light on the up-and-coming Chicago Avenue corridor. Dovetail's vision is to give Chicago shoppers a fresh take on all things vintage. Products will range from lightly worn vintage garments to homegoods and decorative art. Hopefully, others will follow suit and make this area another spot on Chicago shopper's radar.


Here are some pics from their sneak preview party...







Dovetail Chicago | 1452 W. Chicago Avenue

How often do you see a group of girls that are ALL so well dressed?? Not often in my experience. Usually there's at least one friend in the bunch that wears a sweat suit or a pair of crocs and everyone talks about how embarrassing it is behind her back. I'm guessing these girls don't have that problem.

Each one had an amazing sense of style and somehow, 4 out of 5 of them pulled off a high waisted pant, which is not as easy as they make it look.



To see more pictures from this event, which featured music from The Ting Tings and Empires, check out Style Expose. Style Expose is a very informative Chicago fashion blog managed by the Stitches Fashion Program. Stitches hosted the event and is a great friend to us at The MidWasteland, so go check them out!

To debut their spring 08 collection, Gamma Player, the cutting edge Wicker Park boutique, teamed up with Gen Art for a fashion filled night. Clients were treated to 10% off of the collection while they sipped cocktails and soaked in the classical music.

If you haven't been to Gamma Player (2035 W. Divsion, Chicago, IL) it 's time to make the trip. If you're a budget fashionista (a.k.a cheap), like me, it's time to start saving. The clothes are uber expensive but I promise they will be worth every penny. The owners, Jeff and Yoko, travel the world to hand pick everything that comes in the store.

Even if you can't afford the garb, unique accents throughout the store (like the book-lined wall and splatter of paper butterflies) are reason enough to make the trip.