Mod

Everyone knows fashion and style is cyclical and that what was once old is now new again.  Mod has been around since the 60's however I am seeing a growing trend once again.

Paul Jobling and David Crowley called the mod subculture a "fashion-obsessed and hedonistic cult of the hyper-cool" young adults who lived in metropolitan London or the new towns of the south. Due to the increasing affluence of post-war Britain, the youths of the early 1960s were one of the first generations that did not have to contribute their money from after-school jobs to the family finances. As mod teens and young adults began using their disposable income to buy stylish clothes, the first youth-targeted boutique clothing stores opened in London in the Carnaby Street and Kings Road districts. Newspaper accounts from the mid-1960s focused on the mod obsession with clothes, often detailing the prices of the expensive suits worn by young mods, and seeking out extreme cases such as a young mod who claimed that he would "go without food to buy clothes".

I think living in the 50's and 60's would have been fun in the fashion sense. I mean who doesn't love a fit and flare dress, it fits any age or any body type. As an extremely versatile style, this type of dress can be worn anywhere for any circumstance.

Fashion is what's in style now but style is knowing what fits you and your personality best.  Feeling comfortable in your style is what makes you fashionable and not necessarily wearing the latest trends.

ModCloth is a popular site for just this era of style and Instagram shows what a large following that this website really does have.   Boutiques also tend to cater to this style and I recommend Fairy in NOLA as it is my personal favorite. Would love to hear your thoughts or to hear which era is your personal fashion favorite?

Meeting Hale Bob's Creator

Hello my fashionista friends! I recently had the opportunity of meeting Hale Bob's creator, Daniel Bohbot. Hale Bob clothing is sold both domestically and internationally at the finest boutiques and department stores. I became familiar with the brand while working for a local boutique on the weekends. I find their clothing to not only be comfortable but unique and stylish with their bright and fun prints. Daniel was charming and entertaining and it was a real treat meeting him. Meeting him was definitely one of the highlights of my New York trip.

Hale Bob's style is defined as, according to their website, "Modern, fashion forward women in feminine, chic and distinctive clothing. Their fashions are created from the highest quality fabrics and are recognized for their exclusive, colorful prints.  Hale Bob creates the feeling of chic, sexy and free. Hale Bob continues to fulfill its promise of distinctive, rich and feminine designs for the modern woman. All of the prints used by Hale Bob are designed and developed in the Hale Bob studios in Los Angeles and are exclusive to the Hale Bob brand and cannot be found anywhere but Hale Bob." 

Their clothing can be dressed up or dressed down making it very versatile. If you are not familiar with the brand you should definitely check it out, I promise you will not be disappointed. 

Market Finds

I apologize for my long hiatus from blogging. I have been going through a lot of personal issues lately however I have been reinvigorated of my love for fashion.

I was lucky enough to recently attend Coterie in NYC for the boutique I work at on the weekends. Coterie or market you could say is a very large (trade)show of all designers and their merchandise. There were actually three shows at this particular market but Coterie was by far the largest. It was so awesome to not only see all the brands you recognize but all of these really cool brands you have never seen or heard of before.

I will talk specifically about a couple of brands we carry at the store and my experience at the show with them in future blogs but here I want to give an overview of the common trends that I saw.

At market for those who have never been, you walk down the many aisles of booths and then stop at those that seem interesting to you. The rep for the line will then go through their collection and each delivery. So you are looking at collections that will ship at the end of each month, some months you may not want to see as you have more than enough stock coming in. Then once they start pulling that delivery for you to look at, you then have color or print options to choose from or you can choose the piece as is. The designers only make so many samples to show and of course I am sure they have their favorites.

Now that I have given you a small picture of what goes on I will let you in on those trends. I saw tie-dye in collections from many designers. This is one fabric that is timeless and will always be around.  I saw many tops with cut out shoulders, they call them the cold shoulder. This trend is not for me but those 80's lovers I am sure will be all over it. There were tops with a draped bottom (pictured below), this could be a great way to hide those trouble areas. A huge trend that we saw was the short kimono which is really just an open blousy top that can be dressed up or dressed down and is great for all ages. Pair it with a tank top and jeans and you are ready for a day hanging with friends. Change to a skirt and add some great accessories and you are ready for drinks on the town. Lastly, I saw quite a bit of tribal patterns and fringe. There was fringe on everything from tops to accessories. This can be a bit tricky but if styled properly can be very chic.

Tie-Dye Everywhere!

Draped Bottom Top

If you ever have the chance to go to market and you are a lover of fashion, I highly recommend it. They take place in many states but NYC offers a great environment so go there if possible.  I really would love to be a buyer or a rep for a clothing designer, maybe in my next life.

Crazy For Dots

I am crazy for polka dots! Dresses, purses, pants, tops......you name it I love it! I don't know what it is about them but I find them irresistible. I am also seeing them all over lately. Anthropologie has THE cutest dress out right now. I just received an email today from Tory Burch and she is featuring polka dots, she has a different take on them with a basket weave texture.  I feel like it is one print that will never go out of style. What are your thoughts on polka dots? Do you have a favorite piece that has polka dots? Can't wait to see your pics!

Follow me on Bloglovin, thanks! 

Boutique Lovin'

A few years ago I went to New Orleans with my husband and we had the opportunity to visit many of the places that were recommended to us by friends. If you have never been it is a great place to visit at least once, amazing food there! The highlight of the trip was being invited to a crawfish boil, so delish and lots of fun! We went for a long weekend and one of the days we didn't have much on the schedule so we headed to a local park, from there we decided to walk down Magazine Street (not realizing how long this street actually is) to take in the sites and this is where I came upon the most adorable little building. The sign on the building (that looked like a cute little house) said Fairy and I knew I just had to check it out. It turned out to be an awesome store that has since sparked my current obsession of boutiques. There were so many amazing pieces that I just wanted to take the whole store with me but I settled with a top and the cutest shorts that I have ever owned. The owner was awesome and had the coolest dog (that kept my husband entertained). Before leaving, the owner gave me her website and I have continued to buy from her through her website as well as her posts on social media.

I now work at a boutique part time and I love seeing the unique pieces that we have to offer. We have something for women of every age.  We also have the best accessories at a great price point. My jewelry collection has expanded exponentially since working there.

I look up boutiques whenever we are visiting out of town areas as it is always part of my "site seeing" now. I am sure it drives my husband crazy but I am grateful that he lets me visit them.

Visit www.shopluxboutique.com for the boutique I work at (also best boutique in Naples, Florida) and visit www.fairynola.com for the best boutique in New Orleans.

Lux Boutique 

Floral Pants, Yay Or Nay

Everyone knows trends change every season. I always wonder who "these" people are that choose the "it" color or the latest "fad". How much fun would it be to be a part of that group?! I recently asked my husband for his opinion on a pair of floral pants that I was eyeing and his response was he was not a fan. I do have to preface that he is very conservative and his wardrobe mostly consists of jeans and colored polos from Tommy Bahamas.  I always try to get him out of his comfort zone and show him different patterns or colors and I get the same answer every time, no way. So I ask myself, why do I ask him for his opinion?  I have decided that it is because we all tend to doubt our choices at one time or another and we look for validation from others. I too tend to be on the conservative side however I am trying to get out of my comfort zone and try new things. Hopefully, others will like it and if not, it is ok as it is my taste and style.

By the way, the floral pants I chose are monocramatic so they are not too much out of my "zone". They are definitely floral and more so in person than they appear here.

So what do you think of floral pants, yay or nay?