Unseen style...

I've been reading a lot of fashion blogs lately. I go to bed at night pairing together items from my closet in my head, trying to decide what looks good and what doesn't. A lot of the fashion blogs I've read have a ton of items that have been thrifted. I have never had that much luck in thrift stores. I always feel like they are dirty and smell weird. However, looking at all these adorable vintage items, I may give it a whirl once again. So although I love Goodwill, I'm on the lookout for some smaller thrift shops where people might snatch the cute stuff up as easily. SO, any suggestions for thrift stores, Chicagoland?