Meet The Ladies of The Sometimes Store

As Christine Bejasa tells it, the widely-publicized story of her ex-bf moving out of their shared Pilsen apartment undersells the work she and co-owners Alysse Dalessandro and Kirsten Kilponen put into their pop-up vintage shop, the Sometimes Store.

“It’s kind of silly,†says Bejasa over coffee at hipster-den Earwax in Wicker Park. Sure, he moved out, but that’s a mere detail; being a shopper of all things vintage, Bejasa saw an opportunity to turn that extra room into a project. Along with Dalessandro and Kilponen, Bejasa debuted said project in July 2009 to high praise from Chicago’s vintage savvy, along with coverage in Daily Candy and Gaper’s Block.

Hawking rare vintage finds with no set hours, the girls pooled their talents as shoppers with aspirations: with the Sometimes Store, they would fund their own online editorial/art pursuit, Oh Really.

“The goal…is to give all of us a creative outlet in which we have the final say,†says Dalessandro in an email. This outlet will include non-narrative literary work written by Bejasa, Dalessandro and Kilponen, while simultaneously showcasing the work of their varied artist friends.

The name…suggests its adaptability. The store will never be regular.

Don’t think, though, that they’re just trying to make a quick buck. With items scoured from vintage and resale shops (when asked, Bejasa coyly kept their sources secret), the Sometimes Store is stocked with an impeccably edited collection of accessories, hats, shoes, housewares, menswear and—natch—vintage one-offs. Wing-tipped brown leather oxfords, delightfully twee grandpa cardis, plaid up the wazoo: you name it, they’ve got it.

Operating irregular hours while attending trunk shows and street fests, the Sometimes Store has fast become a fashion-presence, in no small part to the eclectic tastes of its retail-curators (though it doesn’t hurt that most items fall below the $20 mark).

“We all have different tastes. They complement each other,†says Bejasa, citing 80s and 90s fashion influences. This, in turn, rounds out their fashion vision, according to Dalessandro (whose influences lie somewhere between Golden Girls and Designing Women).

Committed as they are to this entrepreneurial pursuit, there are no plans to open a permanent location. “The name…suggests its adaptability. The store will never be regular,†says Kilponen. On this sometimes commitment, the three ladies are agreeably happy, as well as thrilled by the public support. This, in itself, seems enough; according to Kilponen, “we have fans in Georgia. Weird, right?â€

The Sometimes Store | 913 W. Cullerton | 312.243.1229 | random hours or by appointment