From gifts and books, to clothing and jewelry, these are the stores you love to support this year.
Best Women’s Clothing (City)
Milk Handmade
Milk Handmade has been in the sustainable fashion business since before it was called sustainable fashion. Milk features independent designers and makers who produce locally, ethically and using environmentally friendly practices. Milk is owned and operated by Chicago-native Hallie Borden. Hallie is passionate about supporting local artists and businesses and opened Milk in the spring of 2012 as a creative outlet for herself and the entire Chicago design community.
Best Women’s Clothing (Suburbs)
Payton Rose, Northbrook
2760 Dundee Rd. Northbrook
Payton Rose combines the very best of women’s and teens clothing and accessories in one convenient location and makes shopping a fun, personalized experience.
Best Men’s Clothing (City)
Cowboys and Astronauts
1478 W Summerdale Ave Chicago
A beautiful men’s lifestyle and supplies shop, Cowboys and Astronauts sells a curated blend of apparel, accessories, travel supplies, self-care products, home goods, gifts and more.
Best Men’s Clothing (Suburbs)
Guys & Co., Highland Park
1855-B Deerfield Rd, Highland Park
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Guys & Co. combines the best of men’s and boy’s clothing and accessories in one location. As experienced clothiers, they take pride in their personalized service and expertise in styling men in casual and dress smart clothing. Their goal is to help bring out your young guy’s personal style in the clothing he wears in a comfortable shopping atmosphere, with expert guidance.
Best Consignment/Thrift Shop (City)
Brown Elephant
5404 N Clark St.
3020 N Lincoln Ave.
Brown Elephant Resale Shops are your source for fashionable finds, home décor, and everyday vintage style. Whether it’s a new outfit or a whole new wardrobe, redecorating one room or redesigning your whole home, you can find it in one of their multiple locations throughout Chicagoland.
Best Consignment/Thrift Store (Suburbs)
Village Treasure House, Northbrook
1460 Paddock Drive Northbrook
Village Treasure House is a nonprofit consignment home store featuring upscale and vintage furniture and home décor. They have given away over $3,400,000 in grants to local agencies serving families and individuals in crisis and are staffed almost entirely by volunteers. They opened their doors in 1997 and celebrated 25 years in business this year.
Best Eyewear (City)
Eye Spy Optical
3350 N Lincoln Ave.
Since 1998, Eye Spy Optical has been providing unique, handmade eyewear and expert guidance in a living-room atmosphere. They specialize in outfitting customers with specs that are a bit out-of-the-ordinary, frequently placing custom orders for the perfect frame.
Best Eyewear (Suburbs)
Superior Optical, Glenview
2723 Pfingsten Rd. Glenview
Family owned and operated for over 43 years, Superior Optical is the North Shore’s premier destination for eyeglasses. Their experienced and skilled opticians work tirelessly to find each client the perfect pair of eyeglasses for their prescription and personality. In addition to their Certified opticians, their On-Site lab ensures precision with even the most complicated prescriptions.
Best Gifts (City)
Hazel Apparel and Gifts
1835 & 1926 West Montrose Ave.
Since 2011, Hazel Apparel has been committed to bringing a well-curated selection of men’s and women’s apparel and accessories to the Ravenswood neighborhood. Hazel Gift features a collection of items for all ages and styles. Starting mainly as a greeting card and paper store, Hazel quickly expanded to showcase a wide variety of goods including jewelry, accessories, baby gifts, housewares, and gifts for men.
Best Gifts (Suburbs)
La De Da!, Northbrook
1957 Cherry Lane, Northbrook
For 17 years, La de da! has been providing the North Shore with smiles and special gifts. Their customer service is exceptional, and they love when their customers become friends that feel like family. They love what they do and hope you will too!
Best Home Furnishings/Home Accessories (City)
Jayson Home
1885 N Clybourn Ave.
At Jayson Home, beautiful things aren’t just a passion — they’re an obsession.
Best Home Furnishings/Home Accessories (Suburbs)
Peachtree Place, Northfield
303 South Happ Road Northfield
Peachtree Place has exquisite gifts and registry services with an adorable children’s boutique. A North Shore institution for 37 years, Peachtree Place started in 1985 with 1100 square feet and now boasts 7000 square feet of gifts, decorative accessories, jewelry, paper products, fabulous tabletop, crystal, china and everyday dinnerware. They also have a wide selection of table linens and provide outstanding customer service.
