Ten Must Have Wardrobe Pieces

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Stylish new dresses from Wishes.

Stylish new dresses from Wishes.

Let’s face it – as women, our clothing often makes a statement about us long before we speak for ourselves. Fashion trends come and go, but there are certain wardrobe pieces no women should be without. Stocking your wardrobe with these ten timeless items will mean that unheard statement is always positive.
1.  Little Black Dress: No women should be without one. Stylish enough for a cocktail party, flirty enough for a special date and appropriate for almost any social gathering, the little black dress is the backbone of every wardrobe
2. Fitted Jeans: A solid pair of fitted jeans will see you through many occasions. Dress them down or dress them up, jeans are the everyday pant. Be sure yours are properly fitted for maximum impact.
3. Tailored Slacks: A pair of tailored slacks is ideal for almost any occasion that requires business attire. By pairing them with a tailored shirt or matching jacket, your tailored pants will see you through more than just business meetings.
4. Buttoned Blouse: a classic button blouse in white can be paired with anything from fitted jeans to skirts. An easy way to dress up your look, added stylish and classic jewelry will make this piece go even further.
5. Maxi Dress: fun and flirty, the maxi dress isn’t just for formal occasions. Select a color and cut that you feel comfortable in and you will find more and more occasions suited for your maxi dress.

Wishes block style maxi dress.

Wishes block style maxi dress.

6. Trench: A classic coat is just as important. Many women turn to the tailored trench, but any lightweight coat cut in a classic line will work. Keep the coat simple by selecting a black one. Your classic black coat will work for any occasion and can be paired with any item in your wardrobe.
7. Tailored Skirt: No wardrobe is complete without at least one tailored skirt. You may decide to select several skirts in varying lengths, but if you only purchase one, be sure it is knee length and tailored.
8. Suit: Worn primarily for business, a suit is an excellent addition to any wardrobe. Keep the color simple to allow for variations. Pairing a black suit with a pink shell, baby blue blouse or a simple white button blouse will allow you to get more use out of the piece.

Nubiano Special Occasion Suit

Nubiano Special Occasion Suit

9. Every Occasion Top: Select one top that is versatile enough to be worn with a variety of bottoms. Select a neutral color that can be used under your suit or paired with fitted jeans. Ideally the piece can be dressed up or dressed down.
10. Black Pumps: No outfit is complete without a pair of black pumps. Purchase a pair of classic black pumps. Perfect with the little black dress, they can also be paired with slacks, a suit or even jeans.
Once you have your wardrobe basics down, use current fashion trends to flesh out your wardrobe. Have fun with it and you will soon see it is possible to go from day time business attire to night time fun by simply changing one part of your outfit.

Where to buy women’s wholesale clothing

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If you are in the retail business, you are well aware that much of your profit is dependent on how efficient you are with your wholesale purchase budget. After all, you won’t have much of a profit margin (at least in the beginning, especially if you’re trying to avoid high markups) if you are spending large amounts of your money on simply purchasing clothing. Retail stores such as smaller boutiques know this fact all too well. Since they are usually small and can’t depend on large chains and other retail branches to carry any dead weight, choosing the right wholesale women’s clothing provider is that much more crucial to their overall business success.

Wishes Strapless Tiered Party Dress

Where you actually purchase your wholesale ladies clothing depends a lot on your business model, but no matter your end goal, there are several wholesale sellers that will be able to meet your needs. If your store sells brand name items, you might want to consider buying from vendors who carry these brands. Many times, you can get a good deal if you wait for a surplus sale. Once your business is stable you can stock up on seasonal basics (stay away from fashion trends with a quick shelf life) and save them for the next year. It is especially important to check on minimum purchase requirements in the case of buying directly from vendors, as you will inherently have to mix and match designers, and don’t want to end up spending a huge percentage of your budget on multiple minimum requirements.

