Bought several items for a fund-raising event including a watch. When I went to get dressed for the event I found that the watch time would not set and there was no band loop to hold the strap in place. I couldn't wear it to what would probably be the only time I would want to wear it. Took it back the following week, explained the situation, and got attitude from the staff that there are no exchanges and no refunds. Huh? Even for a defective item for which I had the receipt? Made for a very uncomfortable "confrontation" in the store. After much "discussion" they agreed to exchange the watch which did me little good since the one time event was past. Still decided to take the replacement. Got outside the store and saw that the battery was dead. So, back in and another uncomfortable discussion. Finally walked out with a working watch with a band loop that I doubt I will ever wear. My advice is to find a vintage retailer that understands customer service. There are many in the area. read more

i used to shop here a decade ago. like, actually shop here... for my party clothes. most of which i could barely squeeze one arm into nowadays. while my tastes and my body type have changed considerably over the years, i still like to go ALL OUT when it comes to costumes. need a wig for your halloween costume? look no further! you may pay anywhere from $25- $75, but you'll pay that and more at the costume shop anyway, and the quality at beatnix is much better. these wigs is made for drag queens, mmmkay? they gonna hold up for more than one use, honey. i found the perfect goldilocks wig here a couple years ago and i can't wait to wear it again. okay, okay... blonde is *kinda* fun. you'll also find just about anything else for your costume: tights, belts, hats, shoes, jewelry. but no bloomers. i still don't know where to get bloomers. not that i need them now. sadly (scandilously?), goldilocks had to go without. read more

As a straight man who needed some costume supplies, a costume/drag/sex shop in the middle of boys town could be a bit intimidating. The fellas at Beatnix were incredibly pleasant and helpful. Beatnix is my new go-to for Halloween and bar crawl apparel. read more

I remember in its hayday how wonderful this place was. it was vintage back in 89' and the two fellas from michigan who owned it were fantastic. now its for cheap jewelry and drag outfits.........i really miss the vintage scene in chicago and the old beatnix that used to be the leader. I find what they do have is way over priced. The wigs are cool i have to say i bought one for a party for $20. I also use the ben nye for photoshoots so thats handy for me and they have good sales there for it. Other than that, thats it. read more

Service is typically HORRIBLE! ACtually of all the times I have been in the store, I have only had one person come up to me and ask me if I needed help. I've asked for prices and been told "I don't know". How am I expected to pay for something that no one knows the price too?! Clothes are cute, but made with cheap material. Jewelry is chinsy and cheap looking. Downstairs is the best part of the store with all the vintage clothes. Great if you are shopping for a halloween costume. read more

The prices are so good and the sunglasses are so plentiful, it's hard to get put off by any attitude coming from whoever's behind the counter. read more

I've purchased SO many random little things at this store over the years! I agree with everyone else, they have all your costuming needs in one convenient location: makeup (Ben Nye!!!), eyelashes and wigs galore, as well as an eccentric selection of fun, campy clothes... Most of which aren't very practical/wearable, but funny to gawk at regardless. It's one of the only stores in the area that I haven't grown bored of. read more

Lord, Honey Child! Where do I even begin? Coming from the drag queen capitol of the world Lexington, Kentucky I am use to paying triple for things that we use on a day to day basis! This past weeked I happen to run across Beatnix, and let me tell you I let that store have it! I had to go twice just to buy everything I wanted! Children, I'm telling you if you make it to Chicago check them out, I promise they will have something for you!!! read more

I was Halloween Wig shopping on the north side and everything was $50+. Didn't feel like dishing out that much for a one time use, the employee ( former employee at Beatnix) recommended I go there. SCORE! I got a much better wig here for $26 (although the girl behind the counter was kind of rude and kept looking me up and down?) and loved that they had SO. MUCH. STUFF. Corset sets for $26!!! These usually run at $80+ at other places. Will definitely go back! read more

The girl at the front was very nice to us when we came in, said hello and asked to take our backpacks. We've been to many shops in the same area with the same bag-check policies so I didn't have a problem with that at all. We walked around the main part of the store, and I noticed other sections of the store are roped off with signs saying you need to ask to go in those sections so someone can escort you and monitor the section (I assume they do this as a way to reduce theft) We saw that the stairs leading to the vintage section were roped off so we asked the girl at the counter if we could go downstairs. She was busy running someone up so she nicely asked to wait one minute. This is when another girl employee walks up by the counter to put someone away, and the girl on register asks if she's busy. She responded with "why?" with a kind of snarky attitude, and the cashier tells her we want to go downstairs. The girl didn't say anything but it was obvious that she had an attitude and opened the rope to let us in and took us downstairs. It was two of us plus another customer that followed after. The whole time we were looking around she like glared at us like we were a pain in the ass for being there. It was to the point of making us uncomfortable. So we hurried up and went back upstairs to check out just to get away from her bad attitude. It's a nice place, but that girls attitude and demeanor kind of ruined it for us. read more

