Credit: Bossa Captiva Boutique
From storefront, to pop-up shops, to online boutiques, Austin’s empowering fashionista entrepreneurs will help you find looks with flare, drenched in confidence. These industry experts present a message of self-love and unique designs, for coffee hour and happy hour.
When you live in a city as authentic as Austin, you seek fashion influences to match. Check out these incredible leading ladies and shop local.
1/ Jessica Lorely, Bossa Captiva Boutique
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With a splash of Miami and a lot of Austin love, Jessica Lorely, designer and owner of Bossa Captiva Boutique, has created your Austin shopping treasure. Spanning artistic genres, Lorely even holds a line that’s an actual threads production of her art work.
Her fashion motto “empowers women to be little girls with dreams, and women with vision.” What does Lorely mean by this? Well, when you walk into Bossa Captiva, you feel like you’re stepping into an art gallery. But you’re actually surrounded by exquisite yet affordable, curated fashion collections. It’s a true experience, as Lorely introduces patrons to each other, offers a mojito while you shop, and brings girlfriend therapy to retail.
As a single mother and entrepreneur, Lorely lives by Audrey Hepburn’s quotation, “I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles.”
Lorely’s looks are for the “fierce ladies not afraid to stand out.”
10000 Research Blvd., #136 – Website
2/ Erin Dempsey and Jen Caven, Bess & George
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Erin Dempsey and Jen Caven founded Bess & George after learning chic, versatile, age-appropriate clothing was hard to find. These women set out to tackle a gap in the market, offering women their age “flattering basics for all the roles you play.” Both women were professionals with families, so they appreciated the need for styles that worked for carpool, the office, and a night out at Austin’s hot spots.
According to Dempsey, “So many women our age were also feeling trapped by shopping options designed for women younger or older, and our once-reliable brands seemed to be offering cheaply-made, fast-fashion clothes that required too much trying on and tailoring.” Knowing they could do better, this team set out to “make high-quality pieces that fit beautifully and hit the right balance between stylish and comfortable.”
Bess & George’s natural, easy-going approach to fashion gracefully transitions from day to night. Any Austinite is sure to appreciate the line’s versatility and refusal to sacrifice comfort.
3/ Alma Dodson, Alma Boutique
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Alma Dodson built Alma Boutique draped in her mother’s fashion influences: polished styles that transcend fleeting trends. The local entrepreneur explained, “Alma means ‘soul’ in Spanish. And there’s a lot of heart and soul put into all items carefully curated for Alma Boutique.”
Dodson believes “fashion and style are not only about clothing, but how you feel in them.” She wants every piece in her online boutique to help women feel confident, beautiful, and inspired.
Credit: Doug Douglas
Whether someone feels their best when chic, trendy, sassy, or comfy, Dodson’s there to help clients find their perfect Austin personality fit. The photo above features her “Effortless Fashionista Look.” She suggests wearing this striped jumpsuit layered with a bodysuit or cute tee, and strapping on booties while it’s still chilly. When it warms up, the top can be tossed, the jumpsuit worn solo, and the booties traded in for sandals, making it the perfect piece for transitioning seasons.
4/Alta Alexander, Altatudes
Alta Alexander has a strong passion for giving back to the community and seizes every opportunity to get involved where she can (Credit: Dwayne Hills/DHills Photography)
Alta Alexander crafted a fashion boutique in Austin, grounded in her husband Lamont’s business acumen and her modern contemporary designs. Alexander explained her greatest fashion influences are those that embody the elements she expresses in the décor aesthetic of Altatudes: “modern contemporary designs and brands sewn together with traditional tailoring and a vintage flare. That’s me all day!”
At Altatudes, you’ll find a range of styles because Alexander believes women are like chameleons–multi-faceted and complex.
“The way we are built is not one-dimensional, so our dress cannot be contained in just one fashion genre.” Alexander described her signature look as “Eclectic Electric,” one that “embraces Austin and Alta, strong yet feminine!”
Alta Alexander’s perfect summer dress
(Credit: Altatudes)
Alexander suggests wearing this look from sun up to sundown (see photo above). Don it from brunch to dinner and after because it’s “perfect for hot summer nights looking oh-so fresh well into the evening!”
1717 E. 12th St. – Website
➡️ Keep reading: You Won’t Believe the Heart Behind This Yellow Building in East Austin
5/ Shelley Moon Hayes, Shelley Moon Designs
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Shelley Moon Hayes concocts modern, elegant, and timeless jewelry collections. Moon’s “dainty layering pieces complement the chic and modern.” At Shelley Moon Designs, you can find minimalist necklaces, earrings, and gemstone jewelry available in 14K gold fill, sterling silver, or gold/silver plating, each handcrafted with love from the ATX.
Moon’s work is “influenced by Elsa Peretti from Tiffany’s, Lana Bramlette from Lana Jewelry, and of course our local Austin gal, Kendra Scott.” After all, crafting “affordable jewelry that is both elegant and sexy is timeless.”
The Adriene necklace (Credit: Shelley Moon)
Find Shelley Moon Designs at storefronts such as Lanai, Bee Cave Galleria, and Bossa Captiva Boutique at Austin’s Arboretum.
➡️ Keep reading: 8 Austin Jewelry Designers to Consider as You Shop Local
6/ Jessica Kilbane and Blakely Giordano, Blush + Bloom
Credit: Jessica Rockowitz Photography + Film
Moms and entrepreneurs, Jessica Kilbane and Blakely Giordano, founded Blush + Bloom in October 2018 from a single idea: just because you’re a mom doesn’t mean you have to “dress like a mom.” This fashionable duo believes in “empowering mamas of all ages to wear what they love and celebrate themselves in all their #momlife glory because darn it, we deserve to feel good!”
Blush + Bloom is redefining the “mom look” because it encourages comfort and style, looking fab while still being able to nurse and chase tiny toddlers.
Kilbane and Giordano “bring a good mix of high-fashion, boho vibes, and high-enough waistbands to hold in #allthethings” to their cache of styles. Now that their first round of affordable yet adorable styles have been met with supportive applause from Austin moms across all walks of life, they’ve launched their first kiddo collection. Kilbane buzzes with excitement, “It’s just as dreamy as we’d hoped!”
@theAustinot wants to know:
Which Austin fashion boutique (online or off) do you love and want everyone to know about?
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