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CITIZEN OF STYLE
NARCISSUS’ BLOOMING FLOWER Juli Downs makes every day an event by MARINA BROWN
T
here are different styles for different eras, right? The chestless chemises of the Roaring ’20s; the Leave It to Beaver ’50s; the Big-Haired pop styles of the ’60s and ’70s; the Broad-Shouldered ’80s and ’90s, and the panoply of Whatever Suits Your Fancy of the 2000s. But in the year 2020, another trend hit Florida and the fashion world and — Gulp! — we’re coming to believe it might be here for a while. Call it Pandemic Chic. Juli Downs, a doyen of style for more than 30 years, is the manager and buyer for Narcissus, one of Northeast Tallahassee’s most trusted boutiques for everything from trendy casual wear to attire for the most glamorous evenings of the year. “We are known for event clothes,” she said. “The anniversaries and wedding days, where you want to say something special about yourself.” But Downs, with her long history of fashion retailing, finds herself helping people articulate something slightly different these days.
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November-December 2020
↗ Juli Downs models a lace top with puffy sleeves from Zero Degrees Celsius; vegan leather pants by Paige; and booties from See by Chloe.
TALLAHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM
photography by ALICIA OSBORNE