Fashion by Design

It’s officially summer so that means new clothes, which means new trends. Say goodbye to scarves and boots and hello to the sunglasses and sandals.

This summer people haven’t had a major opportunity to embrace the warm weather just yet. Due to the fluctuating weather many women are still wearing long pants such as jeans or leggings. We are seeing a variety of shoes from sandals and sneakers to flats and high heels. Men are wearing cargo shorts with short sleeve shirts and sneakers.

Michelle Pacis, a stylist from Larrimor’s said, “After a long, cold winter of dark colors and heavy fabrics, both men and women are looking for fun ways to shed those layers and show some pop!”

In the fashion world, many designers are designing around the same products. Bright stripes and sequins are this year’s go-to fashion themes,whether in everything from pants, shirts, or hats. Fringe, suede, micro pleats are also trending this year. Fringe can be found on shirts, hats, and bags. Suede is mainly found on tops or jackets. Micro pleats are showing up mainly on skirts. An unusual design is the X factor (off the shoulder). This design is mainly on tops and dresses.

Also, a lot of clothing is being revamped from the 70s, 80s, and the 90s. “Boho Chic”, a laid-back, 1970’s hippie vibe, with patterned peasant blouses, and wide leg pants (either in denim or flowy fabrics) is a popular style. People also like using neon pieces from the 80s.

Adele Morelli, the owner of Boutique de Passerelle said, “It’s about creating looks by pulling from the old.”

Along with patterns and styles there are certain colors. In stores such as Larrimor’s, pastel colors such as pink or lavender sell the best along with bright colors like orange. Boutique de Passerelle, a locally-owned boutique in Pittsburgh sells more white clothing.

Depending where you live your style can vary, Morelli said.

“Location attracts certain styles, city livers is more fashion focused,” said Morelli.  

The two stores mentioned are in the same location but sell two different things.

Pacis said “At Larrimor’s, we sell a lot of career wear in the store, i.e. suits for men, jackets and skirts for women. This type of clothing requires tailoring of some sort. On our online store, we sell more sportswear, likes jeans and casual tops, which don’t not require as much alterations.” While the Boutique de Passerelle sells handbags and jewelry because the largest size they sell is a fourteen and handbags and jewelry are more universal”.”

 

Boutique de Passerelle~ http://www.shopblp.com

Larrimor’s~ http://larrimors.com/?target=main

Fashion Timeline~