Factory Girl / Factory Boy: Love Lotus

Sometimes, I, Factory Girl, find myself feeling a bit lonely. Lately, I’ve been longing for a partner in crime — a likeminded soul, with whom I can experience the wonderful world of fashion, art, music and culture.

The moment I was about to lose hope and surrender to a solo life, I stumbled across a Factory Boy.

Factory Boy is Eduardo Anaya, and I have an irrepressible feeling we would be the same person if I were to become a boy (regardless of our gender differences, we still manage to share lots of clothes).  Factory Boy loves fashion just as much as I do (though his taste is slightly more prim natured than my hard-edged aesthetic), lives for the ballet, idolizes Lana Del Ray and has a huge heart.

Over the past several months, I've fallen in love with Factory Boy, so, this week, I decided we were ready to engage in the art of “vlogging” together (an epic relationship milestone).

With summer fast approaching, I’ve been losing myself in a beautiful daydream, in which I'm nestled in a spacious hammock on a balmy mid-July evening, allowing the scent of barbeque to intoxicate me as the carefree spirit of summer takes over my body.

Naturally, the most vivid part of this sort daydream is the colorful, bohemian clothing I'm bathed in. After all, fashion is all about fantasy, correct?

The first step when attempting to turn your dreams into a reality is to purchase clothing that encompasses your dreams. Factory Boy and I didn’t have to think twice about which local boutique would provide the ultimate summer apparel. Without discussion, we headed downtown Sarasota to the exquisitely lit Lotus on Main Street. 

With the help of the supremely stylish and stunningly sophisticated boutique owner, Wendy Getchell, we spent the afternoon picking out our favorite looks for summer.  I fell in immediate lust with a line I was unfamiliar with, called “Alexis.”  I found my mouth watering as I took in a set made up of lusciously printed silky-loose fitted pants with a matching top (matching sets are my most coveted trend of the season).  My lust for Alexis turned into full-blown love as I batted my mascara-adorned lashes at a breathtaking, chic, understatedly sexy white lace dress. It was just icing on the fashion cake when Ms. Getchell informed me that all “Alexis” merchandise is made in Miami (it’s becoming increasingly important to support American designers, and don’t you think clothes MADE in the US of A are just sexier?).

As a lifelong passionate boutique binger, I will fearlessly state that Lotus is a fashion-lover's dream. Not only is the buying absolutely stellar and fitting for a variety of ages/styles (my mum and I both call Lotus our favorite boutique), the layout and in-store merchandising is SO organized and artistic. Nothing makes Factory Girl more aggravated then standing witness to beautiful clothes being disrespected with cluttered and tasteless merchandising. Ms. Getchell understands that fashion is not only about the clothes, but also the way in which they’re displayed and styled.

Find your fashion ZEN this summer at Lotus! 1451 Main Street, Sarasota / 5118 Ocean Blvd, Siesta Key