Monthly Archives: January 2017

Fringe Me Baby

Posted in beauty, clothing, fashion, product review, tips and tricks, travel, travel clothing by

Fringe has been playing an important role in fashion for the last couple of seasons, so imagine how delighted I was to find that one of our best selling lines had brought the trend into their spring collection.  I absolutely love the new fringe group from Sympli we just received for spring!  It takes fringe to a new level of classy.

The jacket, pictured on the left, can be worn open as shown or buttoned for a modified double breasted style.  The long vest, pictured in the center, is a year round piece that looks great over white but would work equally well over charcoal grey for colder months.  The fringe tunic, pictured in the middle, offers great movement and would look stylish in head to toe navy or contrasted against white.  All three pieces add some vavoom to your wardrobe that is sure to put a smile on your face!

While I would not usually recommend two pieces of fringe worn together, I saw the jacket and the maxi skirt (not pictured) worn together during a Sympli fashion show.  The two were set off with a white tank, and the whole ensemble was just gorgeous.  Admittedly, head to toe fringe might be reserved for the more adventuresome at heart, but if anyone can make that look classy, it is Sympli!

And just in case you have never tried it, Sympli is a travel knit line with a patented fabric that won’t fade, stretch out or wrinkle.  It is designed by women for women with an amazing fit and beautiful drape.  It fits women’s bodies from a size 2 to 18 with expert design to hide our flaws and emphasize our assets. Fashion Crossroads is the largest retailer of Sympli in the Rocky Mountain States.  Find out more about the line on our website.

2017 Spring Colors 

Posted in color trends, fashion, how to, personal style, tips and tricks by

It is always an exciting time to look ahead to a new season and as I shared in my previous blog post, new beginnings.   Even though I get a peek at the prominent colors when I go to market, the season doesn’t fully take shape for me until the new spring merchandise begins arriving in the store.  Those racks begin to fill up with a burst of newness, and the whole store gets a color makeover.  

The colors for the spring 2017 season are grounded in nature.  According to Pantone.com, the dominant color for the season will be Niagra blue (third from the left on the bottom).  In this case, dominant means Niagra showed up the most on the runways of fashion week and will be prevalent in prints and solids.  Based upon my early shipments from Elan, I am finding this to be true.  We ordered several new tops in Niagra, as it felt fresh.  It is a soft blue but with plenty of pigment to keep it from being whimpy.  

Niagra is next to Kale(to the right) which, if you have ever eaten this good for you green, you will agree is an excellent description of the color.  Kale is a deep, almost dark, green.  Lapis rounds out the row and is placed at the end.  All three colors are somewhat muted and softened and remind me of the ocean and forest.  They are all calming colors and will be a joy to wear this season.  

On the same row, you will find Flame (on the end) and Pink Yarrow (second from the left).  Both are the colors of tropical flowers and make a beautiful contrast to to their more muted partners.  They also provide some liveliness to the color palate.  These are colors that you use to “pop” an outfit.  A Pink Yarrow jacket, for example, will look radiant paired with white ankle pants.  These are also the colors to use in accessories or as layering pieces.  

On the top row, we can begin with the left and work our way to the right.  Primrose yellow is the first color, and is vibrant without being bright.  It is a warm yellow and exudes the warmth of a sunny day.  Next to it is Pale Dogwood.  This, barely there, soft pink is the perfect compliment to sands and tans, giving them color but keeping them very neutral.  You can see how nicely it pairs with its neighbor, Hazelnut, for example.  The neutral shades in the palate ground it in earthiness and are contrasted to the last two colors on the top row: Island Paradise and Greenery.  The turquoise of Island Paradise conjures memories of island vacations and the intense blue of the Carribean ocean.  It is a universal color that compliments most complexions.  Greenery is the color of the year, and you can learn all about it in my last blog post.  

Keep checking back as I give more tips and tricks in the coming weeks on how to wear and pair these colors.  

Color Of The Year

Posted in color trends, healthy lifestyle, trends by

 

As it is with New Year’s resolutions, so the fashion world begins the new year with a fresh start.  It is a re-set, if you will, on the color themes that will dominate clothing, accessories and interior decorating.  Just as in literature or art, the color of the year represents our social culture and what we are longing for at this time in our lives.

Last year’s key colors were rose quartz and serenity blue.  Both soft and inviting colors, 2016they offered a sense of finding peace and calm in a chaotic world. While they did invite contemplation, both had blue undertones and an icy feel that lacked warmth.

According to Pantone, this year’s color is quite different.  Called Greenery, it has a yellow undertone and is drenched in warmth.  Green is the symbol for new life and rejuvenation.  Speaking about pantone_color_of_the_year_greenery_pci_logothis color, the Pantone website describes it as “nature’s neutral” and goes on to explain, “the more submerged people are in modern life, the greater their innate craving to immerse themselves in the physical beauty and inherent unity of the natural world.”  So within this color is the recognition of a move in our society to seek newness but also to escape the cold, sterile city environments for the natural environment.

Coming from Wyoming, I have been blessed to grow up in a state that celebrates the natural and offers ample opportunity to experience it.  An avid backpacker, I have found that my annual trip with my husband offers a re-set to my soul that no other vacation can match.  There is something about exerting myself amid towering mountains and the smell of pine that cleanses my mind.  This is my “greenery,” if you will.

I recently read an article that shocked me.  We have a whole generation of children growing up who have never experienced the out doors.  New programs are sprouting up with the goal of giving children experiences in the natural world.  Many outdoors advocates are worried that if we sit by and do nothing, these children will one day be legislators voting about preserving our great outdoors with no knowledge of why we must protect them.  How sad.  Having grown up camping in the the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming, I can’t imagine a childhood without those experiences.  At 45, I am not a child of the plugged in generation, but now more than ever, we need to get kids out in nature where they can separate themselves from their devices and remember what true imagination looks like.

So personally, I am so pleased to see that my industry is celebrating this very idea in the color that I will see gracing my store for the next twelve months.  I say, bring it on and implore you to get outdoors!

Why Say Goodbye to Serenity?

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img_3799Serenity Blue was a key color for 2016, but with its denim friendly hue, why say goodbye?

Our last shipment of clothing for the year was a small grouping of this wonderful blue from Sweet Wanderer and Blu Pepper.  It was such a nice change from the dark colors of winter, and it got me in the mood to change my display to highlight this wonderful transitional color.

While harkening to spring, serenity blue is a year round hue.  If you imagine the soft blue of a summer sky at dusk, then you have captured the heart of this color.  As you can see in the three pictures below, this soft blue pairs well with dark, medium and light denim.  A dark denim will anchor it so it doesn’t seem too spring like in the midst of January and February chills while still allowing you to add some softer colors into your winter wardrobe.

I don’t know about you, but now is the time when my heart begins to long for the lighter colors of warmer weather, and it is amazing how wearing a little bit o spring can instantly lift my mood.  Why not try experimenting with this yourself?  I’d love to hear how it goes! After all, we can all use more serenity, right?