My favorite thing about winter...WHEN IT'S OVER!

Actually in the boutique world, winter is over. We started looking at winter back in June so we are OVER IT!  So what's trending for Spring 2018! I'm glad you asked! We are headed to market in a couple weeks and will get the low down there, but we are already ordering from some of our wholesalers so we know what to expect. The pantone color for spring is ULTRA VIOLET! I know ladies love purple! Me? Not a fan! But it's not about me! It's about my customers so we will definitely be ordering in several new items that are in the purple family.                                                                                                         

COLORS FOR SPRING 2018!    

As I stated earlier, VIOLET is the color of the year for spring 2018. But, we are seeing several other colors that are popular as well! Peach, seafoam green, sky blue, and dusty pink. 

          

DRESS UP FOR SPRING!    

MAXI and MIDI dresses are going to be good for spring. Yea! Every girl loves a good maxi. We are seeing them in florals, of course, but solid ones are very popular as well. Just ordered a couple in sage and dusty pink. And, we currently have in our store and online several midi dresses that are great transition pieces for spring. The black stripe one has sold extremely well. It's very flattering because the stripes go in opposite directions. 

BUTTON UP OR BUTTON DOWN!  HMMM?                                                                      

We are seeing a lot of button ups for spring! I love that because they look good on nearly everyone, and you can wear them for a very long time. I'm always cold so a long sleeve button up will always work for me! The button ups we are seeing are in lighter hues, stripes, polka dots and plaids.

MY BOYFRIEND'S BACK!      

You're singing it right now, huh! OVERSIZED everything! That's a topic for another blog on how to style boyfriend apparel, but it was big in the fall, and it's trending for spring as well.  One rule to always follow with anything oversized is stay tapered on the opposite end. If you have an oversized top, make sure to wear leggings or skinny denim. If you are wearing boyfriend jeans, then stay tapered on the top or tuck it in just a bit in the front create a waist line.

YOU MUST HAVE AT LEAST ONE PAIR IN YOUR CLOSET FOR SPRING!               

Colored denim! I love colored denim! Give it a try! I know black and denim are always safe, but it's going to be spring and that means it's time to brighten our world a bit. One thing I will say about colored denim, I usually stay very simple with my top. You already have a lot going on with colored denim so you don't want you top to be too busy. One of my favorite looks is colored denim, a white tee shirt or graphic tee, and a lightweight cardigan or blazer. It's work appropriate and fun weekend wear as well. Moto jeans are going to be good as well for spring in the brighter colors. Just ordered some in red and mint green.(I love RED!)

LACE FOR DAYS!    

We are seeing a lot of lace on sleeves, hemlines and around the neckline. I love lace, but the downside of that is lace is expensive, thus it increases the price of the item. But ladies love lace so we make sure and have plenty of it! 

WHO KNEW ATHLETIC WEAR WOULD BE FASHIONABLE!                                         

Well it certainly is! And, it's the favorite go to for the weekend! Why not, right? It's so comfortable! It's like you can EAT all day and not even feel full! haha!

IN THE TRENCHES!

Trench coats have always been stylish, but they are going to be front and center this spring! A trench coat can be very flattering as long as you buy the right length for your height! Since I'm short I would definitely need to try one on to make sure it wasn't too long. They are great to wear with dresses in the spring when it's rainy and chilly. Khaki will still be the most popular color, but other colors will be available as well. I personally like one without the belt in the middle because unless you are tall, a belt can add weight to the middle or cut you off. Now if you are tall and lean, then a belt is super stylish!

SOLIDS ARE SO EASY TO ACCESSORIZE!    

 Solid colored dresses will be available in multiple colors. These are easy to accessorize and can be dressed up or down. As a rule, they tend to be very affordable as well. Add some jewelry, a scarf, blazer, kimono, jean jacket and just about anything you want with them. Wear them to a wedding or wear them shopping. You will always get your MONEYS worth from a solid color top or dress.

LIFE IS SHORT! BUY THE SHOES!      

There are too many styles of shoes trending for Spring 2018 to mention them all, but I'll give you a few of our favorites! Slip on casual tennis shoes are a MUST HAVE for us. We sell them year round! Every girl loves to just slip on her shoes! I especially like the ones with just a bit of a platform on them. It gives me some height, and it also dresses them up just a bit. Another shoe that I am seeing in every color and pattern are the loafer with the cut out sides. They even showed those in winter! I think they are very classy looking. Cute with slacks, jeans, or shorts! I just ordered a pair in a cream snake print that will be AWESOME for spring! Of course, strappy sandals with a heel will be a great choice for spring and summer. I personally always go for the wedges because they are more comfortable! From experience, they sell very well. Reality is most women want to be able to wear a heel that's comfortable and wedges tend to be just that. And last, but definitely not least, open toed booties! These will always be in style, and you can be we will carry several different styles because they are our CUSTOMER FAVORITE!

GOING SLEEVELESS IS NOT AN OPTION

Well for me anyway! Two reasons, I never go sleeveless unless I'm exercising...One, I'm in my 50s so I just don't feel comfortable. As hard as we try, gravity always wins! I mean my arms are little, but they just don't look the same. If you are in your 50s and you are reading this, you totally get it. The other reason I never go sleeveless is because I'm always cold. Yes, even in the summer! If I'm in a building and the air conditioner is on, I'm more than likely freezing! So I am glad to see that KIMONOS are trending again. And when I say trending I mean in every color and pattern known to mankind! And if you like kimonos or cardigans, shop with me because we have one to go with about anything. I also purchase lace ones, solid ones, and lots of floral ones! Kimonos are cute with tops, dresses, graphic tees, tank tops, shorts, and denim. So YES, you need a kimono!

          <--------------ORDERED!  

BEACH HAIR, DON'T CARE!     

Anything with graphics on it, SOLD! It has taken the fashion world by storm! One of our favorite things to do at market is find cute graphic tees. We have had too many to count and they ALWAYS sell well. They can be very casual with a pair of leggings or jean shorts, but paired with a blazer or a jean jacket is my favorite way to wear them! We already have our Valentine graphics ordered and should be here any day! 

WHEW!    

That's seriously how I feel everyday! Retail is hard work! There is always something to do! No down time unless you specifically pencil it in and stick to it. I have a hard time sticking to it because I love what I do. I love fashion, everything single thing about it! But the purpose behind our boutique is to financially help families adopting orphans! If you look back at previous blogs, you will read all about how this has affected us personally as well. And yes, we are still on target to adopt Aura, a 16 year old from Poland! Hopefully this summer we will be able to travel there! In the meantime, thank you for reading our blogs, and thank you for shopping with us! Doing so, you are fashionably making a difference!

May God bless you and bless you richly,

Libby