Another very simple place to buy wholesale apparel is online. From women’s wholesale clothing vendors, to directories of wholesale clothing, to easily searchable closeout wholesale sales, the internet makes your job as a retail clothing purchaser much easier—so take advantage of it! Many online wholesale warehouses carry thousands of products, ranging all apparel categories including handbags. So if you’re looking to add a little something extra to your women’s clothing offerings, these online wholesale vendors can be a great place to start. They also allow you to be time efficient by allowing you to search within your site for a specific item style or seasonal products. Also, they often feature sale sections on their site so you can browse items you might want to stock up on. Shopping for wholesale women’s clothing online is also a great way to find out which sellers don’t require a minimum purchase, as their policies are very easy to find (especially if they have no minimum requirement). So get searching, there is much to be found, and much fun to be had finding it!

What to buy this summer

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This year’s summer fashions will definitely keep you on your toes when you are purchasing merchandise for your boutique or women’s clothing store.

A big trend next season for women’s apparel clothing is in textures: either patterns woven directly into the fabrics, or textures created by draping or folding. This look is good with not just the fabrics, but in the designs of the dresses, shirts and pants. Find styles that utilize these textures to help your clients bring balance to their figures. Ruching on shirts and tanks can create hourglass figures for those who need help on top, and draping can cover hips in flattering ways.

JFW Tangerine Embroider Dress

JFW Tangerine Embroider Dress

In style this year will be beads, studs and bright colored sequins. Pastels and bright colors will all be in vogue. Coral is emerging as one of the most popular colors. It looks great on most women, and compliments this seasons colors as well as the very popular black and white.

Dresses will once again be big this year, so keep a variety in stock that include maxi dresses in solids, florals and patterns, . The classic shift is back as well as styles that lean towards the 50s. These styles can be both office oriented and used in casual settings and situations. The summer shifts will allow for catering to all body shapes and sizes. While minis will never go out of style for those with the legs to wear them, this year’s hemlines are holding just above the knee.

Don’t forget that “little black dress” which is always in style. Look for styles that suit your figure. If you want to show off you shoulders, strapless styles look the best. If you like a looser, more comfortable look, go for a dress with an empire waist, and last but not least, if you want to conceal your hips, look for a dress that has a cinched waistband or has a sash at the waist.

Use colorful accessories, to create your own clothing style as well as changing up an outfit so you can wear any dress for many different occasions. Wide studded belts, scarfs, and patterned tights are very popular.

Pencil skirts will be all the rage, especially for those who are looking for work attire. But to transition to a more casual look, keep a stock of A-lines on hand as well, which can work well for both work and casual.

Major themes in styles include a variety of bohemian and bold prints to create a goddess look with less structure. The feminine theme speaks of elegance, in both casual and evening attire. Chanel-like suits, elegant ruffles and vibrant colors make up this theme, in dresses, skirts, tops and jackets. Less is more in the modern styles that also include bold neutrals of grays, blacks, and various shades of white.

When considering shirts, include a variety of styles in crisp white. This classic look will allow customers to easily mix and match outfits so don’t be afraid to go all out in stocking many designs of this fashion favorite. If white is not your color, bold solid color or fun geometrical patterns also dress up business and casual attire.

This year, with many shoppers will be recycling older fashions, so make sure to carry a unique and intriguing collection from your wholesale women’s clothing vendor, using a variety of colors, texture, styles and trends to keep your customers coming back for more.

Now's the time to start setting up a Valentine's Day event for your clothing store!

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Wishes Square Neck Party Dress

Over the past few years, Valentine’s day has become an important occasion for women to purchase outfits for. Many couples celebrate Anniversaries around this holiday, and new couples are busy celebrating their relationship by going out to eat, or attending an activity together. This has driven up demand for Valentine’s dresses among women. Store owners can capitalize on this by holding a Valentine’s day event in their boutiques.

Why an event?

Events are a great opportunity to get your name out. A store event can be spread on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, which can generate a lot of one-day store purchases. They also go a long way toward building brand name and customer loyalty. By having an in-store event, you are able to connect with your community on a personal level. This may be the deciding factor that brings them to you, rather than to a big department store.

Your in-store event is a terrific place to get customer information, too. You can have a raffle, or sample auction. To sign up, you will need customer names, addresses, or email addresses. if you get a great list of email addresses, guess what – you’ve just built yourself a great marketing base!

