Faye's Spring/Summer Newsletter (No $25)

How do we decide

The season’s trend distillation at FAYE’s starts with trade show/market feedback and photos from our buyers, Linda, Angie, and LZ.

Then Elisabeth, our digital marketing manager, researches what The World (aka The Internet) touts as the season’s trends. Elisabeth and I sit together and decide on which trends to FOCUS – those that make sense for OUR customers –the Milwaukee Lifestyle Sniff Test, if you will.

Next, we meet with Linda Lanigan, our head buyer. We’re looking for her stamp of approval.

CORPCORE

The oversized blazer works overtime.

COQUETTE

Put a bow on it.

what’s a trend?!

We are usually totally on the same page...call it “fashion collective consciousness”. It’s in the ether!

Throughout this process, Ritika and Roselen are receiving merchandise –sometimes hundreds of pieces a day!

It’s up to our visual merchandiser, Jen, to make sense of it all on the floor.

Then it’s time for Tiffany and her staff to relay “the story” to you, our valued customers.

We’d love to hear what you think about Spring 2024.

PEEK-A-BOO

Less is more.

WHITE NOISE

Say yes to the (white) dress.

PREP SCHOOL

Miuccia Prada, “The polo shirt feels right”.

The Pendulum Swings

“QUIET LUXURY” are the bywords for Spring 2024. It was inevitable after the enthusiasm about color and pattern that helped us out of the Pandemic doldrums. For spring 2024, we’re paying more attention to fabrics and tailoring and the soothing aesthetic of monochromatic dressing.

The look is polished: a good blazer; fresh t-shirts; the perfect pair of trousers; and chunky loafers and sandals.

Freshen up your closet with a “simple” skirt: slim or flounced mini; pencil-below-the-knee; slim maxi. Denim is soft, sleek, wide-leg, and light wash.

The trench coat returns with an unabashed vengeance!

You can’t go wrong with the perfect white button-down blouse, cardigan sets, a tote bag, and vintage jewelry.

Pieces that whisper rather than shout. So – what about all that color and pattern rioting in your closet? Those pieces are perfect for the “pops of interest” under your blazers and sweaters or atop that new simple skirt.

And, of course, there are times you want to SHOUT! not whisper...

Happy Spring!

About The Spring 2024 Color Palette

“A harmonious mix of familiar shades infused with a contemporary edge, colors for NYFW Spring 2024 introduce a new interpretation of current times as memories of the past and a glimpse of the future bring hope for the present”.

“Colors for NYFW (NEW YORK FASHION WEEK) Spring 2024 inspire feelings of release. Opening the imagination and amplifying and liberating our own unique artistic spirit, they enable us to express ourselves in more inventive ways”, said Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone® Color Institute.

Desert Flower

Lemon Drop

Chambray

Mint

Rooibos Tea

Pastel Lilac

Orangeade

Capri

Our Women’s History

While onboarding a new hire, I talked about how “educating our customers has been a hallmark of FAYE’s since Day One”.

Tina asked, “What makes us the experts?” Gotta say that set me back on my heels and started me thinking maybe our customers don’t really understand the amount of time and physical and emotional effort that go into our business.

Maybe they don’t understand why shopping with us can elevate their sense of style and build a wardrobe that truly works!

Let’s see – there’s the buying (traveling up to 6 markets/year)... the receiving (handling over 30,000 pieces/year)...the marketing (traditional and social media)...the visual merchandising...the selling... the accounting.

Currently, we have 21 on staff, nearly 1/2 of whom are behindthe-scenes!

5YRS

16 YRS

And, when it comes to experience, we have 195 combined years in this business!!! And, that doesn’t include past retail experience of Jen, Kat, LZ, Roselen, Tiffany, etc.

So, when it comes to “what makes us the experts?”, FAYE’s is not A JOB for our Village, it’s a CAREER. We are constantly learning, problem solving, evolving.

Fashion is a business of change, and we’re always onto What’s Next–whether it’s our merchandise selection or how we run the business.

Educating you, our customers, is a basic tenet of Life At Faye’s

We’ve faced a multitude of adversities in our 33-year history, but we soldier on with optimism and passion and hard work. (I would put the work ethic of my staff up against any retail business in the country!)

Any wonder our corporate motto is ONWARD?

Thank you for listening.

