Original Penguin

This is one of my favorite stores in Chicago. A true gem just off Michigan Avenue, which makes it even more welcoming as it is not bombarded with your usual Mich ave tourists. Rarely do I leave without buying at least a couple of items.
My true affirmation was a compliment on my penguin shirt from my boss. She rarely dishes out compliments and is somewhat of a fashionista.

My only complaint about this store is that they don’t have more women’s clothing. Besides that, the store is well organized, the employees are helpful, and the prices are reasonable.
I haven’t really bought clothes for myself since my favorite boutique closed. One of the brands they used to carry was Original Penguin so I was initially delighted to find this store. I went in months ago only to discover so few options for me. I left empty-​handed.
Then 2014 happened and M and I were passing by the store window. We both have a thing for coats and we liked the one in the window of Original Penguin. It was black wool and had gold, double-​breasted buttons. It was longer in the back than in the front and SO cute! I speculated that was $ 800 and M guessed $ 400. We got in the store and it was only $ 200 AAAAND it was 50% off on top of that!
The clothes in Original Penguin are really classic and preppy looking. They have lots of polos, button-​ups, and blazers. They also have a few cute dresses and a couple of jeans.
M is always saying that I should buy new clothes. So we poked around and I tried on some new shirts and pants. We came away with one pair of jeans, three button-​ups, and one cute top and all of it was 50% off bringing the total to about $ 200. It was such a steal and a fabulous way to start the new year.

I was in Chicago for a birthday party last weekend and American Airlines lost my baggage (big surprise) and I needed a change of clothes as well as a backup present for my friend. I swung by the Penguin store and I was treated like royalty. The staff was excellent and the sales rack had excellent pricing for top-​notch gear. I cleaned house and was happy with everything. One of the best retail experiences I’ve had in a long time.

It’s Penguin, so that’s a good starting point. They’re constantly updating and reinventing the classic preppy look, and Penguin is an ever-​increasing fraction of my wardrobe.
I’ve found the staff to be consistently friendly and helpful. The square footage is smallish, but it’s well-​merchandised and I rarely walk out empty-​handed. The frequent sales don’t hurt.

The sales people here are great!
They have great sales and they had no problem all of my annoying questions on the different fits penguin has to offer

My go-​to spot for men’s clothes. I like that I can walk in and not be overwhelmed by an enormous store, and I want pretty much half the stuff I take a look at. The staff is helfpul, and it’s just easy to shop there.
Over half my closet is now Penguin.
They always have great sales, too. You see their brand in department stores but never on sale.

This place is fantastic and I always have the best service. Nearly my entire wardrobe comes from Original Penguin. They frequently have great sales, so try to find a good time to go. I wish they had more locations!

Great shirts, amazing fit, reasonably priced. Plus staff is friendly and very helpful.

Staff is very helpful and friendly. Poor girl had to listen to my blabbing about my husband’s penguin t-​shirt. I was hoping to get a girlie shirt similar to the design on his, but it was a lot more than I wanted to pay.
Yes, they are expensive and we all know that. This store has a good variety of clothes.
I wish I asked the sales girl’s name. She was super friendly, especially after my experience dealing with the snotty other sales people on Michigan ave.
Yeah, Penguin store 4 stars from me for variety and friendliness. Minus one star because I couldn’t afford a t-​shirt.
Maybe next-​time.

I love this store. I just wish I could fit into their clothes!
First off, I can wear (most of) their shirts. Their amazing plaids and color schemes give the look a smart, urban appeal. Their cuts are rather slim. I’m 6’1″ and about 190, and always have a tough time finding something. I’m also a 34″ inseam. Many (if not all) of their pants are too short. They don’t come with different lengths, so tall folks can’t enjoy the awesome prints.
On the other side, their staff is really helpful. I’ve never been ignored nor overly bombarded by staff (take a hint Banana Republic). If I need something, someone’s right there to answer.
I also love the location because it’s on the back side of the 900 N Michigan bldg, away from the crowd. A must see when you’re shopping on the Mag Mile.

I was trying to buy a specific peacoat for my BF that was listed on the Penguin website, but they were sold out of the size I needed. I ended up finding the exact coat available at the store in Chicago. They told me they would be happy to ship it to me in San Diego, no problem. I think I paid only $ 5 or $ 10 for them to ship it to me. I just remember it was really cheap.
When the coat arrived, it was packed with a thank you note from the store manager and was in a beautiful, sturdy Penguin garment bag. I was actually jealous when I surprised my BF with the coat, because I wanted to keep the garment bag for myself. :)
The staff at this Penguin store went above and beyond the call of duty for me. I was already a fan, but I couldn’t believe how helpful they were with me.

Great store. Staff is professional and knowledgeable.
Some things can get a little pricey but they are quality. Also teachers and students all get a discount. That’s very helpful.

