What To Wear: Bridal Shower Edition

Tis' the season for bridal showers and weddings galore! It's a great time of year to celebrate with family and friends, but it can be taxing on your closet. And that's only after you figure out which outfit to wear to which event. Don't fret, we're here to help! 

Showers, of any sort, can be held at a multitude of different locations and, often, the location will determine your attire for the day. And the last thing you want to be worrying about, when you should be enjoying your afternoon, is whether you're over or under dressed. Here is a little guide for three common shower venues.

Country Club: This type of rented venue is a common and beautiful location for showers. It can also be a little dressier than other venue types. If you're heading to an event at a country club, select something slightly more formal than a sundress, preferably with straps and don't forget a great pair of wedges or heels!

 

1. Great Gatsby Dress

2. Classic Combination Dress

3. Breakfast at Tiffany's Dress

4. Carrie Dress

5. Sweet Shimmer Dress

Maid of Honor/Bridesmaid's House: A shower located at someones house is typically a comfortable and relaxed environment. This is where a cute sundress would fit in perfectly. There is a good chance you may be sitting outside, so grab a cardigan just in case it's chilly. Plus, a cute pair of flats or dressy sandals will fit the bill.

1. Newly Minted Dress

2. Golden Memories Dress

3. Bermuda Beauty Dress

4. Destined to Dance Dress

5. Summer Vacation Dress

Modern Restaurant: A fun modern restaurant is a great location for a more intimate gathering of friends. It also is a place where you can wear something with a little more personality. Being comfortable in what you're wearing is important, so whether that's a one shoulder dress or a skirt and top, a modern restaurant welcomes a variety of attire.

1. Cute & Colorful Chevron Dress

2. Stripe-tacular Dress

3. Shoulder into Chevron Dress

4. Seafoam & Seashells Top & Treasure of the Aztec Skirt

5. Touch of Tory Dress

Mother's Day 2013 Was A Big Hit!

Well, Mother's Day 2013 is a wrap and we have to say we had a lot of fun here at Flourish Boutique celebrating everything mom!  We had some huge sales on new cute clothes and great deals on our clearance items as well.  It was a blast seeing so many of our wonderful customers in person at the boutique, as well as shipping out lots of orders from the weekend to our fans from all over the US as well!  Our most popular items from this weekend seemed to be chevron dresses, funky statement necklaces, our new cutoff shorts, and Ali Oesch Jewelry.  Hopefully if you stopped in you scored some great loot yourself!

But, my favorite part of how we celebrated Mother's Day at Flourish, was the extra special photo shoot we did.  We normally have two photo sessions per week where we photograph our new inventory on our regular models.  We decided a while back though to ask several sets of Mothers and Daughters to guest model for us and feature images and looks together!  Not only was this a blast to do with these special women, but I think it's a great testimony to how Flourish clothes really do work for a wide variety of ages and shapes.  Everyone of these women looked stunning, and you can see how much fun they were having too!

So here are some of our favorite images from our Mother Daughter photo shoots!

Left to Right: Dakota, mom Jamie, and Payton model Flourish looks from Designers Including
Blu Pepper,  Ya Los Angeles, Mystree, and  NYDJ.

Left to Right" Payton, Jamie, and Dakota rock some looks from Flourish Boutique, featuring some of our fave designers including 7 For All Mankind and Double Zero....as well as some of springs best trends including ombre, crochet, and chevon patterns!

Amy and her daughter Emily look adorable in Tiffany Blue and Lots of Sparkle!.  Amy is a well known author and blogger!  Make sure to check out her tips on living the Good Life for Less and her site www.MomAdvice.com

Amy and Emily rocking spring florals and bold chevrons!  Dress can be purchased here: http://flourishboutique.com/dresses-1.html

Our Store manager Nicole is beautiful inside and out, so we were thrilled when she agreed to model with her stunning step daughter Salin!  Both of these women just glowed!  Check out Salin's cute dress by M-rena here: http://flourishboutique.com/comfy-soft-dress-in-tangerine.html

More gorgeousness from Nicole and Salin!  Love, love, love these stunning dresses by Minuet, who makes some of our cutest party and cocktail dresses for affordable prices at www.FlourishBoutique.com!

Holiday Fashion Tips with a ....Flourish!

1. Red is back! For a couple of years it seemed kind of cliche to wear red to holiday parties and events...but as with all trends, it has cycled back through and you can safely plan to be the lady in red! See our dear customer and model, Sandy, below showing off a beautiful red wine ruffle top by Samuel Dong, as a great example!

2. The more sparkle, the better: Sequins especially are huge this season. Get a shell thats sequins or even a handbag but make sure to weave this irresistable trend into your holiday wardrobe. At Flourish we have tons of pretty glittery things!

3. Costume Jewelry: maybe its the recession that has people spending less on more, but whatever the reason the trend is for BIG and I mean big, bold jewelry. Rock it sister!

4. Black opaque tights: forget your mom's panty hose...wear dark, dark black tights with your little cocktail number...it's funky and fresh and we have some great tights in by Spanx right now that are sure to outlast all your other hosiery!

