This was one hell of a year. You worked hard. You played hard. You left it all on the field. And... the city made great strides in the categories of leisure, style and gear. Let’s reminisce.
The Gold Coast obliterated the final remnants of the Great Recession by welcoming the gilt-tinged likes of Tom Ford and—in case you’re invited on a hunt with Prince William—the world’s biggest Barbour store. It’s nice to have conspicuous consumption back where it belongs.
Whether picking up a custom suit at by-appointment-only Frederick Lynn or engineering a perfectly tailored dress shirt in a River North loft at Blank Label, you had plenty of places to get measured down to the millimeter this year. You’re notoriously picky about cuffs.
Chicago Barbershop arrived in town with nothing but three antique chairs, a turntable spinning early punk and a mission to make you look good. Market Supply Co combined the hot shave with a vintage shop. Yes, your grandpa would approve. Well, except for the punk.
Certain friends of yours offer, shall we say, benefits. For instance, they told you about a crazy app called Bang With Friends that helped you convert your Facebook acquaintances into something more. And when BWF changed its name to Down, they told you that, too. So... hooray, friendship.
The future is here. We know this because... well, lasers. They were everywhere this year. They were used to scan your head in order to create a plastic bust of you. And they were used to measure your legs to create the perfect bicycle seat. Maybe it’s not the Death Star, but it’s a start.
In 2013 you: hired your personal Mickey Goldmill at Sam Colonna Boxing. You trained like a Cirque du Soleil acrobat at Aerial Fitness. You jumped, kicked and otherwise got sweaty at CrossTown. Basically, you did anything you needed to do to stay in shape that didn’t involve healthy eating.
