Lisa Komorowski, co-owner of Loulou Belle in downtown Homewood, likes to buy expensive gift wrap for her packages. Her husband, she said, tends to burn through it.
“My husband is a terrible gift-wrapper,” Komorowski said. “He uses the whole roll, and it just infuriates me. So I was like, if I have a husband like that, there has to be a million other ladies out there.”
Out of that holiday aggravation was born Loulou Belle’s annual Dudes’ Shopping Day, which returned last week, for a sixth time. The date was strategically picked this year to coincide with the Chicago Bears bye week.
“We learned our lesson the first time,” Komorowski said.
During Dudes’ Shopping Day, was envisioned as a “pain-free” shopping experience in which customers even were offered a brew at the store, 2049 Ridge Road. Komorowski personally handled the gift wrapping included with their purchases, while co-owner Dodi Wians helped guys find the perfect gifts.
On normal days, Loulou Belle attracts a “handful” of men compared to the women who frequent the store, Komorowski said. The event definitely brings more men into the store each year, she said.
The store’s offerings include new and vintage home décor, furniture and items created by area artisans. Jewelry is a common purchase this year for guys buying gifts at Loulou Belle, Komorowski said, along with mugs, stationary and clothing.
Just down Ridge Road, The Villager Gift Shop owner Valerie Warnsby is preparing for another shopping tradition focused on men that goes back roughly seven years, when the store was located in Flossmoor. Beer, Whiskey and Nuts for last-minute shoppers is scheduled for regular business hours Dec. 22-24, with Warnsby offering small samples of the aforementioned refreshments to shoppers.
The idea came up in conversation with some longtime male customers.
“We would have the husbands come in and say, ‘You always have Ladies Night Out with the wine. What about the Guys Night Out? We like having a night out, too,'” Warnsby said.
She asked what they thought it might entail. They pitched those three key components, and Warnsby said she would give it a try right before Christmas for stressed, last-minute shoppers. It has since become an annual event, with a regular group of customers who often ask about it in advance.
“It’s a real leisurely sort of thing while they’re shopping,” Warnsby said. “It takes the edge off.”
In general, Warnsby said the holiday season has been going well for The Villager, 2007 Ridge Road in downtown Homewood.
“I think people are really thinking about shopping local,” Warnsby said. “Some people really like the idea of getting back out there and to the shopping in storefronts. Some people are looking to avoid big lines at the malls. And I think in this community in particular and surrounding neighborhoods, they want to save their downtowns or main streets.”
The Villager gets a good deal of male customers regularly, who are often buying for the women in their lives, Warnsby said. She also carries some soaps for men for those who come in to buy for themselves.
This year, guys buying for their mothers or in-laws are gravitating toward wraps, robes and the like, as well as travel items. When gift recipients are downsizing, Warnsby said, gourmet products, candles and diffusers are common purchases. Spouses are receiving a lot of jewelry as well as bath and body products, she said.
Warnsby said some men come into her store prepared with photos of gifts or thoughtful ideas, but she also loves to help guys find a good gift when they have no idea what they want but know their spouse loves The Villager. There is one common area where men may want to tread lightly.
“Some guys say, ‘She always wears this, but I would like to see her in this,’ and I go, ‘Well, you know, she might not want to be that adventurous,'” Warnsby said, but noted it goes both ways. “Women do it to men all the time. We say, ‘Hey, I want to see you in this tie or this jacket or this shirt.'”
Nicole Cummens, owner of Pomp & Chic Boutique in Orland Park Crossing, sees some men coming in this year with particular ideas in mind when it comes to attire the store sells.
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“Like, ‘I want my wife to have something not yoga pants,'” Cummens said. “A lot of the features that they’re focusing on wanting to show off are things that probably most women would be insecure about. But they’re like, ‘My wife has great legs; I want something shorter.'”
Still, Cummens gives kudos to the fact that she sees a lot of men working hard to buy good, thoughtful gifts for the women in their lives.
“I feel like men are putting a lot more effort into finding the right gift,” Cummens said.
This year, those range from bags and nice purses to shoes. Sometimes, men are putting together an entire package of attire, cosmetics and a nice night out across multiple businesses. That hasn’t always been the case, in Cummens’ experience.
“Most men shop very last-minute,” she said. “We felt like if they don’t have a plan in mind, everything goes haywire. They’re buying their wives small kitchen appliances that are surely going to disappoint them on Christmas morning.”
So, Pomp & Chic, which opened the physical space last November, is introducing a Holiday Heroes: Last Minute Men Shopping Event featuring “beer, dude food and gift wrapping” that will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 23, in store, 9500 W. 143rd St., Suite 208, in Orland Park.
Until then, women can add items to their wish list through the store’s website, pompandchic.com. When men come to the store, they can shop without any guesswork. Styles, sizes and more will be in the system, and the store can find what fits the budget for the year. The men can enjoy a drink and food such as Buffalo chicken wraps while they shop, and then leave with a package that is wrapped and ready to go under the tree.
Cummens said the store has earned a “super-loyal following” since it opened and has been busy this holiday season. Pomp & Chic’s attire and other products focus on women, so the events generally do, too. But men often find themselves in the unique store if they are buying gifts or sent in to get something, Cummens said.
“We’ll always have random men who walk in, and they always look so terrified,” she added with a laugh. “We’re not the typical, run-of-the-mill Midwest boring boutique. … We’re always trying to push limits.”
Bill Jones is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.