Spring Forward Fashion: Shopping in Your Neck of the Woods

Photo: Trends for the spring all in one photo: bright colors, '70s boho chic, wide leg high waisted pants, and eclectic prints.

Freshen up your look this spring season with fashion trends that add a zip to your step. Shopping to select trends which suit your personality is easy this season. Fashion should be fun! If it feels good and you have confidence, then the trend is working for you! Fashion is a lifestyle, live it through your clothes and your attitude and you can wear anything.

Spring is my favorite time to shop! There's something so effortless and fresh about the season. The clothes lighten up, just like the people wearing them! With March comes spring fashion and with spring fashion come the trends. As a woman who adores clothes and style, I can't tell you how excited I am that spring is here!

Trying to figure out what to wear now that the seasons are changing can be tricky. It’s too early for bare arms and sandals but not if you layer. Think socks with sandals, tanks under dresses, scarves, wraps...

I recently had a fun experience shopping at my home town boutique in Denton, JT Clothiers, a family owned business since the ‘70s ( Tritt’s began in the ‘60s and JT’s followed in the 70s). Agnes Tritt the matriarch began a family owned business that James, Nancy, and Jimmy have carried on in order to make Denton fashionable. I remember being a little girl and shopping at Tritt’s with my mom; she would pick out her gowns for the Denton Benefit League Ball there. I can recall looking at the sea of dresses and thinking how much I looked forward to shopping there when I grew up. I have certainly never been disappointed. Shopping with people that you know and that care what you look like and how you feel about it helps give you confidence in making decisions about what to buy. Karen, who has worked at JT’s for twenty years knows me well!

What I love about shopping in a boutique like JT’s is that you can always find more than one style and trend but they can both marry well together. That’s what is so great about boutiques! You will find chic accessories, layering pieces, quality basics, and the latest trends. What's special about JT's is that it's a store for both men and women. The shopping experience in a boutique is also much more personal than a large shopping complex. I also love supporting the local economy and keeping money circulating in our community.

When I got home from JT’s I did a fashion show for my husband and he said that in of the dresses I tried on I looked like a proper Southern lady. In another dress he said I looked like Jade Jagger. As distinctly different as they may be, I like both of those kinds of styles; I tend to be drawn to each and my style comes out looking like an eclectic lady. 

Ashley's Spring Top Ten:

1. Midcalf and bubble skirts: Warm weather or cold, midcalf skirts are a lady like and school teacher appropriate alternative to a super-short mini. Keep your proportions in check by pairing them with shorter fitted tops or tucked-in tanks. Your mini will most likely be a bubble skirt.

2. Dresses: The style requires zero effort. Just slip it on and go! Dresses are a must have when it comes to any spring-summer season as they can offer the style, comfort and femininity every woman needs. There are a variety of dresses designs you can choose from depending on the occasion as well as body type and preference so choose the dresses which suit you perfectly. Go for casual over the knee length dresses, printed dresses, created out of fabrics which allow the body to breath. Choose fabrics such as silk and chiffon.

3. The Wrap: One of my favorite items this spring is an origami wrap by Lilla P. I love that it can be worn in an infinite amount of ways: backwards, forwards, tied, twisted, worn loose, as a halter, or thrown over the shoulders, the versatility makes it wonderful over any outfit. Great for travel, the soft pima cotton wrap is light enough to take along anywhere for any season. I imagine DVF and Donna Karen both have one because it’s chic and similar to their fashion philosophy.

4. ‘70s fashion: The ‘70s are back with bohemian glamour. Think Charlie’s Angels at studio 54 meets hippy chic. wide leg pants, halter tops, platform heels, strappy sandals, floppy hats and round sunglasses like Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver.

5. Bright hues: Spring brings a rainbow of cheerful candy colors and mixed patterns. Colors like vivid orange will brighten your day!

6. Shorts: high waisted lady like dressed up shorts as well as longer boyish dressed down shorts.

7. Prints: eclectic mixed and matched make for a fun palette: polka-dots, florals, animal print, paisley, stripes... Think “art teacher” who likes to wear all her favorite creations at once and somehow, it works! mixing unique prints in unexpected ways.

8. Heritage: Capturing culture, customs, and traditions with lace and crochet that don’t stop at clothing and carry over to shoes and handbags.

9. Nautical: blue and white horizontal stripes always mangage to stay fresh. The nautical trend is always a spring favorite treat that is a casual, chic, and classic look.

10. Feminine This Spring, styles are either super feminine with lots of pink, romantic, and flowy styles to make you feel like an angel.

Photo: I love braided details in fabrics, bags, and in the hair. I'm reminded of Project Runway designer, Uli who used flowy feminine fabrics and found a boho chic way to add braided detail to her designs.







Photo: Jade Jagger showing off her boho chic style and me showing one of the many versatile ways to wear the origami wrap.