Spring is on the horizon in Naperville … as are steaks, skirts and shift dresses.
LILLY PULITZER OPENS, FREE PEOPLE COMING
Lilly Pulitzer has opened at 55 S. Main St., adding lots of floral patterns and hot pink to the downtown district.
Filling the space formerly occupied by Soft Surroundings, the clothing and accessory retailer, featuring items for women, men and girls, is known for attire ideal for a tropical vacation or resort.
Lilly Pulitzer, which sells resort and beach wear for women, men and girls, opened for business last week at 55 S. Main St. in downtown Naperville. (Carolyn Stein/Naperville Sun)
The fashion brand was launched in 1959. Lilly Pulitzer had been running a juice stand in Palm Beach, Florida, and kept staining her clothes while at work so she combined efforts with a dress maker to create a colorful shift dress. It became her uniform and later, the signature dress of her clothing brand.
The company was growing in popularity when it was thrust into the national spotlight by childhood friend, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who wore one of Pulitzer’s shift dresses on the cover of Life magazine. Now, the retailer has shops nationwide.
Hours for the Naperville store are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, according to their website.
Opening next door to Lilly Pulitzer is bohemian retailer Free People.
An RSVP for the 10 a.m. Friday opening, which will include drinks by Zero Proof and a special gift with purchase, can be found at freepeoplenaperville.splashthat.com. Free People is also giving away a $500 gift card in honor of its opening in Naperville for anyone who goes to app.viralsweep.com/sweeps/full/222508-222306?framed=1.
Founded in the 1970s, Free People was started by Dick Hayne in West Philadelphia as a store that sold vintage clothes, records, furniture and plants. When Hayne expanded to a second location, he changed the name to Urban Outfitters.
The Free People name made a resurgence in 1984 as a wholesale line run by Hayne’s wife Meg. The first Free People boutique store opened in Paramus, New Jersey, in 2002. According to its website, the company caters to women in their mid-20s who are “smart, creative, confident and comfortable in all aspects of … being, free and adventurous, sweet to tough to tomboy to romantic.”
There are now 1,400 locations worldwide and the brand can be found in such department stores such as Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s.
Free People’s Naperville store hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, according to their website.
Other businesses to open in downtown Naperville later this year include The Belmont American Steakhouse, Slyce of NY, French pastry shop Le Macaron, Vuori and fitness studio Barry’s.
RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE AT BLOCK 59
Ruth’s Chris Steak House is to open March 9 at 460 Route 59 as part of Naperville’s Block 59, the dining and entertainment complex announced on social media. Reservations for open night can be made at ruthschris.com/reservations.
Ruth Fertel was a single mother with two sons when she bought a small steakhouse in 1965 in New Orleans, the restaurant’s website said. She mortgaged her home to purchase Chris’ Steak House.
When the restaurant was destroyed by a fire in 1976, she was prohibited from opening at a new location under the previous name so she added her name to the moniker and Ruth’s Chris Steak House was born. She started franchising the brand that same year and now they can be found in 21 countries, the website said.
In Naperville, the business will be hope from 4 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, its website said.
cstein@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/17/naperville-lilly-pulitzer-free-people-ruths-chris/
