If there's one word that sums up the aesthetic of blogs like this one over the last five years or so, it would have to be menswear. The explosion of the purposeful, heritage-heavy and highly-considered menswear category in fashion has been so exciting to watch and track, especially on those occasions were a menswear brand or retailer starts to design or sell directly to women. Recently, one of my favorite menswear stores in Chicago, Independence on Oak Street, started carrying menswear-y women's brands and carving out an area for shoppers like us (that admittedly were already shopping at the store). New labels at Independence include Engineered Garments FWK, Gitman Sisters, Levi's Vintage Clothing, Levi's Made & Crafted, Imogene + Willie, and my favorite American Optical Deadstock Safety glasses ($79), all of it is just waiting for that weather to turn to Spring. Way to go Independence!