Death of Auto-Bling
Kristen Geissinger of Statement
“The jeans with the bedazzled backs are O.V.E.R. I can’t believe I just said ‘bedazzle.’ Can you imagine Karl Lagerfeld ‘bedazzling’ couture? ” Kristen Geissinger, a petite woman with a fantastic smile, tugs at the cap of her water bottle as we glance at the soft animal prints spotting the walls of her store. “This fall is going to be about clean lines and feminine flare.”
Statement is a personalized boutique offering fashions that extend beyond current trends, mixing feminine with an edge, staying fashion forward in Omaha with an ‘old school’ style of service.
This fall the feminine edge makes a comeback. “I’m excited for Omaha to start wearing flare denim; this fall is all ’70s,” she said. “The maxi skirt is back with a big sweater and boots,” pausing, with a wide smile. “I LOVE that look!”
The ‘mullet’ cut will be everywhere; short in the front, party in the back.
Fall trends can help keep Omaha’s frozen as well-dressed as possible. “When the weather gets bad, longer skirts will be paired with tights instead of shorter dresses. This winter season will be about staying comfortable and stylish.”
Statement also keeps a fashionable hand on the classics. “Blazers have turned into everyday wear,” she said. “I love that they’re not only for professionals but also the fashion-conscious crowd. Women will be paring a blazer with clean cut jeans, with booties instead of rocker boots.”
Omaha has become more fashion forward thanks to the hard work of local designers, new businesses and an indie subculture. Statement is not a place for the uber-thrifty, but rather a store where quality takes precedence over how many pieces can be bought at one time. Kristen and Megan pride themselves in having all price points in their store. “We want to stress that our products are pieces you will have in your closet for a long time,” she said, gesturing towards intricate dresses and jumpsuits. “It’s important to have pieces that you will use this fall and the next.”
Fall’s Fashionable Colors
Salon Fusion
New trends are helping make the style possibilities endless for hair.
“Texture and dimension are going to be huge for fall,” said Cindy Schwery, Salon Fusion. Gone are the bright pinks and greens of a younger crowd. A clean, voluminous head of hair are what stylists are looking forward to for fall.
Color trends are staying subtle, with summer blonds and honey tones being darkened into chestnuts and chocolates. “We have been seeing a lot of natural colors, people are staying away from super bright tones,” said Fagan.
“We are seeing lots of color on color, deep earth tones and warm purple dresses and blouses,” said Schwery. “There is a lot of subtle hair colors but with a 60s mod face, subtle eyes and bold lips.” These tones help keep hair looking less intense, letting style speak for itself.
“It’s interesting to see how styles have switched,” said stylist Doug Treadway. “Women seem to be wearing looser fitting blouses and wide jeans, and men are wearing fitted tops and skinny jeans.”
Salon Fusion’s ever-training, customer-focused team will go where you want.
“We are getting a lot of requests for Brazilian blowouts,” said Fagan. “Women want natural curls and shiny hair. If they want straight hair it’s stick straight and super shiny. It’s all about that clean, natural look.”
Curly haired women who have fought endlessly with their tresses can relax this season; natural curls will be as fashionable as classic straight hair, and make perfect compliments to a vintage dress or blazer.
Both style and color are complimenting one another, and darker colors are making a comeback as the seasons cool off. “I’m excited for a color style for fall called Ombre,” said Jenny Fagan. “Ombre is dark roots fading into lighter ends, giving it a two tone style that is fresh.”
Beyond the Brand
Chocolate Peacock
“This fall is going to be about the 70s. The flowing tops, the wide sleeves. I love faux leather on sweaters and dresses, just little hints of it throughout the piece. There are going to be lots of spicy tones as far as color, like rust and teal.”
Nearly hidden in a tiny corner next to Rockbrook Village, Chocolate Peacock is a studio style boutique offering incredible clothing, great service, feathers and chocolate.
“Women love bringing their kids here,” laughed Chandler. “The kids actually will say to me, ‘I like coming to your store’ because we have chocolates.”