5. Hostess gift trends: scarves and fun sparkly watches are two of our favorite little gifts to recommend. How can you go wrong with these fun accessories...??!

MAJOR fall Must Haves at Flourish Boutique

Does anyone else think Rachel Zoe is, like, "Major"? Right?! We love her, here at Flourish! We get the biggest kick out of her antics, we love her advice on accessories in particular, and in general we just love her sense of fashion! So, it was with great joy that when I opened up a recent Zoe Report email, I saw she had recommended black quilty rainboots as one of her fall under $200 must haves! Why was I excited? Because I recommended basically the same thing to all of you:) The difference though: Rachel's idea of a bargain was getting these $175 Hunter rain boots....but my idea of a bargain, is our $39 version at Flourish. You can see the Hunter pair below and our pair to the right.

The Flourish "Quilty Pleasures" Boots, $39

So, if you have interest in getting our cute pair, so that you too can be MAJOR-ly in style this fall, lol, feel free to call FLOURISH at 574-277-PINK. We can ship them anywhere in the world for you!

The Hunter $175 Wellington Rain Boots

As recommended by Rachel Zoe

The Midas Touch...Let Loose and Try It!

Often times when I am helping customers select jewelry at Flourish, they stay clear of yellow gold styles. They say to me, "Oh no, I just wear silver". While I love and respect all my customers, I have to say I am always a little sad to hear that. It is kind of like hearing "Oh no I ONLY listen to pop music"...what about jazz, classical, rap, country, rock n roll, indie, and more? I have always enjoyed sampling a variety of music, and in fashion too: I like to experiment....all while being true to myself of course...but still trying new things! In the same way that when I get all dressed up and go into a jazz bar on a Friday night, I enjoy the atmosphere and music, even though that's not what I would listen to on my own in my car driving around town....similarly, it's ok for the right outfit and moment to break out of the box and try other jewelry metals and stones.

The choices right now are practically endless too! Designers are using fabric, acrylic, lucite, silver, platinum, yellow gold, white gold, rose gold, copper, brass, bronze, nickel and more! You can't go wrong right now as far as experimenting with a jewelry material: making it RIGHT is all about pairing it with the right things instead! For example....yellow gold looks fantastic juxtaposed against black, dark brown, and navy....but not so great with gray. Rose gold looks tunning though with pink, cream, yellow, peach, light blue, etc. Silver looks great with light blue, black, gray, and white. Bottom line: it's all about trying, sampling, mixing, and testing.

We have so, so much great jewelry in at Flourish right now...stop in and let us play a little dress up with you: you'll quickly see how many options there are and see how different and fun the new style of jewelry is that is out there right now!

Spring 2010 in Bloom at Flourish Boutique

Spring 2010 is upon us, and Flourish is ready to help you make it a fashionable season! We have the expertise to help you know what looks to call your own, and we have the items to make the below trends achievable for you! We will have nautical stripes, floral dresses, one shoulder tops, wedges, and more in our store and online. Use the pictoral guide below to get a feel for what's in this spring! Some of the items shown might be things you have and can feel good about using this warm season, or you might see looks you want to update your wardrobe with. Many of the beautiful images in this pictoral guide are items that will be carried at Flourish...so plan to shop with us to make sure you get it right this spring! Or feel free to email us pictures or stop by our Granger store location with items you already have and we can help you interweave them with new items to make an updated Spring look! Enjoy:)

Leggings...You know You Want to Try Them

Here's How You Can and Why You SHOULD!

Ok, ladies, be honest, even if you have not already worn them, you have probably noticed the recent comeback of leggings. If you haven't yet put your 80's fears to rest, and gotten a pair, I am guessing you are holding back due to one of three things. You may feel that you are either 1.Too Old, 2.Too Heavy, or 3.Too "Classic" to don the skin tight leggings that are so in right now. WRONG! You need to get them, wear them and love them.

Here's why:

1.You can wear leggings like tights but they are easier to put on (wear them with skirts and then put on your boots)

2. Put them under a dress that would otherwise be too short and you are good to go

3. Under tunics and dresses the right pair offers tummy and thigh control

4. It's a great way to make older pieces in your wardrobe look new

5. They offer a bit more warmth than bare legs but are not over the top woolly and wintery

6. No tan..no problem...cover your ever whiter legs with these and stretch the wear out of your transitional clothing into November and December

7. Great to wear under our cute bubble coat by Samuel Dong!

Still Don't Believe me?

Let me Put to rest these myths. Here are the facts with pics to prove them:

1. Do Wear Leggings no matter your age and look great!

2. Do wear Leggings whether you are Slender or Curvy.

3. Do Wear Leggings In a Classic way too (and not just the cute edgy ways you might expect)

4. And, finally a good way to start out the trend: Do Wear Leggings with Basically all Black

Now let's look at some general dont's!!!!!

Summary of the Dont's

1. Do NOT wear leggings with short denim, torn skirts. A lot of younger women especially seem to think leggings are the perfect excuse to break out that old short-short denim skirt...the answer is no!