What to do at an event?

Any event will need more than an occasion to draw people to it. You’ll need some kind of incentive, like door prizes, or free gifts with purchase. Maybe offer chocolates with the purchase of a Valentine’s dress. or coupons to local restaurants (this is a great way for you to partner with other local businesses).

As a clothing boutique, a fashion show can also be an amazing draw. Recruit your best customers as models, and allow them a discount on their outfits as compensation. Invite local press for some publicity on your event.

Set goals

Decide what you want your event to do for you, and then make all preparations what those goals in mind. If you want to establish yourself as a sophisticated shop with exclusive garments, consider having the even catered with light fare, or having a local violinist or cellist play for clients. If you want to be the hip store in town, have a local band play, or get a DJ. Let your clients mingle, and give them plenty of opportunities to see your garments in action.

If your goal is to gather information, do that by finding ways to have your clients willingly share their information. Announce a newsletter and have them sign up, or offer e-mail only coupons. Get your client base connected to you. Make sure everyone knows you have an account on Twitter if you do, and ask them to follow you.

Whatever you do for your Valentine’s clothing event, make sure everyone has a good time, and leaves with a great impression of your store!

How can small boutiques maintain their relevancy?

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In today’s economy, it seems as though everyone is flocking to big-name stores like Wal-Mart and Target to buy low

walmart

priced clothing right off the rack. Don’t people care about how they look these days? Of course they do, which is why you own a fashion boutique! You’re interested in creating a stylish look for your customers that is completely unique.

There are a ton of ideas to help your store stay relevant in these tough times. The gist of all the ideas, however, can be summed with one phrase: think Avatar! James Cameron’s blockbuster film is a perfect example of what you should do to help your profit line and keep your store and your dream in business.

What did James Cameron do right? He made something sublime—the world of Pandora. Its lush gardens, varied creatures, bright colors and romantic, adventurous atmosphere, spoke to everyone’s heart, a heart that wants desperately to have a good time and burst with joy despite the sluggish wages and wars overseas. The idea is age old. Have you ever heard the Roman motto for allaying the unrest of the masses—“Bread and Circuses”? It’s true today. Probably if you’re a fashionista, you already live this motto. Fashion itself is an artistic distraction from over-self serious life. It transcends your roles and status. It feeds you with fantasies of a different kind of person or a better you. Fashion is powerful magic. So how can you bring this magic to your customers without alienating your followers (or if you have none, creating a following)?

The first thing you have to do is know that you’re selling an elixir. People who have a tendency to desire good quality clothing do not want to shop at big-brand stores. They want to shop at yours. The difficulty, you may think, is that those box stores like Wal-Mart and Target have all the advertising, stock, and cheap prices you can’t offer. And you would be right. They fail, though, to give their customers any magic. Their customers grow stale on the weak elixir. So, first and foremost, you have to keep in the front of your mind the absolute fact that you are selling magic for the soul, that what you have is not only unique but transcendent, that it improves people’s lives. And everywhere, people spend their paychecks on self improvement.

Now that you know you’re a fashion magician, how do you cast this spell over window shoppers and hesitant customers. Obviously, you have to do your homework—what everyone else in the boutique business does: read on the latest fashion trends, network like crazy, or get a fashion degree. These are your foundations, and you should always be developing your skills as your business grows in style and income.

One specific tip is this: use your boutique as a hosting grounds for parties, and have them often. Wine and cheese, for example. (As far as I know you won’t need to have a permit to provide drinks to your guests so long as you don’t sell it and call the party a private event.) Use your store as a venue. Wine and cheese are perfect for bringing your friends into your boutique. One of them will buy something eventually, or a friend of theirs will. Plus you’ll have a great time seeing your store full of happy people. (Be sure to warn everyone of the “You break it, you bought it” rule.)

So, for a boutique to stay relevant, it has to articulate the belief in the magic of fashion into every part of their store—from the display of clothes to the hosting. Reaffirm what the box stores don’t have—style.