Tag Archives: brands

Four Key Trends For Spring

Posted in beauty, clothing, dressing your figure, Fashion, personal style, spring 2015 fashion trends by
Heavy zipper details are a trend to look for this season

Heavy zipper details are a trend to look for this season

As the spring merchandise keeps flowing in, I am getting more and more excited for warmer weather.  It is so refreshing to change your closet over from dark, heavy winter fabrics to light, airy, summer styles.  But even more exciting than the color and fabric change are the the new trends for the season.  I wanted to highlight a few trends you’ll be seeing quite a bit this season and encourage you to try at least one!

We’ve seen zip sweaters play a big role this winter season.  The heavy gage zipper as embellishment trend continues into summer with zip necked tops like this one on the left from Lior.  Pair this style with a printed legging in a coordinating color and some cute sandals, and you’ll have a trendy look for your summer barbecue!  We also have this top in royal blue, and I love it with printed black and white leggings.  The two together are edgy and oh so cute!  Of course this style also works well with skinny jeans or boyfriend jeans (rolled at the ankle).

The next trend worth highlighting is kimonos.  Wear these boxy styled jackets like you would a cardigan with a loose

Kimonos are going to be a fun new spring trend you will want to try

Kimonos are going to be a fun new spring trend you will want to try

fitting top underneath or a tank.  At market, the trendier girls wore their kimonos with shorts but you can dial down the style a bit by pairing them with skinny ankle pants as well.  I love this one from Ryu pictured on the right.  The soft blue is very denim friendly and the crochet and fringe embellishment make it hip.  We’ve layered this one with a lace tank in ivory and finished off the look with a tassel necklace.  So cute!  This is a great option for denim capris, skinny jeans or boyfriend jeans.  These also work well over skirts and dresses too.

Speaking of crochet, it is everywhere this season!  You’ll be seeing it as

Crochet is queen this season! And why not, it's hip and feminine.

Crochet is queen this season! And why not, it’s hip and feminine.

an embellishment, but the far more trendy way to wear it is as a crochet top.  Look at the example on the left. This is such a light, airy style that works great to hide a thick middle and looks amazing worn as head to toe neutral, paired either as a cream and white or cream and tan combo. (Cream crochet with white pants, for example).  While this style definitely hearkens back to the 70’s, it’s more feminine than hippie this season.

The last style worth highlighting is the modified high low.  This one from Tribal

Boyfriend style high low looks great with loose silk pants for a casual and chic look.

Boyfriend style high low looks great with loose silk pants for a casual and chic look.

is a marriage of the boyfriend tee (oversized) and high low tee (shorter front than back).  This loose fitting, airy style works well paired with slouchy silk or linen pants.  It also looks amazing with jeans.  Notice again the strong neutral trend with a white front and heather grey back.   Style tip:  this top is okay to wear with jeggings but not with leggings.  Why?  Leggings cling too much in the front so you want to make sure you cover them with a longer top.  Because jeggings use a thicker fabric, they don’t cling and can therefore handle a shorter top that doesn’t cover your crotch area.  Keep it classy ladies!

I hope this blog inspires you to try one of these new styles this spring.  Embrace a new trend this season.  It will give your whole wardrobe a lift!

Onward and Upward Toward New Adventures Online

Posted in business, expansion, spring 2015 fashion trends by
Corky's Elite Ocean sandal

Corky’s Elite Ocean sandal

Market week is finished, and we came home to begin our next big project – an online store.  Saturday and Sunday were both dedicated to hand selecting our 25 inventory items that will constitute our online presence when we open up sometime in the next two weeks.

The important thing about going online is trying to preserve the character that makes you successful as a brick and mortar.  For us, the combination of our inventory mix, our mission to serve the working woman, and our ability to draw from all the lines we have to make truly unique outfits has been our recipe for success.  Thus, we really tried to focus on our best lines for today’s busy women – the one’s that can take us from work to evening to weekend.

As we were creating our online inventory, some lines were obvious: Sympli, Tribal, Foxcroft, Clara Sun Woo, and Aventura.  But we are also known for carrying lines that aren’t typical like Corky’s (the shoe to the right and below). We love Corky’s shoes because they are unique and not something usually found outside of a boutique.  After all, isn’t that why we shop boutiques?  We want a selection of great brands to choose from but also things we cannot find at our local mall.  Just look at these beautiful shoes!

Corky's Elite Bay

Corky’s Elite Bay

Today I took our rather large box of clothes and shipped them to New York to be professionally photographed.  I sent style notes along with the ways we envisioned the outfits appearing on the models.  As I was writing the descriptions, I tried to add that brick and mortar touch of making suggestions how the customer can combine items from several brands to create unique looks and to extend their wardrobe.  I hope that our personality as a store comes through.  This is an adventure and a learning process.  I’m sure we will make some mis-steps, but you don’t stay in the women’s retail clothing industry for forty years without having figured out a thing or two.  I’m sure we will figure this out as well.