Today I took a break and walked over to Water Tower Place for Victoria's Secret PINK's first Chicago grand opening... and it is a welcome addition to Water Tower Place!
Side note: Water Tower Place has really turned itself around from a few years ago... Now they have the new PINK boutique, Neiman Marcus's CUSP concept store, Henri Bendel (coming soon) and my absolute favorite market-cum-cafeteria Foodease. Don't get me wrong... I love Foodlife, Mity Nice and Wow Bao (Lettuce Entertain You runs that town...) and I just had a soup and sandwich from Macy's Tastebar earlier today. But Foodease is incredibly awesome... hundreds of hot and cold items to choose from and then they just weigh it. From coconut crusted tilapia to quinoa salad to butternut squash bisque to stuffed tomatoes to sushi... they have plenty of options.
So back to the PINK store... today was the perfect day to visit. It was cold, windy and rainy and walking inside the sea of bright candy colors with music blasting was a welcome relief. You can only see grey for so long until you crave bright lemon, lime and watermelon hues.
Generally, the PINK brand markets itself to younger women... namely the college set. I know I'm far removed from this demographic, because well... my 21 year old intern, Lyndsay, told me so. Once you get excited about new vaccuums, you're old. But it is just so cheerful and fun and there's definitely options for almost everyone, since they stocked some pretty nice basics at great price points too.
Here's where the new PINK boutique stores really shine: specialized casual wear for each store's locale. Right when we walked in, we were greeted by both friendly staff and a huge display of girlified NFL merchandise. My partner in crime today, Alicia, instantly gravitated towards the Chicago Bears hoodies adorned with sequins...
Immediately behind the NFL display, several "I <3 Chicago" pieces filled the racks. Of course, it was all in sparkles. It was all legitamely pretty cute... I thought how the tees would look adorable under a sharp Theory or Alexander Wang blazer, for that polished yet edgy look. And there's nothing wrong with a little hometown pride, especially when home is a city like Chicago!
Here are a few snapshots of the new boutique offerings:
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| Even the cookies from e.Leaven were glittery! (And they were indeed tasty... I'm placing a catering order with them tomorrow) |
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| I loved this workout look... part Xanadu, part Miami sexpot... and all cheerfulness. |
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| Going into the holiday season, PINK is all about the sparkle. I ended up getting a travel bag with "I <3 Chicago" on it in sequins. I cannot wait to use it when I fly home for Thanksgiving. |
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| Alicia ended up buying this hoodie with faux fur lining... so cute! |
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| I ended up buying this slim-fitting Bears hoodie. It's awesome. |
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| A few of my goodies at home. I love the underwear: "Party With Me" and "Give A Little, Get A Lot" |
Victoria's Secret partnering up with the NFL seems like a match made in heaven (kind of like Gisele with Tom Brady...) since it's probably the two things most straight men love the most.
My husband LOVES my sparkly Bears hoodie. He thinks it is just the cutest thing to wear to the local sports bar with the guys. Well done, Victoria's Secret team... keep the local element in the specialty shops, and this new retail strategy will undoubtedly bloom quickly.
Here's the inside scoop: December 6th, the PINK store will be hosting a party with model Elsa Hosk and Chicago Bears player Matt Forte (Yeah, Tulane!).
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