Local fashions go bold

Here’s how to make a fashion statement in 2018.

By Kayleigh Omang
| 4:30 p.m. January 5, 2018

The Kebero New York top will be available at Clever Rose, $255.

Black Tie

New Year’s Day fell on a Monday this year, and just like the start of a new work week, 2018 promises to give us all a clean slate. That goes for our wardrobes, too.

Clean out your closets to make room for this year’s must-have trends.

We talked to three local boutiques about what we should look for in the coming months.

Fruit earrings will be available at Apricot Lane, St. Armands, $29.

Apricot Lane BOUTIQUE

464 John Ringling Blvd.

The owners of Apricot Lane Boutique in St. Armands Circle, Ginger and Melanie O’Connor, are bringing big, bold accessories to the Sarasota style scene. For 2018, the O’Connors are focusing on accessories that have a lot to say, including chunky bracelets, statement necklaces and large fruit-shaped earrings.

“When she (Ginger O’Connor) described the new trends to me I was like, ‘This is weird. I can’t imagine a whole bunch of bulky stuff around the store.’ But whenever new stuff comes in I always end up embracing it and getting everything,” Melanie O’Connor says.

La Femme Fatale

80 S. Palm Ave.

Save your simplistic dresses and tops, because La Femme Fatale store owner Ana Molinari says the biggest trend this coming year is simplifying your clothing and rocking the accessories. By doing this, Molinari says it’s easy to transition from a day at the office to a night out.

“You need to add pieces,” Molinari says. “Right now it’s scarves, long necklaces, choker necklaces — it all depends on the dress that you’re wearing.”

Clever Rose

533 S. Pineapple Ave.

In downtown Sarasota, Clever Rose owner Rosemary Angeleri expects a shift toward a more feminine look with both off-whites and bold colors. She also says it’s time to ditch the floral print to make room for geometrics — stripes and polka dots, lots and lots of polka dots, will be the highlight of this year’s prints, as seen in her new line, which will make its debut in the spring.

“I love stripes and polka dots,” Angeleri says. “I’m most excited about getting the Kebero line in. I don’t think anyone in Sarasota has seen anything like this. I can’t wait. It’s a style that requires a real certain, independent, confident individual, and I have a lot of those ladies who shop with me.”