“Jackets have been selling like crazy,” Chandler motioned. “We have been trying to offer lots of layering pieces, which will be important as the weather gets colder, such as dresses that can be worn with leggings, cutout pieces and blouses.”
She motioned towards a plum colored blouse with cutout squares along the shoulders. “People in the Midwest tend to shy away from major trends, so by offering blouses with just a little skin showing, people can still be conservative but edgy.” Covered with a blazer for work, it transitions from day to night.
“People will be wearing the wide flare jeans, jackets, fun sweaters and coats. I always sell lots of coats. The must have accessory for fall is going to be snakeskin bags,” said Chaley. “Lots of fun prints, leather and structure bags, animal prints. Texture is going to be huge.”
“We try to focus on affordability for women,” she explained. “I don’t carry major designers or department style brands. We are very trendy and try to focus on what is wearable. This way, we are appealing to a wide range of shoppers.”
Not Your Boyfriend’s Jeans
Denim Saloon
“This fall will be all about colored denim and fun tops. Any fun color can be coordinated with this fall’s denim,” said Jenny Galley, owner of Denim Saloon in Dundee. “Lots of billowing, flowy blouses this fall, paired with skinny jeans. 70s trends will be large, lots of color blocking and deep reds, purples and oranges. There will be lots of spicy, deep tones.”
Jeans are their staple, but they also offer bags, accessories and tops for men and women. Galley and Sarah Troia just celebrated the first anniversary of the store.
“We sell denim for men and women of all sizes and fits,” said Galley. “From extra long jeans, to petites up to a size 38. And if we don’t have it, we will help you find it. We want to be the denim specialty store in Omaha.”
Just as fall trends seem to be pushing cleaner lines for women, the same holds true for men. “We want to make colored denims and fitted jeans really wearable. Skinny jeans will be huge, along with sweaters and boots.”
Layering will be huge. “We are excited for the non plaid sweaters and outwear,” said Galley. “There will still be plaids, but as the designers are going cleaner, we are seeing sweaters that men and women can wear to work and then out afterwards.”
“We really tailor our denim to what our customers need. 98 percent of people that come into our store are successful when they are looking for specific jeans.”
Braving the Cold with Color
Togs
“The flare jean is back. The cozy sweaters, fur vests, bright colors like royal blues and purples, and camel are going to be huge this fall.”
Walk into Togs Boutique to find an impeccably polished style for women, blending contemporary with a wearable, inviting Midwest flare. Owner Traci Saitta offers personal shoppers, “but people more often will look for advice. They will bring in a shoe or a skirt they haven’t worn for years and ask how they should wear them.”
Saitta gave a run down on the classics that every woman should have in their closet. “Military coats and blazers are huge. Everyone should own some type of blazer, and not just black. Colored denim will be huge as well.”
Comfort will be key. “Skinny jeans will be a strong wardrobe piece that carries through all seasons, especially fall and winter when they can be tucked into boots,” she explained. “Capes will be huge, thick wool capes are great, and they are one size fits all and you can throw them over everything.”
Thankfully, the newest trends are tame this year, and can be worn by any age group. “There are going to be a lot of fur vests, both faux and real,” she smiled. “Leggings are back with lace and sheer cutouts. Over size tops with the dolman sleeve are everywhere. Fringe is coming back in a huge way; we cannot keep fringe purses in stock!”
Something Different
Ice Pink Boutique
Ice Pink Boutique is not your typical shop. With pink chandeliers and a winding staircase, the space alone makes you feel as though you are shopping on one of the coasts. It is fitting, since owner Roxanna Padilla hails from Los Angeles.
“I visit my family in LA frequently and I would bring back clothes and jewelry to sell on the side,” she said. “With the support of my family, particularly my father, I came to the conclusion that opening a boutique would be a great idea.”
From buttery soft bags to silky dresses, all her merchandise comes from the streets of LA, giving shoppers a chance to let their individuality shine through fashions at incredibly reasonable prices.
“I carry all sizes, from XS-3X,” she said, gesturing towards the jeans, blouses and sweaters. “I want to make sure to target women in all sizes. I want to make women feel comfortable and let their personalities shine through trendy looks without breakin the bank.”