Apparel and Fashion Accessory Best-Sellers at Boutiques

With post-pandemic life is returning to normal, Americans are ready to dress up again. “Dressy dresses — that’s what I’m selling,” said Barbara Parina , owner at Sidestreet Boutique in South Lake Tahoe, Calif. “People are ready to dress up and go out again, after two years in the house.”

Across the country on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Retailer Brooke Jensen is seeing “lots of fun, bright colors” reflecting a new, lighter mood. Jensen owns Mainstream, a boutique with two 1,500-square-foot locations in Ft. Myers and Naples. After years of neutrals, she said, “it’s those pops of color — that’s been newer lately.”

With shoppers returning to brick-and-mortar stores, retailers are ready not only with the latest trends, but with the instant gratification and personal touch that online stores just can’t offer.

At her 12,000-square-foot store, Parini estimated that 70% of shoppers are vacationers, many of whom come in for duds to wear right away. Top sellers include cute sweaters, fabulous pants, and other warmer goods “because it's freezing out here by the ski lift,” she said. “And of course, dressy things for going out at night.”

The best-selling category at Sidestreet and many other stores is tops. “People will always buy a cute top that’s easy to fit and makes an outfit,” Parini explained. At an independent boutique like hers, shoppers expect “things that are completely different, a little unique.”

As people are going out, they are accessorizing more — buying jewelry and a new purse to show off in public. Parini said her clients have been snapping up dressier shoes as well, but in a change from before the pandemic, they want comfort along with style.

Boots are a popular purchase at Malena Boutique, also in Lake Tahoe. Owners Steve and Malena Walsh, who have owned the 1,200-square-foot boutique for six years, stock a variety of practical yet stylish items that all sell well.

“A lot of people will come in because they’re visiting the area and need something to wear right away,” said Steve Walsh “They’ll Google around to see what are the stores in the area, and our name will come up. Other people will just come in because they’re curious.”

Walsh said he relies on trusted vendors to supply the up-to-date styles his customers want. “The trends are largely set by the manufacturers,” he explained. “So when we’re purchasing up to a year out, we just have to follow our instincts.”

At the Mainstream boutiques, Owner Brooke Jensen said tops are always the easiest

Continued on page 114 sell, no matter the trends. “And the more fun and unique, the easier they are to sell,” she reflected.

Jensen said her shoppers come in for the kind of personal interaction they just can’t get online. “In my store, we really stress the styling experience,” she noted. “You don’t have to make an appointment. We style you with shoes, jewelry — the complete look.”

In Philadelphia, Retailer Liberty Bell tries to make all her customers feel at home. Bell owns Love & Liberty Boutique, an 800-square-foot emporium devoted to African-style fashion. People come here for the personal interaction, to have an actual conversation,” Bell reflected.

These days, they are also buying lots of T-shirts printed with slogans that reflect the moment’s politics — sentiments like “Hands Off My Body” in response to the Supreme Court’s rollback of Roe vs. Wade, for instance.

Body jewelry, like African waist and thigh beads, are also popular among Bell’s clientele. “A lot of women wear them all year to help them keep track of their weight,” she explained. In warmer weather, waist beads are a decorative accessory as well.

Up in Fairbanks, Cari Mayo has seen a return to special-occasion dressing among her customers at Jade Boutique. Mayo’s resale shop specializes in the kinds of one-ofa-kind items shoppers won’t find at a regular store, along with handmade earrings and other delicate jewelry.

Tops, as elsewhere, are the surefire winner among shoppers. “You can make a whole outfit with a top,” Mayo explained.

Now that customers are more comfortable coming back to shop, Mayo is planning events that will make her store a community hub. “People come in because they just like the personal atmosphere,” she said. “We’ve got a lounge area, where people can sit and chat and even network. I like to think of this as a social space.” ❖

What Apparel and Accessory Trends Are Coming In 2023? Why?

At Love & Liberty in Philadelphia, Pa., Owner Liberty Bell thinks 2023 will see an emphasis on more modest, covered-up styles. She predicted that jackets, shackets, robes and kimonos will be a trend. These layering pieces not only keep the wearer warm and covered, but also “dress up a basic black outfit,” Bell explained.

At the Mainstream boutiques in Ft. Myers and Naples, Owner Brooke Jensen said she is ordering denim for 2023 in wider-leg and “boyfriend” styles — a departure from the skinny looks that have dominated for a decade. “And while my clientele doesn’t really buy them, I am seeing a lot of crop tops for next year as well,” she observed.

Heading into 2023, many boutiques report a vogue for mixed-metal jewelry, rather than solely gold tone or silver tone. “I’m definitely seeing that as a trend right now,” Jensen said. ❖