Question:
I'm "Nanadebary Green" with "Envy" because I'm not one of those who attended either East or West Coast Sniffapaloozas or the Basenotes London Luncheon. So, I'm asking, "Would any of you want to convene in Chicago sometime?"
Chicago, that windy city which wafts fragrances from ...
The Chanel Boutique and Saks on Michigan Avenue
The Hermes Boutique and Barneys on Oak Street
Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, C.O. Bigelow, Merz Apothecary, and more
Chicago is a rail hub, so it's easily accessed. I'm sure we would, at minimum, want to do lunch and visit some boutiques, but I think we could arrange some special courtesies somewhere. I haven't been to Chicago except as a school-group chaperone, so those of you who are more familiar with the terrain are especially encouraged to provide some input.
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P.S.
Some brand highlights:
Neiman Marcus--Annick Goutal, Creed, L'Artisan, Serge Lutens
Saks--Bond No. 9, Jo Malone
Barneys--Parfums de Rosine, Strange Invisible Perfumes

Answer:
I'd be interested!

Answer:
Me too. I live in Chicago

Answer:
Chicago may not be ENTIRELY out of the question for me!

Answer:
Woo-hoo! (I was wondering if anybody was going to respond to this thread.)
Okay. I could do some snooping to see if any of the stores might have a fragrance event planned. Is there any pattern to your schedules that might give us further direction? Should I just assume Saturdays and Sundays are best?

Answer:
Hmmm I would love to go to Chicago ... so it's a big "maybe" for me

Answer:
I'd be very interested, too... especially becuase I'm a displaced Chicagoan. Even though it's about a 3 1/2 to 4 hour drive from here, I'd strongly prefer that it be on a weekend, as I go to school on weekdays.
Keep me posted!

Answer:
• To build your enthusiasm, here's some shopping advice BNer RitaMae sent me in a PM, November 2005:

