"Profiled" in the Village of Hinsdale - I Guess I Should Have Worn Nail Polish

Magnet #36

Returning to Chicago, another magnet of course

I’ve always enjoyed trips to Chicago. During this visit however, my purpose was to catch up with a dear friend who lives in the charming village called Hinsdale. Who knew that while shopping in this suburban hamlet (described on its community website as a “friendly community”), I encountered something that we Philadelphians would call good ole profiling. Maybe for not wearing nail polish?

With a full day to myself, I dressed that late May 2018 day in a casual (and clean) dress with comfortable walking shoes. There isn’t a designer bone in me but I felt that I looked at least respectable.

Like so many small suburban towns, Hinsdale, located 20 miles west of Chicago, is loaded with stylish dress shops, restaurants, specialty stores and of course, the ubiquitous nail salons of any big city suburban town. With my credit card burning a hole in my wallet, I felt almost giddy with anticipation as I walked into town.

My first stop --- a lovely mercantile stocked full with all kinds of household decorative items attractively displayed on tables and shelves. Picture this as the perfect shop for wedding gift registries; its high end wares tasteful, reflecting the latest home fashion trends of any new bride.

The well coiffed staff of three or so ladies standing together in the rear of the store greeted me with a “Good morning”. Making eye contact as I always do when entering a store, I responded, “Just looking” when asked if there was anything special I was looking for.

As I circumnavigated back to the front part of the store, I couldn’t help but notice that one of the sales ladies appeared to be following me.. When I stopped, she’d stop and look as if she were catching up on her text messages. If I moved, she moved but no closer than four or five feet. Puzzled, I tried to make eye contact but she stubbornly averted my attempts.

“Oh my gosh, she thinks I’m a shoplifter”, I realized. When she continued to awkwardly work her mobile, apparently waiting for my next move, I left the store without making a purchase.

Perplexed but not discouraged, I next entered the clothing store J. McGlaughlin. The company’s traditionally styled clothing is perfect for occasions such as: going to lunch with the girls, vacationing, and dressy casual entertaining. After looking at the company’s catalog for years, I eagerly picked out a few items to try on.

Upon emerging from the dressing room wearing a conservative striped number, the sales lady took one look at me before letting out a small laugh. It took me a second to realize that she apparently found my figure in the dress quite amusing, all 137 pounds on my 5’6” frame. Humiliated, I declined trying on anything else and left.

Thankfully, I had better luck in a couple of Hinsdale shops where the sales ladies treated me to terrific customer service. I caused no apparent laughter in Stockholm Objects when I tried on and bought a good looking black leather belt. In the Yankee Peddler, the shop owner and I had a delightful conversation before I purchased hard to find playing cards.

A wonderful find at the Yankee Peddler

With two shopping bags in tow, I more or less did a bit of a Pretty Woman walk in front of the first store where apparently I met the description of a shoplifter’s profile.

My downtown Chicago sightseeing highlight was returning to the Chicago Art Institute where I hit the gift shop hard after taking in the museum’s regular exhibits and more memorably, a special exhibition of Ivan Albright’s rather gory yet thought provoking works.

I say, usually if you are going to visit Chicago, check out the stores located on the Magnificent Mile. (Sadly, a subsequent visit two years later provided a disheartening and scary twist to this recommendation).

Traveler’s Tip for 2023: Since the beginning of the Pandemic, Chicago’s Magnificent Mile district has seen a significant rise in crime. However, according to the most recent statistics reported on June 15, 2023, the area where the Magnificent Mile is located still boasts a 23% less crime rate than Chicago’s average. Though many high end shops have left since 2020, you can still find great shopping at stores such as Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, Saks, and Nordstrom along with wonderful hotels, restaurants and nightclubs. I still say, Chicago's a great city to visit!

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