Top 5 Fashion Trends of 2014 Normcore: Think Seinfeld, soccer moms and suburban tourists
Sporty chic: Sneakers got out of the gym and ventured into fancier territories.
Healthgoth: Those who love darkness as much as juicing and pumping iron finally found a tribe to call their own, with Johnny Love as a local guru.
Candy-colored hair: That Buick billboard with the blue-haired girl proved this trend finally went mainstream.
Easy and breezy: Mesh and all-white were all the rage in this year’s summer music festivals.
—Isa Giallorenzo with Alanna Zaritz. Illustrations by Josh Crow.
Top 5 Moments That Reminded Us That Architecture Matters in Chicago in 2014 The national American Institute of Architects convention, coinciding with the announcement of the Chicago Architecture Biennial Trump Tower sign and the Lucas Museum making Chicago the punchline of late-night comedy show jokes The MCHAP Prize assembling some of the world’s top architects under one flat modernist roof Loss of all hope for the Spire, with surprisingly little regret Flooding of the historic Charnley-Persky House —F. Philip Barash
Top 5 Places to Run Into the Designerati Catalyze Chicago Soho House Analogue Chicago Cultural Center / Intelligentsia Over by the 3D-printer —Seth Unger
Top 5 Colors EVER Black Onyx Coal Obsidian Chartreuse —Seth Unger
Top 5 Design-for-the-Masses Objects That Stopped Us Mid-aisle at Target Picture frames That big box of 128 crayons Goldfish crackers The Nate Berkus Collection The Lego sets these days… —Seth Unger
Top 5 CTA Station Architectural Views Wilson (Red) 43rd St (Green) 35th/Archer (Orange) Granville (Red) Armitage (Brown) —Ben Schulman
Top 5 Shops to Find Toys, Clothes and Gear that Won’t Inculcate Your Child to the World of Megabrands The Second Child, 954 West Armitage Galt Baby, 1915 North Clybourn Little Threads, 2033 West Roscoe Psychobaby, 1657 West Division Sprout San Francisco, 1943 West Division —Alanna Zaritz
Top 5 Handmade Chicago Soap Makers Venus in Pisces Handmade Soaps Big City Suds Sol Food Soaps Abbey Brown Soap Eleanor Reily Soaps —Michael Workman
Top 5 Chicago Ceramics & Pottery Makers Penguin Foot Pottery Justin Hart Ceramics CircaCeramics Patrice Murtha Pottery Ashley Lin Pottery —Michael Workman
Top 5 Chicago Paper Makers Caroline Borucki Studios Lille Huset Angie Consalvo Collage Amelia Kieras Photoillustration Hippocamp Cards —Michael Workman
Top 5 Chicago Jewelry & Adornment Makers Crystal Wells / Aitho Adornments Shades of Grey Janeane Bowlware / Redbud Jewelry Alexandra Jamroz / MAKA Designs Grace Ann Watson / Taradiddle Creations —Michael Workman
Top 5 Chicago Handmade Tabletop Wares Makers Made By Cat Painter Modern Sprout Nimble Well Carolyn Kassnoff / It’ll Glow On You badala.org —Michael Workman
Top 5 Craft Accessory Makers Cheryl & Jody Casden, Golden Teardrop Studio Foxglove Accessories Humble Pen Chain Stay Jewelry Midwest Lovely —Michael Workman
Top 5 Chicago Home Decor Object Makers Claire Ashley Studio Erin Smego Chicago Lights Susan Kimball & Nick Moyer Studios Alapash Home and Terrariums —Michael Workman
Top 5 Chicago Salvaged Wood Makers Square Nail Chicago 7M Woodworking Andrew / Urban Art Kevin’s Cutouts Chris Knight, Chris Knight Creations —Michael Workman
Top 5 Chicago Knit & Weave-Makers Nina Chicago KraeO Knot & Splice Karna Erickson Design Margaret Leininger —Michael Workman
Top 5 Chicago Handmade Handbag Makers Milkhaus Design Po Campo Kettenglied Poise.cc Acton Creative —Michael Workman
Top 5 Colors That Chicagoans Would Have Chosen Instead of “Marsala” as 2015 Pantone Color Of The Year Pantone 298 C (Divvy Blue) Pantone 419 U (North Face Puffer Coat Charcoal) Pantone 3025 HC (Lake Michigan On A Clear Day Turquoise) Pantone 5635 C (Cloud Gate Silver Mixed With Millennium Park Foliage) Pantone 186 M (Four Stars On The City Flag Red) —Jessica Barrett Sattell
Top 5 Reasons Why Chicago Could Finally Be Named A World Design Capital Hello, Chicago Architecture Biennial! We officially have a permanent Design Museum CHGO DSGN: Recent Object and Graphic Design is going on tour Speculative design is no longer limited to UIC labs The City of Big Shoulders has become the City of Big Data —Jessica Barrett Sattell
Top 5 Fashion Cues That the Ladies Can (And Should) Regularly Borrow from Menswear Pocket squares and neckerchiefs Selvedge denim Scouting backpacks Chukka shoes Beanies (solid colors only) —Jessica Barrett Sattell
Top 5 Looks by Caylee Willett of If You Seek Style, Newcity’s 2014 “Best Personal Style Blogger”
The sleeveless jacket definitely had a moment this year.
Caylee’s perfect mix of girlie, edgy and boho.
Here’s an outfit that could take her from Pitchfork straight to the Violet Hour.
Can’t go wrong with a round flower skirt and a tucked in tee. The floppy hat is the cherry on top.
Caylee proves that preppy can be cool too. Plaid is rad.
