Fashion - Spring 2015

2015

spring Fashion

•K eeping the Green Light On •S pring Fashion Trends •S pring Training •S ummer Festival •T en Years So Divine • I nland Adventuring on the Water

A special publication of the

Missoula MT

2015

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spring Fashion

In spring, we take to fashion like tubes to the Clark Fork. Always ready to try new trends, Missoulians can tackle the daring-est styles, as long as they pack a Patagonia fleece. In this roundup of local looks, we’ve included some on-the-street style for what to wear now, plus an inside look at some of our boutiques. We look forward to presenting the best of Missoula fashion in this special section twice a year. Read on for national trends, local boutique offerings, accessorizing and new product offerings. Stay stylish, Missoula.

Publisher Mark Heintzelman Advertising Sales Deanna Levine, Shelly Parge,

Mindy Glenna Photographers Tyler Wilson, Janelle Coleman Graphic Design Ray Lombardi Contributors Megan Richter, Bob Jacobson ava i l a b l e at olive and Iron

ON THE COVER clothing available at Mood Boutique photo by Tyler Wilson

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keeping the

green light on

By Chris La Tray

s

ince the summer of 2010, The Green Light — after a previous two year stint on West Alder — has occupied the corner of Higgins and Broadway in downtown Missoula. On the frigid night of November 17th, 2014, though, its continued existence was seriously threatened. Sometime around 9:00 PM a passerby noted water flowing out from under the closed and locked front door and quickly called 911. When the fire department arrived, a Green Light employee, who just happened to be in the area and saw all the flashing lights, was able to let them in. Water was raining into the shop from the ceiling, running already two inches deep on the floor. The employee called store owner Sabrina Smith, who arrived at the scene about thirty minutes later.

“I thought I was watching my whole business go down the drain,” Smith says. “I don’t think I’d ever hyperventilated in my entire life until that night.”

Quick thinking by Missoula Fire in the immediate aftermath, as well as timely assistance from Dayspring i thought i was Restoration, saved much of Green

A vacant space Green Light could occupy was found just a couple blocks east on Broadway. By Wednesday the move was on, and the store was able to open just in time for Black Friday on November 28th.

“Luckily I have a great crew,” Smith says, “and we were able to make it happen.” Smith calculates some lost revenue over those months, despite signs pointing customers to the temporary location. The combination of down time moving and people just not being aware the store still existed couldn’t help but cause an impact on sales, but at least they were able to keep the doors open.

All of this is behind Smith and her people now, and as of April 1st, Green Light is back in action at the Higgins location. The space is remodeled and improved, and though there are still some ongoing renovations, Smith is pleased.

“We had a great First Friday,” she says, “and the four day stretch w at c h i n g m y before being closed for Easter was Light’s stock on hand, which was at really good. It was wonderful to have whole business go down the a yearly high due to the approaching so many people telling us how happy drain. holiday season. Even so, due to they are to see us ‘back where we a burst pipe in the floor above, belong.’” the damage to the structure was Visitors to the new and improved significant. The store had to move.

Green Light can expect more of “Some of the other downtown stores offered what little space they could what the store has always offered: a multitude of options for the fashionablyspare here and there,” Smith says, “but it wasn’t enough, and everyone was minded. Skin products, accessories, and many varieties of apparel from busy getting themselves ready for the holidays anyway. We were pretty much area entrepreneurs is a large part of what the store brings to the table. For on our own.” fashionistas keen on keeping their spending with local brands, the Green Light The building the Higgins and Broadway building was under remodel due is a can’t miss destination. to new owners, and Smith, with two young children at home, admits to briefly considering just waiting until that was complete before re-opening the store.

But the Black Friday-through-New-Years stretch comprises anywhere from 20% - 25% of the store’s yearly revenue, which isn’t insignificant. Smith didn’t think about shutting down for long. “There are 40 local artists I represent,” Smith says, “and I wanted to be there for them. I told my employees that we ava i l a b l e at were going to press on, and we did what we had to do to make it happen.”

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spring

fashion trends

By Julia La Tray

ava i l a b l e at the buckle

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t’s crazy how the fashion sensibilities (or lack thereof, depending on where you stand) of the 70s continue to be so popular. Once again they are being referenced overwhelmingly for Spring in 2015, especially via

high-waisted, flared pants and platform sandals. Anything flowy and bohemian – like kimonos, caftans, and wide legged jumpsuits – is big too. If it looks like it could have been worn by an extra in Boogie Nights, or in the audience at a Led Zeppelin concert, you’re in the ballpark.

Soft, luxurious suede in the form of wrap skirts, cropped tops, and shirt dresses add a lovely texture to your outfits. Consider a pastel color or pale neutrals. It doesn’t have to be all 70s across the board; this is not a literal recreation of a Mod Squad episode after all.

