CHIC.AF Approved is our highest editorial shorthand for something we would recommend without a script. It is not a paid badge and it cannot be purchased.
What earns it
Distinct point of view. Strong execution. A sense of place or purpose. The feeling that somebody cared about the details most people would have let slide. Price alone does not qualify something, and neither does scarcity.
What it is not
It is not a star rating, an award sold as a marketing package or a substitute for context. A neighborhood café and a five-star hotel can both make the list for entirely different reasons.