CLEVER
ALICE
by Holiday Dmitri
Fashion-Chicago.com
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CLEVER
ALICE |
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The
Clever Art of Dressing for the New Millenium Clever
Alice The coming of the new millennium has caused a stir in the fashion world as fresh, new colors are hitting the scene -- from catwalk to street corner. And at Clever Alice, their fall line of modern styles, fabrics and colors pays homage to this new era. "There will be a lot more emphasis on fashion," says Clever Alice owner Tamara Tatkus. "I'm seeing some new staples, new fabrics, new colors and new silhouettes. Colors like orange, silver, wine and olive will be big. Overall, there's a new way of dressing appearing for women. Whether it's coats to shirts with velcro closers, skirts over pants, there's a wonderful millennium focus to fashion this fall with even a little Asian influence." Tatkus, who started Clever Alice three years ago after working on Oak Street, sees this move as a step in the right direction. "Compared to then, we're definitely buying more forward, edgier clothing," she says. "There are more women who are strong and confident and know what is going on in fashion. "Chicago women are very smart about fashion," continues Tatkus, whose customers range in age from 20-60 years old. "They want clothes to work year-round or at least be able to wear three seasons of the year. They won't just follow what the fashion magazines suggest. Women want to look updated yet don't want to look like everyone else. Smart women want to wear clothes one year or two and still feel good." Perhaps that is why eighty percent of Clever Alice clients -- which includes rock goddess Liz Phair -- are repeat customers. Tatkus makes it a point to become familiar with each of her customer's lifestyle. Clever Alice can help a woman put her wardrobe together, whether this means finding the designers that fit great; seeking casual, easy-to-wash items, or going professional. "We are really design consultants," says Tatkus. "Women work 8-12 hours a day and often want to look fashion forward, but don't have time to follow it. At Clever Alice, we can suggest what's going on in the fashion world and find a few things to work with your lifestyle." Tatkus has a rule of thumb to always find the newest, greatest designers. Her trick for picking out fashion that will sell -- only go with 1 trend per item. This means, she won't buy cargo pants in pink, but will carry cargo pants in black or tan. Prices at the boutique range from $45 - $200, and at Clever Alice there is always a sale rack with items 20 - 50 percent off. "We turn over our merchandise," says Tatkus. "If something is still here after 45 days, you might just find it on the sale rack. But if you really love something that you try on, you'd better grab it because our clothes fly out of here."
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