The Dressing Room | Shoes
- January 2009If the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, then surely the way to many a woman's heart is through shoes. From Cinderella, to Imelda Marcos, to the Manolo Blahnik-obsessed characters in Sex in the City—women have always had a special attraction to and relationship with shoes. For some, they are the finishing touch that completes an outfit. For others, they are objects of obsession—stilettos, mules, wedges, slingbacks, t-straps, kitten heels, Mary Janes, peep-toes, strappy sandals, sky-high platforms, ballet flats, cha-cha heels, and, of course, boots that cover all heights from the ankle to the thigh. The names alone are enough to send some people shopping. No one knows this appreciation better than Barbara Ruiz and Sarah Sanchez, co-owners of The Dressing Room and its counterpart just a few steps to the north, The Dressing Room | Shoes.
Shoes were a natural progression for Barbara and Sarah. While running their women's clothing and accessory boutique, The Dressing Room, they had experimented by bringing in a small selection of footwear to go with the clothing. Lack of display and storage space limited what they could offer. But their love of fashion kept the idea of shoes anchored firmly in their thoughts. Eventually the stars aligned and they opened The Dressing Room | Shoes in August 2008, just a few doors north of The Dressing Room on the same side of Lincoln Avenue.
The two stores feel like two sides of the same coin. Like The Dressing Room, the boutique has a chic, yet welcoming vibe. It's bright, fun, and stocked with a little bit of everything for everyone. Shoes are definitely the centerpiece, but there are also accessories including handbags, jewelry, tights, and other shoe-oriented items. Like Booty Shapers, for example, a clever inflatable invention for storing your boots and keeping them crease-free. It's a perfect place to shop for an inexpensive gift for your teenage niece or to find a killer pair of shoes as a splurge item. "We sell super-comfy shoes along with shoes that are really special that you can't get anywhere else and that are a real treat," says Barbara. "We have healthy, good-for-your-feet shoes and crazy platform heels." To make it easier for shoppers, shoes are grouped into displays by price ranges, with many hitting the $40 to $50 range and the higher-fashion lines in the $100 to $200 range.
The Dressing Room | Shoes is actually Barbara and Sarah's third store in Lincoln Square. They originally opened a boutique for children in the same location, called City Mouse. Loved by neighbors and local children, the store had a strong following. But the two stores kept Barbara and Sarah running constantly, as the buying shows for women's fashion and children's products fell on opposing schedules. "Traveling to shows became a huge challenge. I now have three kids in school who are all in soccer, and Sarah has a 20-month-old daughter," explains Barbara. "We both live pretty intense lives outside of work. Deciding to sell shoes helped us seriously pare down our traveling schedules." Although both women have a great eye for buying, they also found it challenging to track down items at the right prices for the practical parents who shop in Lincoln Square. Finally, the two friends reached their watershed moment. "We were at a show in New York buying for The Dressing Room and we walked past a shoe booth," recalls Barbara. "I just looked at Sarah and said, 'Seriously,' and she said 'I know.' That was all it took. We both knew it was the right thing to switch to shoes." Later that night, they discussed what their next steps would be. "We went to a bar called Seven on 7th Avenue and started talking about our plans to open The Dressing Room | Shoes," says Sarah. "By chance, it was the same bar we were at when we first discussed opening The Dressing Room."
Once they made their decision, the process of closing City Mouse fell into place. "We sold out our merchandise sooner than we expected," says Sarah. "And we even figured out a way to keep all of our staff." It took less than a month to transform the City Mouse space into The Dressing Room | Shoes. As she did for The Dressing Room, Sarah tapped her talents as an interior designer to create a hip shopping environment with a touch of whimsy—like the blue faux fur covered column in the front window. "We left the bike as a shout-out to City Mouse," explains Barb, pointing to an old-school bike hanging out of the deep teal walls. Sarah painted it by hand to match its new surroundings. Based on her own experiences in shoe boutiques, Sarah made sure there was tons of seating everywhere so people would be able to try on shoes in comfort. "People didn't recognize the space when they first came in," says Barbara. "Few people realized what it was before."
The store has already built quite a following, with many loyal customers coming over from The Dressing Room. "We take the same approach here that we do at The Dressing Room," explains Barbara. "Our customers are professional women and moms with double strollers who still want to be fashionable, but don't want to shop somewhere where the salesperson makes them feel like a nuisance." Before they opened the store, they did the same stroller test that they did at The Dressing Room, to make sure the aisles would accommodate moms with their children. "We still have a box of toys here," says Barbara. "It's so important in this neighborhood to be family-friendly." Kids who once were City Mouse customers now come in with their moms. "All the kids come in to say hi to Christy, who used to work at City Mouse," says Sarah, "while their moms shop for shoes." Not all the children who visit the shop are the kind who fit in strollers, either. "We tend to get a lot of mothers and daughters shopping together," says Barbara. "We've even had the occasional mother/daughter/granddaughter in shopping," says Sarah. The wide range of merchandise at The Dressing Room | Shoes is a big reason for its appeal. "We have something for women of all ages," says Sarah. "My mom finds things she likes here, and she's in her 50s, and so does my sister who's in her 20s."
The Dressing Room | Shoes stocks a combination of well-loved brands like Nine West, Kenneth Cole Reaction, and Chinese Laundry. "But we also have a Brazilian line called Colcci that no one has heard of," says Barbara. Colcci makes colorful shoes with design details like flying birds printed in the insole. Other lines include J Shoes, Naughty Monkey, and Poetic License, "Jeffrey Campbell is one of the more interesting designers we carry because he actually shows shoes for the current season," says Barbara. "We buy his summer shoes in the summer." There are a lot of heels around, as well as a good selection of boots. "Sarah and I really like and wear a lot of heels," says Barbara. But comfort shoes are also strongly represented, like Penny Loves Kenny fold-up flats and MukLuks, or cozy handmade Igloo boots. A sign above a selection of flat boots reads, "Look great as you run to catch the train." There's also a small selection of fashion-oriented athletic shoes, though that's not really a focus. Barbara and Sarah also try to keep in a selection of vegan shoes. "We carry a lot of brands that only make shoes using synthetics and fabric," explains Barbara. On the accessory side, you'll find purses of all shapes and sizes, down to wallets and coin purses, including bags from Thailand and from indie New York designers. The jewelry selection focuses on lower-priced items than at The Dressing Room, and includes items like handmade macrame necklaces from Argentina.
In just a few short months, The Dressing Room | Shoes has been a huge success. Items from The Dressing Room | Shoes have been featured in O Magazine. "We sent a pair of Havaianas flip flops in Oprah's size for her 'favorite things' episode," says Barbara, "and they also appeared in her magazine." The two friends are working to build a stronger, more obvious relationship with their other store. "When we buy, we are thinking about how the shoes could go with the clothes we have at The Dressing Room," says Sarah. "We're starting to do more with the connection between the two stores." They're also working to get the word out about the connection between the two stores. "We're surprised at how many people don't know that the two stores are associated," says Barbara. The change from children's items to shoes has been a positive one. "City Mouse felt like a lot more work," says Sarah. "Now all of our buying cycles fit together and it feels like we're running one bigger store." "We're ecstatic about opening The Dressing Room | Shoes," says Barbara. "Women and fashion and shoes are just a great fit."
The Dressing Room | Shoes
4657 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625
773.878.7400
www.thedressingroomshoes.com
Hours:
Sunday 11am - 5pm
Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday through Friday 10am - 7pm
Saturday 10am - 6pm
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