What's Oprah got in store?

FANS' PARADISE | Star's comfy shop features her passions, gurus

February 8, 2008

BY SANDRA GUY sguy@suntimes.com

What would it be like to walk into Oprah Winfrey's consciousness?

You can get close by walking into the new Oprah Store, a mishmash of the star's sayings, passions, gurus and even her closet, right down the street from Harpo Studios on Chicago's Near West Side.

» Click to enlarge image The Oprah Store opened on N. Carpenter in Chicago Thursday.

Perhaps you'd need to make a purchase and delve deeper into the experience.

In that case, feel stress-free in an Oprah nightgown and baby-soft socks, writing in your "Passion" journal while sipping hot tea from a mug emblazoned with one of Oprah's favorite quotes. "Live Your Own Dreams" is always a heart-warmer.

It's all about comfort and self-expression -- and lots of attention from hovering salespeople -- at the store at 37 N. Carpenter, set off by large acrylic O's that light up at night on the entry walkway. Inside, bamboo, pastel colors and a brightly lighted loft set the tone.

Oprah fans have had a week to browse the 5,500-square-foot store.

The most popular item? On Thursday morning, 70 shoppers snapped up $13 cosmetics bags decorated with blue, yellow, pink and purple O's.

The setting ranges from subtle messages -- small O's hardly visible on the pockets of workout shirts and pants -- to out-and-out Oprah worship, with photos of Oprah and her favorite causes on the walls, and a TV mounted on a wall rerunning "The Oprah Winfrey Show's" 20th anniversary special.

OUR SHOPPER'S FAVORITE THINGS

Trendiest: Glass-bead and telephone-wire bowls and baskets handmade by women in Africa, from $45 to $120.

Prettiest: Handmade beaded key rings in the shapes of a giraffe, crocodile, elephant and giraffe, $8.

Smartest: Books by Maya Angelou, fitness guru Bob Greene, relationship expert Robin Smith and diet doctors Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen.

Altruistic: Profits from the sale of sweat shirts, T-shirts and other clothing dedicated to Oprah's charitable Angel Network and her African school are returned to those causes.

Coordinated: This one is a tie between attire for small dogs, with a $24 Polo shirt, $12 collar and $15 leash, and a workout outfit for people, with a $30 T-shirt, $40 drawstring pants, $5 socks, $6 water bottle, $46 gym bag and a $16 baseball cap for bad hair days.

Most retro: Velour jogging outfits with an O zipper pull, $100.

Sexiest: A pair of Gianfranco Ferre brown crocodile ankle boots from Oprah's closet, $300.

Yikes. Sorry, but yikes.

It's a good thing, keeps all the Oprah fanatics in one place ;)

Good to to provide that sort of service and even though I'm not a fan I might just pop there for a funny gift.

<< Save

It's a good thing, keeps all the Oprah fanatics in one place ;)

Good to to provide that sort of service and even though I'm not a fan I might just pop there for a funny gift.>>

Good point. I have nothing against Oprah, but all the merchandising.... everything with the "O" logo, etc.

OpaqueEntity: Alas, the "fanatics" are NOT "kept to one place"! My daughter got four of us tickets to the Oprah Show. GUESS how much we're spending in the fine city of Chicago just because of our "free" tickets to Oprah?! (gas, tolls, lodging, parking, food, drink, admissions, attractions, etc = A LOT!) ha ha! Don't get me wrong, I am SO looking forward to our first trip next week, & not particularly to see the O-Show but for the opportunity to visit & experience the city!! Never have, and we live right next door! Ahhhh, tourism! What a concept! ; )

:)

People forget that tourist attractions aren't just for tourists! (as it were).

I am surprised when studios don't have shops etc available for the guarenteed tourist trade gawping at them everyday. How long has Oprah been going now?

Wow, I just found this... We'll be there in July and I know she is not taping then so this would be fun to check out! 1st trip there and already like it, Wrigley for my DH and son, AG for my girls and Oprah boutique for me!

The info is on her website but I guess she will have the oprahstore.com site up in May.

37 N. Carpenter St., Chicago, Il. 60607

312-633-2100

Mon.-Sat. 10-5:30pm Sun- 12-4pm

-:- Message from TripAdvisor staff -:-

This topic was inactive for 6 months and has been closed to new posts. We hope you'll join the conversation by posting to an open topic or starting a new one.

To review the TripAdvisor Forums Posting Guidelines, please follow this link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/forums_posting_guidelines.html

We remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason.