<p>My daughter will be in Chicago for a few days over spring break and would like to go shopping for her prom dress with her grandmother. Grandma’s a purist and will not set foot in Macy’s now that they have discarded the Marshall Field’s name. I used to work for Carson’s about 20 years ago, but I don’t remember that they had anything exciting. Any ideas? Grandma’s in Glenview, so they could go to Old Orchard or Northbrook Court–it might be hard for them to get to Michigan Ave.
Thanks, Kathyc</p>
<p>Bridal shops? Nordstrom? Lord & Taylor? I defer to current north-siders on this…</p>
<p>Is Jessica McClintock at either of those malls? Or Lord and Taylor? (We always go to Woodfield or Oakbrook.)</p>
<p>I think I remember Lord & Taylor being at Old Orchard in the old days, but I don’t know if it’s still there. Is Saks still at Old Orchard? (I still remember I Magnin at Northbrook). Jessica McClintock would be good. Is there anything special at Oakbrook–my husband has an office near there, so that might be feasible. I don’t think I could get the three of them anywhere near Woodfield.
Thanks for your help!</p>
<p>Interesting concept:
Do males care about the dress or the lady in the dress?
Do Females care about dress or the lady in the dress?</p>
<p>There’s a Jessica McClintock at Woodfield in Schaumburg, but that’s a little far west for Glenview. There’s a Bloomingdales and Nordstrom at Old Orchard, even if Grandma’s not interested in Macy’s. (Old Orchard also has some fun day-full-of-shopping restaurants, too, so it might be more fun.)</p>
<p>Northbrook Court’s indoors (I don’t remember how Old Orchard is when it’s cold/snowy since I never really ventured much out of Champaign-Urbana when it was cold/snowy… Anybody?), so that might be a better bet, weather-wise. It’s got a Neiman Marcus and a Lord & Taylor (both a little pricey)…</p>
<p>Oakbrook has a Neiman’s, a Nordstrom, a Lord & Taylor, and a few more boutique stores than Northbrook has. Good eating, too. Oakbrook’s closer to Schaumburg, so you might try the Jessica McClintock at Woodfield if you’re willing to hit up a couple of malls in that general area.</p>
<p>Good luck! =)</p>
<p>Post-submit edit: The prom dress was crucial, the prom date was not. Priorities later switched for my wedding (though my dress was very nice, too). ;)</p>
<p>At prom here, most of the kids go in a pack. The DRESS and ensemble is definitely the most important part of the evening.</p>
<p>My D loves Betsey Johnson but the only one is on Halsted.</p>
<p>A general suggestion for finding stores (not just in Chicago) : google Prom Dresses 2008. You can browse through these websites - you’ll see a lot of the same brands keep coming up ( with wide ranges of prices and styles within each line). Then do a search on the manufacturer’s websites for local stores near you. You’ll find a lot of the nice boutiques using this strategy. If there’s a store that carries several lines, it’s a good bet for a trip.</p>
<p>The dress/appearance is my number one priority, the guy not as much. I figure that I can look good for the both of us, haha. I have my dress even though prom is still two months away, but I am so excited to wear it. :)</p>
<p>There are really some gorgeous dresses online from boutiques that can be found near you.</p>
<p>I thought of another one that has great dresses and more locations in the area </p>
<p>BCBGMaxAzria</p>
<p>^^BCBG’s dresses are usually really pretty, but for some reason this season’s dresses don’t appeal to me. The colors are really mute and I think the styles are too plain for prom.</p>
<p>Most importantly, for my D, is something that is easy to dance in and she won’t have to tug on all night. Trying on dresses for her involves jumping up and down, twisting spinning, leaning over, leaning back, etc. If the dress is still in place, it’s a keeper. Add to that, she decided she likes the Audrey Hepburn look and I’m sure Audrey never danced like that. If she had $800k, she would be wearing the black Givenchy gown from Breakfast at Tiffany’s.</p>
<p>I’ve seen a ton of prom style dresses at Carson’s Yorktown which is not that far from Oak Brook; they also have a Von Maur.</p>
<p>[Sophia</a> Short Silk Dress - Weddings & Parties - Women - JCrew.com](<a href=“http://www.jcrew.com/catalog/product.jhtml?id=prod62983191&catId=cat300190]Sophia”>http://www.jcrew.com/catalog/product.jhtml?id=prod62983191&catId=cat300190)
I like this dress- their sale dresses are also cute.
D wore a dress from american apparel to winter ball- I have no idea if she is even going to her senior prom she hasn’t said anything- but I expect if she is, she will get something from urban outfitters or a vintage store.</p>
<p>Also- the dresses nowdays often have spandex, so you could wear a gown and still dance inappropriately.</p>
<p>Sorry I can’t help with the suggestions on where to shop, but I think your D should skip mainstream stores (Nordy’s, BCBG or anything else that has stores in your area) and go for the little local boutiques. That way your D will have a dress that no one else will.</p>
<p>BB - You are right – we have some of those boutiques around here – they actually write down what each girl buys and what school she goes to so they can make sure they don’t sell another one to someone from the same school. They tend to be VERY expensive, though.
As to the above question – it’s all about the dress, definitely!</p>
<p>I googled prom dresses 2008–holy cow, is that what kids are wearing to the prom nowadays!!!</p>
<p>Thank you all—it’s definitely the dress, not the date!
She had a BCBG dress last year for the Jr. Prom, so is already predisposed to like that label.
I’m intrigued with the idea of a boutique, but my knowledge of Chicago retail is 20 years out of date, so that’s why I brought this thread up. I really appreciate all of the responses.</p>
<p>Ha, I’m in Chicago and I tend to buy evening wear at BCBG! I just love their stuff and it always fits me perfectly.</p>