- April 28, 2024
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As the temperatures drop, at least slightly, boutiques on St. Armands Circle are gearing up to bring fall fashions to residents and tourists coming to the area.
That means darker color palettes, seasonal prints, lots of layers and a dash of western wear.
Kathy Boardman of Olivia Fashion Boutique said the biggest changes in seasonal fashions in Florida are the colors.
Boardman gave the advice of switching out your tropical colors of blues, whites, pinks and yellows, for darker shades of reds, oranges, greens, purples and browns. She said it is the perfect way to feel more in season.
Boardman has been working at Olivia Fashion Boutique for 28 years. The store was opened in 1986 by Annika Sandstrom. She fell in love with St. Armands Circle because it reminded her of European-style shopping in Sweden where she is from.
“For us, it is mainly the colors and not the weight. Also, layering light layers is the way to go,” said Lisa Gurne, manager from Ivory Coast.
Ivory Coast is one of three stores owned by Cleon Dixon, who is originally from Australia. She also owns Binjara Traders and Sahara on the Circle. She moved to Sarasota in 1987 and opened Ivory Coast in 1999, offering resort wear to tourists and residents of the area.
Gurne pulled together a sample fall outfit of a brown midi dress with a denim jacket and boots for the colder days. She also pointed out how some of the shop's everyday wear would have different prints, such as autumn leaves instead of tropical palm fronds.
Gurne said that the darker colors, patterns and layering tactics make Florida clothing feel more in tune with the autumn season.
Allison Castilow from Oh My Gauze echoed what other boutiques said about adding in fall colors like pine, cinnamon, ryde green, and blossom.
At Oh My Gauze, all the clothes are made out of cotton gauze fabric. On the store's website, the fabric is described as preventing clothes from shrinking and removing the need for ironing. The Oh My Gauze brand is relaxed, breathable clothing that is maintenance free.
Castilow said around November they start to bring their jackets and sweaters out to help combat the unexpected lower-temperature days.
“It's so funny when visitors come,” said Castilow. “They're like, ‘What's going on? Why is it chilly?’ That's when we sell our jackets because they don’t pack that. They aren’t packing sweaters when they come to Florida. Our 50 at night is way colder. They just assume Florida and pack shorts and tank tops so they come to us and get something to keep them warm, but it still feels like Florida.”
Foxy Lady Boutique said the color of the season is red and they have all the styles people want from their favorite designer, Joseph Ribkoff.
Linda Krysinski, a fashion stylist and the general manager of Foxy Lady, said his designs are perfect for all women to be comfortable, sophisticated and stylish.
Foxy Lady has been a St. Armands staple since 1972. It was opened by Lorry Eible and has built long-lasting strong relationships with regulars and the community.
Krysinski said western wear is a style they have been seeing a lot lately. Because of this, Foxy Lady Boutique has stocked up on a selection of hand-embroidered cowboy hats, boots and other western-themed items. She also said the boutique has styles that fit every type of woman to help make everyone feel as beautiful as possible.