White lace maxi dresses worn nonchalantly for day or weekend outings are a romantic way to add drama. If the full length version feels too bridal, try something shorter. With simple leather sandals or booties, and a slight bed

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a v a i l a b l e at m o o d b o u t i q u e

ava i l a b l e at L a b e l l a v i ta

head, the look can be surprisingly

Don’t fear a

casual.

Denim and chambray continue to be

head-to-toE

warm weather staples. Designers this

denim look.

season worked with more sophisticated shapes and cleaner looking washes,

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showcased in crisp trench coats and shift dresses.

Don’t fear a head-to-toe denim look.

The key is in mixing varying shades. Try color blocking a pale chambray tee with a dark denim blazer, and a mid-wash pair of crops. Add a yellow or pink accessory for a bit of color.

Gingham, especially black and white, is the Spring version of all those winter plaids. Because this print can read as twee, skip the Peter Pan collars, ruffles, and flounce. Try more polished silhouettes, or mix it with anything that has a distinctly modern vibe. Think clean lines vs baby clothes.

Continuing from last Spring, florals are still au currant, though not quite as big or bold as last year. I would say the prints are more traditionally romantic.

Go ahead and mix them together if you are feeling brave. Try pairing a larger scale print with a similar print in a smaller scale, or mix florals with stripes. Stick with minimalist accessories and let the patterns carry the look.

Have fun with this stuff as you mix and match. The birds are back and there are baby goats in the field – it’s a great time to have a great time!

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spring

training

By Julia La Tray

S

pring may find your skin texture a bit rough, thanks to the frosty outdoors and the drying effects of indoor temperature control. It may be tempting to try and whip it all into shape.

with a boot camp of products and scrubbing, but think twice. While hydration and

exfoliation are the way forward, your approach should be consistent but gentle.

Opt for a mild cleanser that won’t strip your skin, preferably without fragrance or dyes.

Consider purchasing a cleansing brush, like the ones offered by Clairsonic. It’s a great way to clean and exfoliate without the irritation that can result from gritty scrubs or rough washcloths. Try a moisturizer with hyaluronic acid, which helps the skin retain water. And, of course, finish with a layer of sunscreen if you’re leaving the house. This should put you in good stead for the spring makeup mega trend: the (air quotes) bare face look.

Bare face is where you artfully apply makeup to look like you aren’t wearing any makeup at all. The basis for the whole look is beautiful, glowing skin, which is next to impossible to fake by over-application of foundation. Of course, there are little tricks to help you here. After your moisturizer, but before your makeup, apply a primer.

This insures your foundation glides on smoothly and does a great job of creating the illusion of better skin. To keep your makeup looking barely there, use

“

a tinted BB cream with even more moisturizer, and

the whole

built-in sunscreen. If your skin tends towards oily, use a mineral powder foundation instead of BB cream.

Next step, brows. They can be a feature that

ava i l a b l e at

look is

the green light

beautiful,

transforms you from naked mole rat to fresh-faced

glowing skin.

beauty, and they go a long way toward framing your

“

face. Use a brow pencil or matte shadow in the same shade, or one shade darker, than your natural brow

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color to fill any sparse areas. Next, pick a color for

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lips and cheeks that mimics your natural flush. Use a light hand, and finish with the tiniest bit of clear gloss.

If this all sounds dreadfully boring, there are other fun looks to test drive. Try pastels, like a lavender or robin’s egg eye with a light pinkish coral lip. For a more Left Bank feel, do a mini cat-eye with red lips. Spring is when I usually trade a red lip for a bright pink, but powering through with the red, regardless of the season, is a good move when you need to feel sophisticated.

Smokey look your go-to for eye drama? Switch it up with shades of brown or bronze, in keeping with the earthy 70s vibe that’s likely permeating your closet. Or give it all a rest by truly going bare-faced. Just please, so I don’t have a fit, will you wear your sunscreen already? For me?

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spring

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summer

festival

By Chris and Julia La Tray

S

ummer festivals like Coachella, Bonnaroo, Sasquatch, et al have

It’s a given you’ll be tempted to wear a lot of boho-hippie accessories all

become such a big industry that they’ve created their own specific

at once. Exercise some restraint. You aren’t headed to a Free People photo

branch in the fashion world. Going to one, though, can be like a

shoot. You have to actually walk around, negotiate a port-a-potty, and jostle for

military campaign. If you only remember one thing, it is this: every item you bring should increase your odds of survival.

Let’s start with footwear. I know you’re dying to wear those awesome kneehigh gladiators you just got, or the sandals with the fringe around the ankle.