Finally got the chance to stop in here. A client of mine, from out of town, sent me a penguin shirt in the mail. Unfortunately it was a size too small, so I figured it might be a stretch, but i’d try to exchange it for a larger size… it didn’t have a price tag, so I wasn’t able to… but the manager was super polite about it and totally explained why. I appreciate stuff like that. The entire staff was friendly, helpful, and fun. This place definitely deserves 5 stars not only for having great clothes, but for excellent customer service as well.

My first review of a clothing store, but I gotta give credit where it’s due. First off, I really like the Penguin brand. It fits my body size well, is durable, and is somewhat dressy in comparison to what I typically wear. It’s also not overly dressy or fancy or country clubish preppy, which I’m not into.
Anyway, it is also somewhat on the pricey side when you get it from the store at full price. I’ve gotten a few items from the Century 21 in lower Manhattan at a super discount, but when I went into the store I left after seeing the $ 70 price tag on a simple knit polo shirt.
I noticed this shop when walking around and popped in. The helpful, but not annoying, staff immediately let me know there was a whole discounted section in the back corner, and that «anything with buttons» was 25% off. Sweeeeet! Long story short I ended up with 4 nice polo shirts for around $ 90. Since it’s starting to get cold, they will have to wait, but I’m stoked to break em out when it gets warm or if I go on vaca. Thanks Penguin!

I’ve seen Penguin clothing in other stores before, but the sight of a boutique store in Chicago totally rocked. My fiancée and I went into the store to avoid a passing shower on Rush St. and I wound up purchasing two shirts and an awesome green spring/​summer jacket (all on sale, btw)!. The staff was friendly and very accommodating. Yeah, some of the prices can be a bit expensive if you’re on a tight budget, but, if you see something on sale, you’ll probably find something that looks really retro and cool.

I love penguin clothes. the hats, the shirts, the pants… errr trousers.
Even though the store is small, they have a great selection.
For a boutique store, a good amount of the merchandise was on sale.
The sales staff is also super friendly. I love making this a new staple when I shop downtown.

We were visiting Chicago and went out of our way to find the Penguin store. It’s a cute shop. Spring apparel mostly looked like boring golf gear, though I quickly found a pair of shades I wanted. The floor model fit a little large so I asked if there were any others available. The clerk was clueless. «I don’t so». She said. «Are you sure?» I had to ask.
She asked someone else who said «I don’t think so», also without checking. I had to ask if him too if he was sure since he also sounded unconvincing. I’d live with it I thought. They were $ 50 plus I’d get a decent discount for signing up for their email promos they said.
My friend, who’d come to replace a favorite old Penguin hat that had got lost, made his way around the store and had to ask the clerk to move away a couple times so he could look around. There was limited selection but he found a decent one for $ 25 so he decided to take it.
We were in a bit of a hurry I mentioned, to get to our water taxi in time, but they didn’t seem to care when it came time to ring in our purchases. It took about 10 minutes, honestly. The cashier didn’t know the brand of sunglasses and had to go through about 50 tags to scan in the right one. Then after signing up for the email promos she told me the sunglasses were already on sale. Suspicious… I didn’t see any sale sign or tag.
Then we missed our water taxi…
A couple days later the glue on my friends hat melted in the sun leaving big dark blobs which haven’t gone away and my shades continue to slide down my nose annoyingly.

Penguin gets four stars because of its fantastic staff. The downtown Chicago shopping in that area can be great, if you’re willing to put up with a little snobbery from the store workers. But the staff at Penguin are — amazingly– REAL people! I’ve been there twice, with different salespeople. All of them were kind, helpful, friendly, easygoing. Even on a Saturday afternoon. You can find flattering, unique clothing at crazy cheap prices compared to the original price if you buy on sale. Like other reviewers, I feel the clothes are overpriced on the original amount. My only wish is that the store was larger and carried more womens’ clothing. They seem to have lots of options for men, and a small childrens section. But I’m a fan! Keep up the great, friendly customer service! It’s sorely lacking everywhere else in that neighborhood. (the one exception is the Denim Lounge, which also has great service and fantastic products)

Ew. I went in to return a dress I bought and the lady who was obviously the manager went from being sickly sweet to a huge biznatch when she realized I was there to make a return. Seriously SO rude, I was horrified. Even the girl who was making the return fom me was obviously embarrassed because she tried to be overly nice. Aside from the awful awful lady, the clothes are pretty cute, but fairly expensive. I miss Johnny Rockets that used to be there.

I’m a pretty big Penguin fan. I’ve been rocking Penguin polos for the last several years, so the opening of the Original Penguin Store in Chicago got me really amped…
I was not disappointed. The store is cool, everybody is helpful, and they have lots of cute vintage art and accessories as well. Some items (like a vest for $ 130 ((that was actually on sale on the penguin website for 29.97)) were really overpriced.
The selection was pretty good and I would imagine it would get even better for the Fall/​Winter seasons. I was hoping they would have a better selection of suits and blazers but alas, they didn’t have too much.