When Shallan Hazlewood’s husband was growing up, he used to ride his bike to the local Baskin-Robbins. From that same location today, Hazlewood serves up the cutest of children’s clothes.
“When my kids were younger, it was really hard for me to find quality kid’s clothing,” Hazlewood says.
So when the space at 5617 N. Illinois St. became available, Hazlewood knew that she wanted to open a children’s clothing boutique.
On the facing page, from left: Noah wears a striped shirt and shorts from Hebe; Moira is dressed in a pickleball print from Hebe; Liam sports a Mini Rodini green tennis sweatshirt with Mayoral chino shorts; and Nora models a striped dress from Hebe. The leather sandals are from Young Soles, and the canvas sneakers are from Bensimon. All backpacks and lunchboxes are from STATE Bags, and the sunglasses are store exclusives.
Having owned a bed, bath and home accessory boutique in Chicago, Hazlewood knew launching another retail store was right up her alley. This August marks two years since Lunch Money Boutique opened its doors to parents, grandparents, gift givers and their favorite kiddos.
“Our customers are great,” Hazlewood says. “We have a very neighborhood feel."
Store manager Annie Stultz says she and Hazlewood travel to market twice a year, in February and July. In New York City, they visit multiple showrooms representing a wide variety of clothing lines, and in Chicago they shop a few favorite brands. The end result is that the clothing lines shoppers will find at Lunch Money Boutique are not ones they will see elsewhere in the area.
“Annie has a great eye for fashion,” Hazlewood says. “She has a two-year-old, and it’s helpful to see the world through her eyes and what she wears.”
Stultz says that color blocking in primary and jewel tones will be popular this season, along with Jacquard knits, painterly prints and chunky corduroy.
“Never worry about what brands you put together,” Stultz says. “I think it’s important to buy staple pieces that can be interchanged with more special, dynamic pieces. Mayoral is great for making classic items that look good with more unique pieces from brands like Molo and Mini Rodini.”
In a world full of fast fashion, Lunch Money Boutique focuses on sustainable companies that manufacture clothing in respect of people, animals and the environment.
“These clothes are special,” Hazlewood says. “They’re very durable and will last. We like the idea of them being passed down to siblings.”
When Hazlewood’s husband was growing up, he used to ride his bike to the local Baskin-Robbins that is today Lunch Money Boutique.
"Our customers are great," Hazlewood says. "We have a very neighborhood feel."
In a world full of fast fashion, Lunch Money Boutique focuses on what Hazlewood refers to as "slow fashion."
"These clothes are special," she says. "They’re very durable and will last. We like the idea of them being passed down to siblings."