---I would say the best places to shop for fragrance in Chicago would be, #1, Saks Fifth Ave., 800 N. Michigan Ave. The salespeople are not snotty or snobby there. Ask for either Andy or Rosanne - both are VERY knowledgeable and very friendly.
---If you just want to kill time, I would recommend two in the same building: Nordstroms Westfield complex on Michigan Ave. @ Grand Ave. Stop in the Sephora for all the latest fragrant samples and perfumes and makeup, and then trot right down the mall to Nordstroms. Nordstroms, while their salespeople are more on the whorish side (LOL!!!! It's true - they'd sell you shirt off their backs), their fragrance stock is pretty decent. They carry a lot of the older Carons and Guerlains.
---Neiman Marcus is alright, but they tend to be on the snobbish side. For example, my boyfriend went in there on a Saturday in jeans and a white shirt to grab a last minute gift for his aunt, and the rude saleswoman assumed since he was dressed casually that he couldn't afford to shop there.
---If you're in the mid-Loop area, stop in at Marshall Fields [note: MF now owned by Macy's], but bypass the perfume counters up front and head to the Merz Apothecary on the Wabash side. There you will find all the Santa Maria Novellas and the European boutique fragrances that the store doesn't carry up front in the perfume section. There you can browse all day.
---For cheaper thrills, hit Filene's Basement and TJ Maxx on State St. for fragrant bargains. Good to buy on the sly at TJ Maxx and Filene's if you're not sure you'll like the scent and don't want to plop down major bucks for it right away.
• For more thoughts on scent shopping, read "Chicago Sniffage" from the Aromascope blog of June 11, 2006.
• To visualize store locations, check out this map of the major downtown stores.
• Here are some brand lists found online:
SAKS FIFTH AVE
ANNICK GOUTAL
ARMANI
BADGLEY MISCHKA
BILL BLASS
BOBBI BROWN
BOND NO.9 NEW YORK
BOUCHERON
BURBERRY
BVLGARI
CARTIER
CHANEL
CLARINS
CLINIQUE
CLIVE CHRISTIAN
DIOR
DOLCE & GABBANA
DONNA KARAN
ESCADA
ESTÉE LAUDER
FRESH
GUCCI
GUERLAIN
HANAE MORI
JEAN PATOU
JO MALONE
JUICY COUTURE
LACOSTE
LANCÔME
LANVIN
LA PRAIRIE
LAURA MERCIER
MARC JACOBS
MICHAEL KORS
MILLER HARRIS
MISSONI
MOSCHINO CHEAP & CHIC
NARCISO RODRIGUEZ
PRADA
RALPH LAUREN
SALVATORE FERRAGAMO
STELLA MCCARTNEY
THIERRY MUGLER
TOM FORD
TRISH MCEVOY
VERA WANG
VIKTOR & ROLF
YVES SAINT LAURENT PARFUMS
BARNEYS
Acqua di Parma
Costes
Costume National
Editions de Parfum
Fresh
i Profumi di Firenze
KAI
L'Artisan Parfumeur
Le Labo
Malin + Goetz
Parfums de Rosine
Rochas
Sarah Horowitz
Serge Lutens
Stephen Burlingham
Strange Invisible Perfumes
Yosh
NEIMAN MARCUS
Acqua di Parma
Annick Goutal
Badgley Mischka Fragrance
Baghari
Boucheron Paris
Burberry Fragrance
Bvlgari Fragrance
Cartier Fragrance
Chanel
Clive Christian
Costume National
Creed
Dior Beauty
Diva Fragrance
Dolce & Gabbana Fragrance
Donna Karan Cosmetics
Emanuel Ungaro
Ermenegildo Zegna
Escada Beaute
Estee Lauder
Fracas
Giorgio Armani Fragrance
Gucci Fragrance
Guerlain
Hanae Mori
Issey Miyake
Jean Patou
Jean Paul Gaultier Fragrance
Jivago
Jo Malone
Juicy Couture Beauty
Keiko Mecheri
L'Artisan Parfumeur
Lanvin
La Prairie
Lolita Lempicka
Marc Jacobs Fragrance
Michael Kors Fragrance
Missoni Fragrance
Nanette Lepore Fragrance
Paul Smith Fragrance
Prada Beauty
Quelques Fleurs
Roberto Cavalli Fragrance
Sabi by Henry Dunay
Salvatore Ferragamo
Serge Lutens
Sisley Paris
Stardust
Stella McCartney Fragrance
Stephen Burlingham
Thierry Mugler Fragrance
Tom Ford
Valentino Fragrance
Vera Wang Fragrance
Yves Saint Laurent
NORDSTROM
Their list is in a pull-down menu, so I couldn't copy it. Go here to see the brands Nordstrom carries.
BLOOMINGDALES
Go online here.
C.O. BIGELOW
Acqua di Parma
Apivita
Astara
Biotherm
Carthusia
Comptoir Sud Pacifique
Diptyque
DR Harris
Dr. Hauschka
Foot Petals
Foucaud
GEO F. Trumper
I Profumi di Firenze
Jimmyjane
Jo Wood
King of Shaves
Knotty Girl
Leclerc
Lippmann Collection
Mavala
Miller Harris
Mistral
Nailtiques
Nature Girl
Patricia Wexler MD
Pearl Ice by Inca
Propoline
Rilastil
Sharps Barber
Skyn Iceland
SweetSpot Labs
Talika
Tocca - For Body
Valobra Soaps
Weleda
MERZ APOTHECARY
4711
Algemarin
Allgauer
Annemarie Borlind
Au Lait
Aura Cacia
Auroma Essential Oils
Bach Flower Essences
Badedas
Bebe
Bekunis
Better Botanicals
BHI_Heel
Bioforce
Body Tea
Boericke & Tafel
Boiron
Burt's Bees
California Baby
Camocare
Carlson
Caswell Massey
Claus Porto
Dabur
Dresdner Herbal Baths
Dr. Hauschka
Duschdas
Earth Therapeutics
Elgydium
Emerita
Enzymatic Therapy
EO
Fa
Glycerin Silicon
Himalaya
Kamill
Kneipp
L'aromarine
Logona Kosmetik
Maja
Natureworks
Nivea Creme
Olbas Herbal Oils
Penaten Baby
Pre de Provence Soaps
Radius Toothbrushes
Speick
Tabac
Taylor of London
Tetesept
Tiger Balm
Toms of Maine
Tosca Eau de Cologne
Traditional Medicinals
Underberg Bitters
Weleda
Woods of Windsor
Zum Bar Soaps
After I learn whether any store will show us a little favoritism, I'll suggest which shopping district we might concentrate on. Then maybe some of you familiar with Chicago can suggest where we could dine in that area. Okay? I'm just playing this by ear. My husband has expressed an interest in joining us, so make your family and friends feel welcome. If things start to gel, we can spread the word to POL, MUA and Sniffa boards, too. I have no idea how this might develop.
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UPDATE MARCH 19:::::
Judy Woerner, creator of Cleanse Your Soul products out of Chatham, Illinois, has asked me to keep her posted on developments. It would be a real plus to have her in our midst.
Will add further news as events unfold ...

Answer:
I would love to come! It would have to be MUCH later in 2007, though, as I am scheduled for the NY Sniffa coming soon...and I can't afford it. I do have quite a few friends in Chicago, though, so I could sniff AND hang out with them

Answer:
I could do Chicago.