About Last Night: Grab Your Shorty

From fast-fingered bloggers, to wine guzzlers and fashion fanatics, Chicago partied into the A.M. We couldn't hit it all, but here's what we could get to.

Blogapalooza
We're not sure if it was the promise of a bunch of bloggers or the free food and alcohol that lured people to the 900 shops Thursday night for Blogapalooza, but it didn't really matter. A scene is a scene, and even though DJ Rock City's thumping beats didn't really seem to mesh terribly well with the curious crowd of onlookers -- no fault of his own -- there were plenty of interestings things to do and see. Local culinary rock star Alpana Singh lured quite the crowd, although the free vino probably didn't hurt, and Mark Shale had an interesting dude-oriented display with free scotch and shoe shines. Just like blogging, sometimes the best things in life are free.

Sipping in the South Loop
We've seen parties at Wine Styles (1240 S. Michigan Ave) where the beats from the live band were so intense that folks were getting down on the sidewalk. Thursday night's event was a more low-key affair, with a guitarist/vocalist creating a smoothed-out scene, but this small boutique wine store doesn't seem to have any problems packing them in. Every Thursday is "Try Before You Buy," an opportunity to sip from five different bottles. Manager/sommelier doesn't let you know what you're getting into before you sip, in order to dispel any pre-conceived notions you may have. Such as there's nothing fun to do in the South Loop on a Thursday night before 9 p.m.

Shawty Burnin' on the Dance Floor
As is usually the case, or last stop of the night was the most energetic. West Loop's Lumen nightclub and its state-of-the-art lighting system provided the perfect backdrop for the unveiling of Shorty Clothing's 2009 Fall/Winter Collection. Gen Art, the group dedicated to nurturing and promoting underground artists, hosted the bash. Instead of a live model fashion show, the collection was looped on video screens inside the club. Expect to hear much more about the local style scene and emerging designers over the next month as Fashion Focus Chicago kicks into high gear.