For this week's Variations on a Theme, we'll be loosely riffing off Leor Galil's cover story on the symbiotic relationship between Chicago's hip-hop artists and local streetwear lines ("There's no longer a Tower Records or Virgin store where you can have parties or signings when mix tapes drop," says Fake Shore Drive's Andrew Barber. "The streetwear stores gave people a place to hang out."). The Bleader has already featured posts on office-worker camo for the NATO summit, including one that sparked a bit of a hubbub. From here we'll branch out, including posts by style contributors Isa Giallorenzo and Heather Kenny (whose kickoff is here), staff writers Deanna Isaacs and Kevin Warwick, and Reader editor Mara Shalhoup.

If you missed last week's Variations on a Theme, I especially recommend Elly Fishman on the Chicago origins of the hoochie coochie and Ben Sachs on one origin we all share.