Giving a Cheer for Apparel Sales

Clothing Trends at Boutiques

Apparel trends for early summer this year appear to be focused on vivid hues and cheerful patterns, according to staff and owners at boutique apparel shops.

At Creations Boutique in Tucson, Ariz., Assistant Manager Kanasha Smith said, “We are seeing a trend in bright colors for summer and spring, they’re more bright than we have seen in the past, and then a few neutral shades, too. I think it is because people are more ready to go out and have fun, and because we cater to younger women, because we are located near the university, and I believe younger demographics may be drawn to bright colors.”

In tops, she said, “We have a mix of everything. Our most significant seller is a short-sleeved crop top that’s very versatile. It can be worn by itself, of course, and for a more modest look, underneath a tank-top style dress.”

Her best-selling pants are “high waisted and bell bottom styles. They vary in color from some bright shades to some more neutral bottoms.”

Also in Tucson, at Desert Bloom Downtown, Owner Claudette Myers agreed that color is essential in apparel today. “We see a lot of color and a lot of print. We’re in the desert and that’s what it’s all about. I specialize in smaller sizes; extra smalls are my top-selling sizes. We carry all sizes, but that category is a fast seller for me. I have a lot of petite women who shop here.”

Her best-sellers in tops are sleeveless. “The mean age of my clients about 70,” she said. “But they certainly don’t look it or act it. Some people come in who want their arms covered, and I do have a few threequarter sleeves, but the focus is definitely on tops that show off their bare arms. Some of the more interesting pieces are sleeveless right now.” She added that she selects fashions by what she likes for the store. “I know who my market is. I cater to a youthful mentality not age. I don’t pay attention to following the rules, I carry what I like and what I think will look good on people.”

In pants, Myers asserted that “my women love jeans, fitted jeans.” She explained the look. “I have been bringing in wide-leg jeans for a few years now. It’s a fashion forward look. Jeans are a big category for us, although not in the summer, when dresses are more desired.”

She added, “My customers tell me that if they want a dress, they will find it here. We are known for that. Pants are more of a slow category this time of year, although surprisingly, I’m selling drawstring, scrunch joggers. Those do very well. I started bringing them in last year, and to my surprise, they sold so well they actually paid my rent!” Myers explained that while she is a “little bit over the look,” it is still going strong. “It’s not quite as strong as it was last year, but women love them. It was honestly a real surprise to me because it’s kind of bulky around the middle.

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Giving a Cheer (From page 108)

My women are in good shape, and they want to show the work usually.” She added, “Initially, I just brought in a tiny bit of them last year and they sold straight out of the box. I kept ordering and re-ordering. I’d say the look is peaking now, though.”

The 1,700-square-foot store gets new products every single day. “It moves fast for me,” Myers said. “If I see something here more than a couple of weeks, I consider it to be a dog. I work with my customers; I sell what matches their personalities. If it looks like you, if it looks right, that’s my goal. My job is to make you look like ‘you’ on the very best day. I have a knack for figuring out what fits a person, in dresses, pants, tops, all categories.” And her gift for finding the best look for each person goes far beyond trends.

In Los Angeles, Calif., Michelle Pedersen , owner of Treehaus, agreed with Myers and Smith that “fun colors and patterns are very much the trend.” Pedersen is also selling a lot of hemp clothing at present. “The hemp is comfortable, durable, and people like the feel of it. It’s also eco-friendly, and that’s what makes it popular. As far as colors and patterns go, people have had hard times for a while now, and they’re ready to gravitate toward more fun pieces.”

In tops, Pedersen says her 900-square-foot shop is selling a lot that are “patterned and fun, more bright colors, those our best-sellers in blouses. We also sell a lot of hemp T-shirts. For pants, she said, wide-leg styles are the most popular look. “We have jeans, cargo pants, it doesn’t matter, the style is wide leg.

People are also excited to have full length rather than cropped pants, but in the summer, we will likely switch to shorts.”

In the Eagle Rock area of Los Angeles, Sara Beard , vision director of Haley Solar, said the store’s top apparel trends are – bright colors and prints. “We have a lot of printed dresses for summer. I think people are looking for more color. On the runway, that’s what they’ve been showing. They’re doing a lot of color prints, and different color mixing choices. It’s a bold look.”

In tops, the store does well with short sleeved blouses. “We manufacture our own line and we do well selling a lot of our own line. Some are hand-dyed silk, some are upcycled vintage fabric, some with vintage cat-face buttons on them. They are all designed by our owner.”

In pants, the 1,000-square-foot store’s shoppers go for a high waist and a cropped ankle. “In denim, the look has a wide leg as well. The brand we sell has a three percent stretch to them so they’re very comfortable, it’s almost like wearing sweatpants. People buy them in multiple colors. We can’t keep them in stock, they sell that quickly,” she reports. “We carry them in white, a khaki-ish color, black, and a mossy green.”

The apparel trend for summer is clearly bright and patterned, whether the look is driven by a desert location or this year’s runway scene. And while comfort is still key for shoppers, so too is a desire to show off a bold new look in the almost-post-pandemic world. ❖

Are Skirts and Dresses In or Out – and Why?

Boutique shops see dresses outselling skirts, with a definitive yes to dresses being an “in” look.

At Creations Boutique in Tucson, Ariz., Assistant Manager Kanasha Smith said, “Dresses definitely do well, because they are definitely more of a fit for our customer aesthetic than skirts.”

Also in Tucson, at Desert Bloom Downtown, Owner Claudette Myers said “Dresses are in for sure. The industry is not up to speed yet with skirts, but they are out there. They have not been in vogue for over 10 years, I would say. They’ll come back when the industry catches up [in terms of style].”

At Treehaus Boutique in Los Angeles, Calif., Owner Michelle Pedersen agreed with Myers. “Dresses are in for sure, but skirts are kind of out. I always love a skirt, but unless there is something that’s really a standout in style, they haven’t gone as well for us. I don’t really know why.”

Sara Beard, visual director for Haley Solar in Eagle Rock, Calif., thinks it is not so much that skirts are not popular, but that it is difficult to find the right selection. “Dresses are always popular, but skirts need to have the right look. We don’t carry a lot of skirts, but when we do, we sell them. We usually sell them in a set with a matching cropped top. Those do very well for us.”

Shop staff and owners concur that perhaps dresses are more popular with shoppers because they offer a complete look; skirts need pairing with an appropriate top creating a full outfit, to offer the same appeal. ❖