2. Do Not Wear Leggings as pants by themselves. Unless you are going to an 80's costumer party or you are at the gym, leggings should be treated as hosiery and not pants.

3. Do not pair leggings with tennis shoes...they need pumps or cute flats, but not tennis shoes!

4. Do not wear leggings with lots of pattern.

5. Do not wear colored leggings with lots of other colors and pattern...in other words, if you opt for some of the brighter hues in legging options, then keep it simple up top!

You can go to FlourishBoutique.com to purchase our denim leggings by Papillon.

However, we also have great leggings in black, white, gray, brown, magenta and two shades of denim...call us at 574-277-PINK to reserve any of these.

Also....****Just in from Spanx....over the heel leggings in black, and great control chocolate brown leggings (not to mention the reversible tights in brown/black)

Leopard Print...A Fashion Do or Don't???

This is the first of what will be ongoing "Fashion Do's and Don'ts " posts. Being a boutique owner, many friends and customers are turning more and more to my opinion on what is ok to wear in real life, vs. what is best left for the runway and celebrities. So, I thought it would be fun and hopefully helpful to have some blogs offering up some fashion wisdom:)

While on vacation this summer in St. Louis and Lake of the Ozarks, MO, I noticed that many women are trying out leopard print in all sorts of applications....I saw it on bags, dresses, shoes, swimsuits and more. And, indeed this is something that the fashion magazines and runways are alive with this year. In fact, one of the brands we carry at Flourish Boutique is Rebecca Taylor. Rebecca Taylor is known for doing tops, dresses, and more in different color variations of leopard print, and we will be carrying some of these pieces at our store this fall. SO, it would be easy enough for me to say; "Yes, this is something that you should incorporate into your wardrobe and wear with no fear!" However, even though leopard print is even a personal favorite, I think it deserves more elaboration and some guidelines in order to make it truly work as a FASHION DO!

So here we go...here are some basic guidelines so you can better wear the felines:)

1. NEVER, repeat never, wear (or carry) anything leopard print that is made with actual fake fur. I have seen bags, parts of shoes, and even skirts made with acrylic-like fake fur in leopard prints. Leopard print is bold enough that it can look tacky if you are not careful...so mixing it with a cheap texture makes it look really over the top!

2. Leopard print is best worn in small accent details. Here are some examples of ways it might look good; as a small scarf tied around the neck, in jewelry pieces, on a part of a shoe, on a handbag, on a headband, on a belt, or even on a shirt that is then layered under a blazer or sweater. This means stay away from wearing multiple pieces of leopard print at the same time, an entire coat made with leopard print, tall leopard patterned boots, etc.

3. When wearing leopard print, make sure your other clothing items are conservative. Leopard print can in addition to looking tacky, also look too seductive for the workplace, school, church, etc. How do you make sure your adorable leopard print fashion items don't send the wrong message? Wear the leopard print belt on a conservative dress or with a long black pencil skirt? Don't wear leopard print short skirts, over the knee boots, tank tops, or with low cut tops.

4. Keep your other items simple and monochromatic, when wearing leopard print. Mix leopard print with all brown, all black, soft pinks and peaches, camel, or white. Do not mix it with hot pink, other animal prints like zebra or cheetah. Plus, keep your jewelry understated too.

5. Lastly, the more you weigh and/or the older you are, the less your leopard print details should be...This one may seem a little confusing, but let me explain. If you are young and slender you could get away with a leopard print sheer tunic, with a cami underneath, worn with dark jeans, and sandals....(*We have a tunic like this at Flourish, pictured on the right)...The whole top, being a soft leopard print, works fine on your age and body type....however, add a few years and a few pounds and this kind of top can draw attention to the wrong places...It would be best as a more mature woman to pair a leopard print belt with a black fitted suit...or wear a black top, with dark wash jeans, and black pumps with a small leopard print detail on the toe box. Or...feel free to wear the all-over leopard print tunic, but wear a denim jacket or cardigan layered on top.

So, I think that pretty much sums up my thoughts on leopard print: a pattern that can be fashion forward and feminine...or it can go terribly wrong and send the wrong message. Use these tips and you're sure to be a FASHION DO!

Now, just for fun....here are some pictures and examples to help even more.

From the Pool at my vacation in MO:

One good leopard print poolside ensemble and one bad...

Bad

Why it's bad: Leopard print, when

worn as a bikini, should be worn on only
the very best, most in shape body types...
while this woman has a cute shape, she chose the
wrong pattern to wear with such a skimpy
swimsuit....the suit is revealing too
much skin for age and then

combined with the tricky pattern it ends
up looking tacky. She would have been
better off wearing an all black one-piece

halter suit with a small leopard print stripe
across the neckline and into the halter ties.

Good

Why it's good: A Leopard print
swimsuit is in and of itself somewhat revealing....so it's important to wear layers, as this adorable mom has. By pairing her leopard print suit (which has more conservative lines) with a simple solid cover-up, she has toned down the bold pattern and correctly made the leopard print a fun accent rather than the focus.