Violet Revolution

So what does that title mean anyway?  Afterall, Noir means Black in French.  But I’m not talking about the color today.  I’m talking about Noir, a boutique that’s been a Chicago mainstay for the past 12 years.  Noir has been around on Division well before that area was renovated to bring in more residential and commercial space, and not to mention, making the area a  new go-to area of the city.  There are plenty of shops and restaurants now down Division, and plenty have come and gone with our recent economic times, but Noir is here to stay.  Let’s see why.

First of all, if you ever thought visiting a boutique meant you’d have to choose between eating this month (or the next few) or buying new clothes, think again.  There are plenty of local boutiques that won’t break your wallet.  Noir is one of them.  Not to mention, each weekend they have their basement sale going on where you can find discontinued or off season items on sale for deep discounts.

Second of all, the clothes are scrumptious.  You walk in and everything is so colorful and adorable — I’m talking bright colors, colorful patterns, and eye-catching details (ruffles, unique designs)– and the store is color-coded for the most part, meaning blue clothes are in one section, pink another; which makes it easy to hone in on what you’re looking for.

I kept feeling like everything seemed new and different to me — I didn’t recall seeing the clothes anywhere else, which made me more curious to keep shopping. Like this dress, I haven’t seen a dress quite like this before.  And I wasn’t alone.  When I came out of the dressing room, other women in the store remarked “that’s so cool/different.”

If you’ve got a party to go to, check out these fancy dresses!  You certainly won’t see yourself coming and going in these:

Wear this dress with a bolero jacket or alone.

Polka dots or roses anyone?

Go backless.

I’m sure you’re starting to see what I mean about these clothes being scrumptious.  It’s like being in a candy store, literally.  Each outfit was just as cute as the one before — the worst part might be that you’ll have to make a decision on what to buy once you eventually decide to leave.

But don’t fret…there are plenty of ways you can make your dollar go far.  This series of outfits below uses the same skinny white denim pants with three different tops.  The first floral top could even be dressed up (2nd photo) with heels and sparkly jewelry for a night out.

I also love how these casual shorts can be worn with the studded top in or out, so you can show off the high-waisted shorts, or hide them if you’re feeling a little bloated that day.  (You all know what I’m talking about.)

Noir is not all play either.  You can certainly create an outfit worthy of wearing to work and transitioning it to a going out outfit.  This one below shows a red pencil skirt with a black bow-tie corset.  Wear the white blazer and belt over it for office wear, or take them off for a fun night out.

I also couldn’t resist mentioning the accessories and shoes, which you might have noticed in the styled outfits above.  The bracelet & ring at left were worn with the third casual outfit (far right in that series), the middle necklace and earrings were on display in store, and the rhinestone shoes were worn with a few of the fancy dresses shown above.

Styles change weekly too, so you can always count on finding something new.  With all Noir has to offer, it’s easy to see how your wardrobe could become “All Noir“.