I came here with 3 other gurls, we were looking for wigs/eyelashes/etc. for the drag queen theme I picked for my birthday. There was a guy, Miguel a.k.a Purple Haze that helped us out with the wigs. He gave us drag queen makeup tips (now we will look fab and fierce :D ohh yeaaa) and it was a lot of fun shopping there! I have to go back, because I didnt finish looking around. There's so many things, you don't know where to start looking! Only Miguel, this other guy with dark spiky hair, and the girl working at the wigs were helpful, they were all real nice. Other than that, the people at the check out were kinda bland and didn't stand out, they also seemed to have an attitude. I had fun here, and I plan on going back to shop! I luv Beatnix =D read more

I had a friend who worked here for one day. He got freaked out by all the drag queens that would come in and ask to try on wigs.

Beatnix has the best supply of costumes and vintage gear! The downstairs offers everything your heart wants and most fo the people that frequent the shop, don't ever even go down there! Prom dresses galore! Halloween costumes! Drag queen sized clothes! Amazing wigs and make-up and GORGEOUS JEWELRY!!!!!!! This place is a must-go for all the fabulous in or visiting Chicago! Some of the things can be over priced. But it's worth it since you can find everything you need in one space. read more

I always walk out with waaaaay more than I walked in intending to buy. Between this, ragstock, and that Hollywood place, Beatnix is my go to. read more

I love this place! There are so many items here that you will never find at another store. I have been shopping here for over a decade. Great customer service except for some bitchy drag queens. However, I wouldn't want a queen to be any other way read more

Hated their service!!!!!!! I bought a lot of stuff at their store and when i tried their gloves at home they didn't fit me the way i would have liked. Asked them to exchange them for something else but their manager, who was extremely rood, decided to be difficult and not let me do an exchange even thought i would have ended up spending more money. So be it, i will just take my business somewhere else!!!!! read more

Great selection of clothes, ranging from vintage, second hand, to new clothes. It's great for both mens and womens clothing. I've found some of the cutest reasonably priced summer dresses and every time I wear them I get tons of compliments. The staff is extremely friendly and honest with what looks good on you if you're alone and need a second opinion. This is very important because there is not a return, no exchange policy. Beatnix's also has a great selection of jewelry which can easily be matched to any outfit and cheap! They are located in the heart of boystown, where there is plenty of great shopping and great eating. read more

Great costumes, wigs, clothes. So so on the service, but me and 4 girlfriends did have a bit of a hollywood montage moment while trying on our wigs. We then ran around the stores and picked out outfits to match on a whim, they had everything we wanted and more. So fun, even for a random day when you don't need anything! read more

Beatnix rocks! Tons of costume jewelry, rainbow boas (rainbow anything actually). Check out the basement for some great vintage finds, they even have wedding dresses! The staff is friendly and helpful. Whenever I'm in need of some plastic jewelry, I head to Beatnix. read more

When I was in my "wear as much irritating and loud junk as possible" phase this place was ideal. I'm a little less flamboyant a dresser these days, but they still have a pretty decent selection of shoes and jackets. read more

Beatnix is a well established shop and it has been around since then 80's. This store is a virtual wonderland stocked full of fun costumes and accessories! The inventory is abundant! We spent three hours in Beatnix and there was still more to see. Another thing I appreciate is that everything is priced fairly--nothing is overpriced. The staff was helpful and not pushy. Beatnix is a really fun store with vintage clothing and wigs, fabulous platform shoes & boots and flashy jewelry! I highly recommend this fun place! read more

Web site states that the store hours are Mon - Thurs are 12pm - 10PM. I made a special trip specifically to THIS store. 1 hour driving time and 20 minutes just to find a parking spot. I arrived at 8:05pm THURSDAY March 26th. After I walked in the door and confirmed it was Beatnix I was told that they were closing in five minutes. Surprised I mentioned that their web site says 10pm. I was told simply "NO." by the female sales clerk and offer no more help than that. Well after a wasted trip, gas money, meter money and time I certainly didn't want to keep them to their POSTED HOURS. TWO WEB SITES BOTH STATING TEN PM AS THEIR THURSDAY CLOSING TIME. http://chicago.citysearch.com/profile/3735260/chicago_il/beatnix.html http://www.thechicagotraveler.com/beatnix/ Their recorded phone message even conflicts them stating they are open to 9PM. on Thursdays which would still have given me an hour to pick up what I needed. NO I wasn't there to "look. I NEEDED to spend money. But since they seem not to need the business any costumers who can suggest a more professional store please contact me. read more

I went in yesterday to find a wig and was not disappointed. I'd read the other reviews about having to check bags and rude service. I was therefore pleasantly surprised when the guy working told me I didn't need to check my purse. The place is definitely a bit cluttered, but it looked like they had all sorts of random goodies if one were to search around a bit. I was there on a mission though, so it was just the wig section for me. I was helped very promptly and courteously. I left within 15 minutes with a wicked cool wig for my party this weekend. I also managed to snag two extremely cheap-o scarves as an added bonus. read more

Went there to get some makeup. I was referred by the girl at ulta. Walked in, got my handbag checked in. There is so much merchandise, as far as costume type stuff. I was thinking it was just a makeup boutique. The ladies were there and helped me every step of the way patiently answering my questions. Showing me samples, even applying makeup on me. Showing me different techniques and products. I could've stayed there all afternoon chatting. The makeup and brushes were extremely affordable. I ended up buying everything I needed and then some. I can't wait to go back to get more stuff, they gave me some really great ideas :-) read more

I love love love Beatnix !!! I get all my big gaudy bling fabulous jewelry from here. My favorite store in boystown!!

