While April Showers bring May flowers, it can sometimes still be rainy in May. We start this month’s style trend with a new jacket!
In the Midwest, May brings a transitional season with chilly temps in the mornings and evenings and the glimmer of hope that Memorial Day will kick off the summer season. In southern states, May is often rainy and an afternoon shower can make you wish you had an umbrella or raincoat in the car with you at all times. Spring jackets can be bright and colorful to cheer up a dreary day. Bold prints can spice up demure solids underneath or top great denim and become staple pieces on their own. Chunky belts cinch your waist, quilted or lightweight down puffer jackets and vests provide a layer that is “just enough” and athleisure-style sporty jackets can be thrown over leggings and tanks and tees for the perfect Farmers’ Market Saturday stroll or your kids’ sporting events every day of the week (and twice on the weekends!) Denim jackets in white, blue and camo are the quintessentially perfect layering piece this spring and will carry you through summer evenings, dinners and parties as well.
For the last couple of months, we have highlighted long hemlines that are trending through fall. While maxi and midi-skirts and dresses are the rage, additional details that are fabulous and slimming include smocking (defines the torso), accented by ruffled sleeves (creates the illusion of slim shoulders) and tiered hemlines below the bodice. Tiers accentuated with a little ruffle or unique stitch detail provide dramatic lengthening to the legs while “dressing up” a great maxi with visual interest so it’s not a long, boring frock. Even shirts and jumpsuits are borrowing these gorgeous sleeve details and stitching that create a slimming bodice.
Lastly, May brings so many celebratory events! Quick weekend vacations, graduations, spring parties, weddings and more – these functions call for great gifts. Even the smallest gift shows a gesture of appreciation to a hostess or the celebrant and doesn’t need to be lavish. Fun napkins or wine markers paired with a great bottle of wine or bubbly, a beautiful cutting board paired with a local cheese from the Farmers’ Market or The Cheese Lady, a hilarious and witty dishtowel paired with a small cookbook or fun servingware are all great gift ideas. Don’t forget end-of-year teacher appreciation gifts, as well – because, well, we SO appreciate teachers giving of their time, talent, patience and sanity to teach our children all year long. Yeti®-style custom insulated tumblers with cute sayings or silicone wine glasses that can easily be thrown into a beach bag make great gifts that are surely more fun than an apple or a plant!
SHIFT in Flint has all of this and more – don’t forget to shop local and support small businesses this May!