Best Local Jewelry Store (City)
Dana Rebecca
676 N Michigan Avenue, Suite 3620
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Dana (Rebecca) Gordon is a third-generation jeweler designing jewelry intended to become the cherished keepsakes women wear to capture all of life’s memories — from major milestones to everyday moments.
Best Local Jewelry Store (Suburbs)
Christopher Duquet Fine Jewelry, Evanston
1224 Chicago Avenue, #102 Evanston
Christopher Duquet Fine Jewelry is a full-service, custom jewelry studio located in Evanston, just north of Chicago. Every piece is unique and expertly crafted on-site — from the initial design concept to the expertly crafted finished piece, relying on decades of experience and talented jewelry designers and highly skilled artisans that love every aspect of jewelry design. They’re known for one-of-a-kind gems, fashionable jewelry collections, engagement rings, and custom jewelry design.
Best Pet Store (City)
Kriser’s Natural Pet
Various locations
Kriser’s is a community of experts from nutritionists to groomers to behaviorists dedicated to holistic pet wellness.
Best Pet Store (Suburbs)
Bentley’s Pet Stuff
Various
Bentley’s Pet Stuff started with a mission to feed animal lovers’ pets genuine real meat products made in the USA. Their dedication to customers’ animals is why they hand pick and research every item stocked on their shelves, allowing customers to be at ease when making a purchase at any their retail stores.
Best Shopping Center/Mall (City)
900 North Michigan
900 North Michigan Avenue
Get your credit card ready to do some damage on this infamous street in Chicago. Merging luxury fashion stores with boutiques and big name brands, there is something for everyone.
Best Shopping Center/Mall (Suburbs)
Westfield Old Orchard, Skokie
4905 Old Orchard Center (Skokie Blvd. & Old Orchard Rd.)
A beautiful outdoor mall that features a variety of shops and restaurants like Anthropologie, Nordstrom, Roka Akor, and California Pizza Kitchen.
Best Home & Garden Store (City)
Gethsemane Garden Center
5739 N. Clark Chicago
Nestled at the border of Edgewater and Andersonville, Gethsemane Garden Center has proudly served Chicago’s gardening needs for more than 40 years. Family-owned and operated, their knowledgeable staff is passionate about flora and dedicated to providing you with the highest-quality plant material and customer service in Chicagoland.
Best Home & Garden Store (Suburbs)
Chalet, Wilmette
3132 Lake Avenue Wilmette
Whether you have a green thumb or not, Chalet is the perfect one-stop shop for all your greenery needs. Shop houseplants, garden essentials, home decor, apparel, pet accessories and more in-person or at their online store.
Best Cannabis Dispensary (City)
Sunnyside
Various
Sunnyside dispensary is your go-to shop for the best recreational and medical cannabis products in the city. Their expansive live menu is updated daily with premium flower, edibles, vapes, tinctures, topicals, and more. Order online or walk-in for a consultation.
Best Cannabis Dispensary (Suburbs)
Curaleaf, Deerfield
151 South Pfingsten Road, Suite V Deerfield
Curaleaf’s Deerfield Dispensary provides premium, safe and reliable medical cannabis products to their patients. Their wide selection of CBD and THC offerings include flower, pre-rolls, tinctures, vape cartridges, gummies, concentrates, capsules, edibles, and more offered by brands including Grassroots and Select. Their products are cultivated and produced with the highest standards.
Best Shopping District (City)
Andersonville
Andersonville is known for its Swedish roots, historic architecture, and bustling urban main street, Clark Street. They are also recognized as the “shop local capital of Chicago,” supporting the largest network of local and independent businesses in the area.
Best Shopping District (Suburbs)
Downtown Highland Park
No matter where you live on the North Shore, you probably find your way to Highland Park’s vibrant shopping district, our readers’ favorite suburban shopping destination and a repeat Best Of winner for good reason. With a vast array of retail stores, restaurants and other local businesses, and a community that knows how to rise to the occasion, Highland Park is stronger and more deserving of your support than ever.
Best Bookstore (City)
Women and Children First
5233 N Clark St.
A repeat winner, this Andersonville bookstore carries the newest arrivals and bestselling classics.
Best Bookstore (Suburbs)
Book Bin, Northbrook
1151 Church Street, Northbrook
Now on a six-year winning streak, readers have voted that this is the best place to find that new favorite read.
