Web site connects shoppers to the past and present
Woodfield Shopping Center is connected with a cool Web site allowing teens to see what they might have looked like when their parents were in school, while catching up on current back-to-school fashions. The Web site, www.YearbookYourself.com, allows visitors to upload their photos and morph their faces onto yearbook photos spanning five decades. Simultaneously, students can learn about the fashion styles and trends of the eras and which stores, found at Woodfield, carry hot back-to-school looks. The fun site features "homeroom" pages that allow visitors to save their favorite yearbook photo to a page and invite friends to post their photos as well. They can also save, print, e-mail or post their yearbook photo creation to a Web page or social network site.
Up north: Just in time for back-to-school shopping, The North Face has opened at the Prime Outlets Pleasant Prairie, just north of the Illinois border in Wisconsin.
The brand has become one of the hottest out there for students of all ages. The outdoor product company specializes in outerwear, fleece, footwear and equipment. Shoppers can expect to find reduced prices at the store. For example, a Summit women's jacket - one of the most expensive lines - sells for $220, compared to the $300 regular price. A Puma store also recently opened at the outdoor mall.
New boutique: New York designer Betsey Johnson opened a new boutique at Northbrook Court. The shop features Johnson's signature dresses, accessories, handbags, footwear, belts, watches, sunglasses, jewelry, perfume, swimwear and lingerie. The boutique has signature pink walls, a black-and-white checkerboard floor and shiny metal fixtures.
For runners: Road Runner Sports recently opened in Naperville.
The new 7,200-square-foot store is the first of its kind to open in Illinois and the 22nd nationwide. The shop is in the Springbrook Prairie Pavilion, a new shopping center designed with bike paths and landscaped sidewalks leading to the DuPage County Forest Preserve.
Road Runner Sports recently unleashed Shoe Dog, a state-of-the-art running analysis center, in all stores. The five-step system allows experts to retrieve an assortment of shoes that fit with the customer's needs. Also scheduled for the shopping center are Whole Foods, Loehmann's, Cost Plus, Nordstrom Rack and Buffalo Wild Wings.
Feeling lucky: If you're looking for a new pair of jeans, soon there will be a new option at Deer Park Town Center in Deer Park.
Lucky Brand Jeans is expected to open at the outdoor center later this fall. The shop, to be next to WIlliams-Sonoma, will feature the Lucky denim, sportswear, knits, wovens, outerwear, T-shirts and active wear. Additional Lucky brand licensed products include swimwear and accessories for men, women and children.
Tokio Sake, a new Japanese restaurant and sushi bar is now open at the center. Kim Mikus covers retail. She welcomes comments at kmikus@dailyherald.com.