Sergeant Killjoy here: protect your feet, soldier! Wear high-top trainers or comfortable booties. There will be dust and there will be mud. There will be the filth of too much humanity. Not only that, but you will be on your feet way too much, and no matter how cute you otherwise look, tottering around like you walked over hot coals because you didn’t wear sensible shoes won’t help

position in front of the stage. All the hair braid-ins, flowy scarves and stacks of tribal bracelets could end up cramping your style, or entwined in someone else’s accouterments. There was a drunk guy at the very first Lollapalooza with long dreads tied off with heavy wooden beads throwing his head around such that everyone around him wanted to beat him up before they lost an eye. He was seen later being lifted over the railing at the front by security, a growing wet spot spreading across the front of his pants. Don’t be that guy or girl.

I can’t tell you whether or not to adorn yourself with flash tattoos or neon body paint. This is truly a choice each human must make for themselves. I

your presentation.

After footwear, your next most important piece of gear is your bag. Backpacks are popular, but make sure it’s really small. Otherwise you’ll end up carrying all

would beg you not to wear a tutu. It could get ruined. Then your guy friends can’t borrow it for the fun run.

your friends’ stuff. Quel bummer. A better choice might be a slim cross body or a fanny pack. Nothing handheld, for obvious reasons.

While you must have an ID to purchase alcohol, and a ticket to get in, nowhere

ava i l a b l e at

is it written that you must wear teeny tiny cutoffs that look like diapers. Cutoffs

olive and iron

can be a great option, but I swear they aren’t mandatory. Nor are the flower headbands. I don’t want to harsh your mellow, but a woodland fairie you ain’t.

Get it together. There are plenty of more original ways to adorn your noggin’. A pretty clip or even a hat are better choices. If it’s sunny, remember that a widebrimmed hat is no protection against the sun. Wear your sunscreen.

For sunglasses, bring an heir and a spare, in case of loss or damage. If you’ve invested in quality shades you can’t bear to leave home, remember the simple rule: they are either in their case, or on your face.

If you don’t wear the denim diapers but prefer shorts to a skirt or dress, rompers can be a good choice, as they make getting clothed (or unclothed, as the case may be) really easy. You’ll appreciate this as the days and hangovers accumulate. Even though you are a child of the sun, bring a jacket or sweatshirt to tie around your waist. Guaranteed, if you only brought your crocheted halter top, the temps are gonna drop.

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ten years

so divine

By Chris La Tray

B

ava i l a b l e at

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betty’s divine

betty’s divine

etty’s Divine has been an anchor on Missoula’s Hip Strip for ten years.

When Aimee McQuilken opened the boutique in August of 2005, she had a very specific niche she hoped to fill in the Missoula fashion

community.

“Everyone I knew who were into fashion and style were going out of Missoula to do their shopping,” McQuilken says. “I knew there were popular lines [brands] missing, and I thought we needed a shop in town to carry them that was somewhere in the middle price range.”

She was 28, and McQuilken and her husband Matt had just had their second of two daughters. While wrestling with the decision whether or not to start her own business, a documentary film called The Same River Twice touched her deeply, and left McQuilken with the feeling that it was her moment. She had to do it now or never.

The hunch paid off; there’s no arguing or second-guessing a ten year run.

McQuilken isn’t merely basking in the glow of her own success either. Last fall, when she heard that the building just a couple doors down at 509 South Higgins would be sold and its occupant, Selvedge Studio, would move to a new location and essentially cease retail operations, she saw an opportunity to dig her roots in even deeper. She made an offer on the building, which was accepted, and on January 7th Betty’s opened in its new location.

Taking the initial plunge to open Betty’s Divine was much more frightening than stepping up and buying her own building. “It just seemed like the next step in the progression,” McQuilken says. “It seemed daunting at first, but it went really smooth. It all came together so well, the hardest part was just making the decision to do it. Then I was so excited but really hesitant to celebrate until the very end and everything was finalized.”

A history buff, McQuilken couldn’t be more pleased with her shop’s new home. The building, built circa 1908, was designed by A.J. Gibson, Missoula’s premier and most prolific architect. He built the courthouse, the Babs, Lowell

accessories from once space to the next. While the square footage is essentially the same, the higher ceilings in the new store open the room up dramatically, and a full basement provides much needed storage. It also allows the opening of McQuilken’s newest venture, a sister store to Betty’s called Divine Trash.

“We used to play this game in the store when things were slow,” McQuilken says, “where we would come up with these ‘dream shops’ with crazy names.

Divine Trash was one of those.”

Divine Trash, a retro/vintage partnership with Betty’s manager Miranda Hickox, will share space inside Betty’s Divine. It will also occupy a niche that McQuilken sees unfilled in Missoula: hand-picked, price-competitive vintage accessories and apparel. While Divine Trash won’t officially open for another six months or so — complete with retrofitting an area in the shop to a “trailerin-the-desert” theme — they have already been offering select items to Betty’s customers as a means to generate interest, and response has been positive.

