Fashion Outlets of Chicago

I’ve probably driven past the Fashion Outlets of Chicago in Rosemont dozens of times since it opened in 2013, but until recently I’d never actually been inside. A friend and I visited a couple weeks ago for the first time.

Fashion Outlets of Chicago is an enclosed outlet shopping center with over 130 outlet retailers. Aside from the great savings you’ll find at the outlet stores, Fashion Outlets of Chicago has a few features that make it stand out as a really cool place to shop:

• Free parking in the attached garage – This is fantastic on rainy or really cold days, especially when you’ve got kids with you. I love it. So convenient.
• Artwork – The Fashion Outlets of Chicago partnered with The Arts Initiative to bring artwork created by nationally and internationally known contemporary artists to their space. I absolutely love this. I enjoyed wandering around and checking out some of the amazing pieces. Below is a photo of a mural and hanging sculpture by Jen Stark. There was another one by Daniel Arsham that I loved but I forgot to take a photo of it. You can see a photo of it here.

• The layout – The stores at Fashion Outlets are laid out in a way that makes it easy and convenient to shop at the stores you want. Higher end stores like Burberry, Prada, and Calvin Klein can be found on the Level 2, while Level 1 is what I’d consider more average stores – Gap, Men’s Wearhouse, and Converse. I prefer the “average” stores so I can find pretty much everything I need on Level 1. They even have family friendly retailers like Disney Outlet, Carter’s, OshKosh B’Gosh, Stride Rite, and the Gymboree outlet all in the same wing on Level 1, so you don’t have to walk through the whole shopping center to get all your kids’ shopping done.

• The Concierge Services – Wow. The Concierge Services at Fashion Outlets of Chicago are impressive. Of course, they’ll help you find a store you’re looking for just like your standard mall services, but they can also provide a wide range of services including airline baggage check-in and boarding pass issuance, assisting in making reservations, and helping visitors plan their day in the Chicago area. In fact, they can even help you get same-day local delivery of your purchases for only $5. Best of all, they’ve added a new text concierge service; text you question to 847-957-4600 (during business hours) and they’ll get back to you within minutes.

I was pretty impressed with Fashion Outlets of Chicago and a little disappointed that I didn’t visit earlier. We shopped around for a while and found some great stores, including the Converse store (I have a bit of an addiction to Converse All-Stars).

We also visited the Disney store. My friend Joslyn is obsessed with Star Wars so we spent some time checking out all of the Star Wars merchandise.

Finally, we spent some quality time at Lolli and Pops, an unbelievably amazing candy store. The smell was intoxicating, especially in the chocolate room. Yes, an entire room filled with chocolate.

We had the opportunity to sample some truffles and I’d love to tell you which ones were the best, but I really don’t know. Every sample I tried was delicious. Their gummy room – also amazing!

After shopping we drove across the street to the MB Financial Park for dinner. MB Financial Park has lots of dining: Adobe Gilas, Bogart’s, Five Roses, Hofbrauhaus, Kings Bowling, Sugar Factory, and Park Tavern. They have this huge field in the center that is lit up at night. This is the spot for free summer concerts and lots of other events (see the online calendar for a listing of all events. 

Rosemont was a great destination for a girls’ night out, but I’m looking forward to coming back very soon with my family!