Definitely one of the best costume stores/boutique in Chicago. They have everything from costumes for entertainment to Halloween are just the really trendy person looking for a splash. You can always count on finding something here! read more

I came in here looking for a few particular items to wear while on my vacation to Miami (semi tacky tropical shirt, white sunglasses, and potentially a hat. ) I was greeted quickly by Cornell who ended up helping me during my shopping excursion. I told him my ideas, and he quickly started trying to help me find what I was looking for. We started off with shirts and he got a feel of what I liked and what I didn't (we found a shirt pretty quickly) so we moved onto hats (my head was too big to fit any, but he didn't tease me too much haha ) he helped me find some great sunglasses and honestly it helped make my vacation. He was friendly, attentive, and never rushed me once. Just wanted to say thank you Cornell! read more

A costume emporium! If someone announced that the third Alice in Wonderland was taking place here, I'd watch it for sure! Only problem is that whenever I enter, it's impossible for me to leave without purchasing something! read more

It's so much fun to shop here whether I am looking for a costume or just some cool shoes or accessories. They have a huge selection of men and women's clothes. There is always some great music playing while you shop and they seemed to stay open pretty late. Beatnix's sells everything from affordable heels to wigs and lingerie. Avoid this place at all costs when it gets close to Halloween. It's a madhouse and you won't find anything. Fortunately, they keep costumes out all year and put more out in September, so shop early! I would give it five stars if the gay boys who worked here weren't so full of themselves. read more

Beatnix is one of our favorite spots to pick up a good selection of fake mustaches while in Chicago. We can find some cool styles, AND we get the personalized help from the staff who will gladly model wigs to entertain you while you are debating on your fake mustache purchase. read more

I heart Beatnix!!! Vintage basement full of EVERYTHING!! Cute and inexpensive jewelry. Its just so much fun. Funny Greeting Cards...cool staff! I cant wait to go back!!!! read more

Pretty much the coolest damn shop I've ever been to. Tons of wild, outrageous clothes, slutty swimsuits, costumes, drag outfits, and casual ever day clothes too! Lots of cute memorabilia, gadgets, and trinkets too, for cheap! A must shop. The staff was really nice too. read more

Beatnix never lets me down -- no matter what crazy, fun item I'm looking for, they have it. Their selection is excellent and the layout makes it very easy to find everything I'm looking for. The best part of the store, though, is the staff -- everytime I've gone in, they've been nothing but incredibly helpful and very friendly. Great store! read more

Love it. Where else will I find outrageous shoes for my size 11s? And the wig selection is great. Everything else is just what you'd find at any cheap online costume shop, but in store (Leg Avenue and the like). Loads of colors and styles. I didn't know they have a downstairs, though. read more

Great place for accesories. You can also fulfill your Drag fantasies!!

What a fun place to shop for clothes! I loved browsing through the vintage racks in the basement - and the prices were excellent. The upstairs has more of a costume focus. read more

The staff is great, awesome place to get unique costumes and props, fun jewelry, and overall great finds! Such a hidden gem in the heart of Boystown! read more

I came to Chicago last weekend with AMERICAN CANDY - a sketch comedy troupe outta Brooklyn for the Comedy Sketch Fest 2018. I had to secure some various items - props & costumes - that I was not able to get before I left NYC - from some items that would represent Sammy Sosa to a white 18th century wig - and I found it all there! ... plus some other useful items! I was so delighted that I didn't have to travel far and that I was able to do it in a one stop shop! Beatnix is indeed a gem & jewel for all things needed for a show and the securing of some "fabulous *#hit"! I received assistance from Carlos who was super helpful and patient with me as I navigated all of Beatnix's many treasures! Thanks alot Carlos! You helped make outfitting the show with key details at the last minute a breeze! I can't thank you enough! See you next time I am in Chi' town! Oh and big time thanks to Natalie, store manager at Akira for turning me on to Beatnix! read more

At first, i was only slightly impressed by Beatnix. It really seemed like they only had costume type clothing, but as soon as i went downstairs, I was in heaven! They have an entire basement filled with vintage pieces! I only stopped in for a few minutes and left with a $5 boy scout shirt, but if i had more time to spend I would have ended up with a lot of good finds. I definitely recommend Beatnix! they have a huge selection and the prices are great read more

Loved the store, friendly staff. was able to find exactly what i needed