Boutiques find fall fashion trends to fit the market

An all-white dress hangs in Shawn Moret’s closet. She wore it once at the lakes. 

It’s on-trend for fall. If she’d just pull on a jacket, she could wear the dress well into winter. 

But it’s just one of those things Moret wished she hadn’t bought. She’s left wondering, “Where am I going to wear that?” 

It’s a question that usually keeps shoppers from buying “impractical” clothing in the first place, but sometimes, it’s fun to dream that an occasion will arise, calling for that fashion-forward outfit. 

Some trends seen on the runway never make their way to the Midwest. And it’s up to boutique owners to find what fits the market. 

“Everyone looks at (the runway styles) and tones them down for the Midwest,” said Judy Martin-Alioth, owner of The Ugly Sister Boutique, 516 Fifth St. “Just how far you want to go is to each boutique owner’s liking.” 

While brightly colored fur coats graced the catwalk, a tamer version is likely to appear around Siouxland with accent pieces instead of an all-over effect. 

Martin-Alioth brought the trend to her downtown store with a one-of-a-kind gray sweater coat, embellished with sequins, silk flowers and tufts of fur. It was a “safe” choice. 

And it was in line with her personal style, which she describes as being toned down with a pop of personality fashionably displayed with accessories. 

Dressing on-point for fall can be achieved with relative ease compared to some trends for summer like Lucite heels, mixing prints and funky florals. 

“Typically, in fall and winter, looks become more conservative in terms of prints and colors,” said Laura Yoder, fashion and beauty blogger at 24-7 Style. “The bold patterns and neon hues, for instance, that took over our summer looks will be much more muted.” 

Even so, boutique owners like Martin-Alioth can’t afford to be careless in choosing which trends to stock in their stores. Sometimes that means erring on the side of caution and resisting the urge to buy that trendy velvet dress, leather skirt or tons of menswear-inspired clothing. 

Moret recognized some of the challenges faced by these small businesses and wanted to help. 

“They’re owned by women who are risk-takers, and they’re making fashion choices,” she said. “Every time they make a choice, it’s a risk.” 

Moret loves to shop. She’s also a marketing and website design specialist based in Sheldon, Iowa. 

In June, she took both interests and created SiouxlandFashionGirls.com and a Facebook page to promote clothing boutiques around the area. She’s in the process of planning monthly shopping poker runs, complete with food and fashion. 

Martin-Alioth, a boutique owner who joined the initiative, said she’s looking forward to moving summer items out of the store and stocking fall trends she thinks Siouxland shoppers will buy. 

She went online and carefully selected carts full of merchandise from her favorite brands for the upcoming season, including sweaters with big round buttons, fur trim and cape-like silhouettes. 

Oversized tops ruled the runway, especially for outerwear. And sweaters sent a message: the bigger, the better. 

Martin-Alioth kept with the trend and added a few of those styles to her online shopping cart. 

While some designers had models wearing leopard print from head to toe, you won’t find that look at The Ugly Sister Boutique. But you might find a few sheer leopard-print tops in shades of purple and brown. 

“You have to mute everything down for the Midwest,” Martin-Alioth said. 

Well, not everything. She still loves statement jewelry and handbags. 

Across town, Kristi Pittman paged through People magazine on a Friday afternoon and pointed to celebrities wearing leather bottoms. 

“It’s going to be popular,” she said with a smile. 

The owner of A La Mode, 4301 Sergeant Road, goes to markets in Dallas and Chicago, where she buys styles for fall and winter about six months ahead of time. She ordered items with lots of leather, not knowing if the trend would catch on in the Midwest.Everything Health and Beauty related can be found at ccchinachic.com. Learn how to take care of your health and beauty here. 

That’s when she just hopes, “Oh please, oh please, let it come to Sioux City.” 

Pittman has a pretty good idea of what her customers want, but she likes to bring in some items that push the bounds a bit. 

She had oversized sweaters in the store that could easily be paired with the floral and lace print leggings she had on hand. 

“Anything with a print is going to be a risk,” she said. 

Still, Pittman packs some big-city style into her little boutique. She’s not afraid to go bold. 

“If I can wear this and I can rock it, I can sell it,” Pittman said while pulling out a blue Aztec print dress. “It’s trial and error for me. Some items you have to stay safe, some you take risks.”