Spare Parts

“I think the secret to this store’s success is that we offer high-quality, unique goods at reasonable prices,” says Vanessa Kaplan as she’s standing behind the register at her small Lakeview accessories boutique and reflecting on its 25th year in business. Kaplan is the store’s fifth owner. A brief history of Spare Parts: Two men opened the store in 1987 because they felt Lakeview needed a nice men’s leather shop. Five years later, they sold it to Pamela Hewett, who eventually sold it to Monica Salud so Hewett could open Stitch in Bucktown. That’s when Kaplan started working at the store and eventually took over the business in 2006. Kaplan says she’s had the longest tenure as owner. Through the change of hands, Spare Parts morphed into a women’s accessory shop, but Kaplan brought back men’s items when she became the owner. She eventually added items for children, too.