McQuilken has kept Betty’s Divine relevant by constantly tweaking what she offers, and staying closely engaged not only in the world of fashion but with the wider Missoula business community and the needs of her customers.

That’s not likely to change.

“Running the shop and still being involved so closely with raising my two daughters has been really fulfilling,” McQuilken says. “Now my kids are older and less interested in hanging out with me, so it feels good to be able to jump back in to starting something new again.”

School, etc. The building’s previous owner, Rockin’ Rudys owner Bruce Mickelson, won a historic preservation award in 2003 for restoring it.

The actual move amounted to little more than Betty’s employees carefully traversing about fifty feet of icy sidewalk moving racks of clothing and

ON THE HIP STRIP | MON-SAT 10-7 SUN 11-5 721-4777 | BETTYSDIVINE.COM

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06 on the water inland adventuring

By Chris and Julia La Tray ava i l a b l e at olive and iron

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ava i l a b l e at t h e t r a i l h e a d

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f you’re an outdoorsy sort who still wants to look good, you are living

land? A few weeks ago I saw a very stylish woman wearing a sleek scuba-blue

in your golden era. Wilderness is big these days, with many companies

rash guard with a pair of white jeans and gold platform sneakers. She looked

launching lookbooks and ad campaigns showing their models with axes

impeccable.

in hand sprawling around campfires in outdoor. The thing is, this really is our

Does it seem odd to carefully cover your entire torso and arms, yet leave

lifestyle, and we want our clothes to be more than something that looks rugged

every inch of your legs exposed to the sun’s ungodly wrath? Do you not enjoy

and snappy when knocking back a few IPAs in the glow of evening sunlight on

scraping your bare knees across your paddle board, or hate the way sand

our favorite porches. Our clothes need to work.

Spring and summer around here means getting wet, and it’s unlikely you spend much time lounging poolside. Your water wear needs to be able to handle the rivers, lakes, and hot springs that are the reason most of us live here. Thankfully we have the increasing popularity of sports-geared swimsuits in the fashion world. Some people (ok, lots of people) find the monokini to be ridiculous. They create weird tan lines and can look like a random assortment of straps when seen on the hanger. So why not just wear a bikini? Well, I would say the monokini offers the skin baring advantage of a two piece, without the

always finds its way between your inner tube and the backs of your legs?

Maybe you’re doing it wrong. Haha just kidding. What you need are some surf pants. Like leggings, but in cool graphics and made from quick drying material.

Rash guards are a surfer guy thing too. And guys, while you may be squeamish about appearing in the line-up at Brennan’s Wave in anything remotely resembling leggings, there are so many cool options in board shorts it’s practically dizzying. If you’re a minimalist and just want to wear something

very real possibility of losing half or all of your bathing costume in a strong

neutral-colored, or retro, you’re covered. If you want bright colors or crazy

current. That alone makes them worth considering. Plus it’s a new look worth

graphics, you’re covered there too. Bottom line is there is no excuse to be out

spending all winter sweating in a yoga studio for.

on the water in those gross polyester basketball shorts you lounge around in

If a long day on the river requires more coverage (read: sun protection),

all winter playing video games.

borrow a look from the surfer girls. Rash guards are available in tank, short-

But, if all of this sounds irritating and too much like wearing a full set of

sleeved and long-sleeved varieties. If you want something looser fitting, try a

clothes in the water, we all know where the skip-and-go-naked places are. Just

sun shirt. Wonder if these tops designed for water will make their way to dry

keep an eye out for Officer Kingman so you don’t get a ticket. . . .

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07 in the streets fashion

washington Middle School A quick glimpse of some Missoula 8th grade Spring looks. Overall, toned down minimalism seems to be prevailing, along with comfort...and backpacks.

roman Who chose your outfit today?

Me and My Sister. She’s 8.

How old are you? 8 (At this point, Mom chimes in with a correction: Roman is actually 2 and his Sister is in fact 4...)

Those are some mighty big pockets on your coat... what do you put in them?

My hands.

kensuke

tatiana

I borrowed my friend’s high tops because I liked how my pants stood out against the black. I like color, as you can tell by my neon lacrosse shoes.

When choosing clothing, I also like to look different.

My group/clique at Hellgate is the H.A.C. The Hellgate Asian Clan. We are thinking about getting matching necklaces.

I have to wear black and white for work, where I am on my way to now. The colorful accessories are my “commuting” to work additions to spice it up a bit, for just black and white can get a little old...

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806 W. Spruce, Ste. 210 | Missoula, MT 59802 Open Mon - Sat 10:00 am - 7:00 pm • Sunday 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Southgate Mall, 2901 Brooks St • 547-7671

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