6YRS

2

YRS

Faye 33 YRS

Ava Teen Ambassador

Angie Personal Stylist & Assistant Buyer

Linda “LZ” Personal Stylist & Buyers’ Liaison

Elisabeth Digital Media Manager

BUY WHAT YOU LOVE

Maybe you’ve noticed?

We’ve changed our tagline from BE LOYAL. SHOP LOCAL

To BUY WHAT YOU LOVE

We’re very proud to have spearheaded the (local) SHOP LOCAL movement, and it’s been hugely successful – not just for FAYE’s, but small businesses throughout the city. Especially during the Pandemic, everyone realized the necessity of supporting neighborhood stores. Eternally grateful.

Our new tagline is just another iteration of my motto since Day One, “You don’t need a lot of clothes, you just need the right clothes.” Quality over quantity...craftsmanship...tailoring...is what we continue to “preach”. Buy for the long haul – buy what you need to round out your closet. Strive to have something that you look forward to wearing for all the events and non-events of your life. In other words, only BUY WHAT YOU LOVE.

The Trends...A Deeper Dive

NON-BASIC BASICS.

This trend eschews color and in-your-face logos. With the presidential election looming, uncertainty manifests in discreet chic.

Stay under the radar but don’t abandon your polish! Slim skirts, oversized blazers, the perfect white shirt – all beautifully tailored. Relax in boyfriend-style jeans

MILLENNIAL PINK & BUNCHES OF LILAC.

If you’ve had enough pink to last a fashion lifetime, look for lilac (and pink) in gauzy blouses, sexy summer dresses, and knitwear.

CORPCORE

More of a dilemma than ever when you WFH part-time, and the world is evermore casual.

This season’s oversized blazer elevates whatever’s underneath.

Matched suits eliminate guesswork; striped button-downs look fresh; and, again, the oversized blazer is your core piece. Trousers are high-waisted and fuller in the leg.

COQUETTE!

“Put a bow on it!” Bows, roses, ribbons, and ruffles festooned the runways. Anything ultra-feminine pays homage to coquette from pastel colors to oversized bows and floral appliques.

HIGH-RISE TROUSERS & SHORTS!

The higher the waist, the longer the leg. Fuller bottoms give new proportion. The cargo still surprises, especially in specialty fabrics like satin and organza. Shorts go from the beach to the shopping plaza to the office and straight to cocktail hour. Be fearless.

POLO CLUB. PREP SCHOOL

If Miuccia Prada says the polo shirt feels right again, who are we to disagree? That country club mood is everywhere, and the rugby shirt scores big!

One of our sources writes, “Just remember to muss up your hair. No one likes a prim prepster.” Yes, polo and rugby shirts reign but also button-downs, collegiate style blazers and “letter jackets”, vests, cardigans, and Palm Beachy dresses.

A LEATHER (or VEGAN LEATHER) LAYER

Mandatory! Not only in jackets and trenches…we love a voluminous leather skirt or sleeveless sheath. Our favorite leather silhouette? Shorts. Everything looks better in leather. TRUTH.

SHEER LAYERING. PEEK-A-BOO

Will you bother-to-bare?

This doesn’t have to be all-out-next-to-nude. A hint of skin at the waist, a lower-than-usual neckline or plunging back also excite. The crop top nods at this trend.

WHITE NOISE

Say “YES” to the (white) dress. Floaty...structured...embroidered...simply-a-slip, the prevalence of white is a fashion palate cleanser.

Easy peasy. We borrowed this phrase, “...a bevy of swan white dresses.”

EVENTS

APRIL

Wed, Apr 24: Wellness Wednesday: RA Hemp Products & Lori Phillips from Lafayette Papers

Thu-Sun, April 25-28: RACHEL REID JEWELRY COLLECTION

MAY

Wed, May 1: FOOD & FAMILIES to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities at Milwaukee Country Club (sponsor) rmhc-easternwi.org/food-families

Fri, May 10: Faye on WTMJ 4 Morning Blend

Sat, May 11: East Towne Square

MOTHER’S DAY EVENT

Roses to the first 100 mall customers

Sun, May 12: Mother’s Day

Thu-Sun, May 16-19: TRINA TURK COLLECTION EVENT

Wed, May 22: Wellness Wednesday. RA! Hemp Products & Lisa Gibb with The Science of Sleep

Mon, May 27: Memorial Day

Angie and Trina Turk