Best of Chicago

Best Boutique

Habit | 1951 W. Division St.; 773-342-0093,
www.habitchicago.com

Discovering independent fashion talents before they hit the big time, Habit, a new midsize boutique in Wicker Park, offers pre-Barneys designers at Banana Republic prices. “It’s a forum for designers to reach a customer and for customers to get really great one-of-a-kind pieces,” says owner Lindsey Boland, whose selections are avant-garde yet eminently wearable. More than half of the 75 designers represented here are Chicago based, including Biscuit (we loved its A-line striped seersucker skirts, $72) and Nature vs. Future (look for the structured but unstuffy suit jackets, $230).