This summer, my family and I took a road trip to the South to visit some great cities and check out some cool stores for clothes and accessories for school. It was a great opportunity to not only visit great boutique shops, but to see how the merchandise was arranged and check out new styles and patterns. I hope to one day have a print clothing line of my own, and seeing my clothing line one of these stores would be amazing. We went to Dallas, Chattanooga, Tuscaloosa and Jackson. I’ll just give a brief rundown of some of the stores.
Dallas, Texas — Aside from amazing barbecue and the Arts District, there is a lot to see and do. Shopping in Dallas was a cool experience. We went to Sofie Grey, a clothing store for young women. This store had a range of styles from casual to semi-formal dress. They had great statement pieces, such as an army jacket with a red stripe down each sleeve and a skull collegiate hoodie. They also had cute accessories, from jewelry to purses. It’s so easy to find a complete outfit for any occasion here. We also went to Adeline. They had more accessories, including shoes, sunglasses and rings. Each piece was unique and they had a lot of prints (i.e. cheetah). This is the kind of store to get a fun outfit for a night out with your friends.
Chattanooga, Tennessee — While everyone knows about Nashville, Chattanooga is earning a reputation of its own for great food, outdoor activities and shops. One shop you definitely need to check out is Hemline. It’s been around for a while and has loyal fans. I really loved their sweaters and boots. They also had skirts for different occasions, such as going to dinner or to a concert. Plus, you’ll find tons of brands like Mavi Jeans and Dream Bandits. Another shop worth visiting is Alice Blue. There are tons of jeans and tops as well as collections (e.g. Reese Witherspoon’s Draper James line). And we finished off our day with delicious gelato at Milk and Honey.
Tuscaloosa, Alabama — This is a cool city for its food and downtown area. There are also beautiful, historic homes and parks. Yet, what really caught my eye were the shops. Duke’s Clothier has gorgeous shorts, rompers, and sweaters. If you have any formals, this is the place to get your dress! Lucca’s Boutique is another great shop. They have what you need for a complete outfit, from shoes to earrings. They also have card holders, which are perfect for school IDs and credit cards. Don’t forget to stop by Chicken Salad Chick for a bite to eat — their pimento salad sandwich is amazing!
Jackson, Mississippi – This town is known for its civil rights heritage, music and food. It also has great shops. We went to DSquared and I fell in love with their style. They have the cutest shoes, dresses, skorts and accessories. If you want a pop of color, check out their Candy Pink Jacket or the green Izzy Dress. We also went Frock Fashions to get my fix for boots and graphic tees. Animal prints are big this season and this store has a great selection.
These are just a few of the stores we visited to get my clothes for college this year. Everything was fun, stylish and not too expensive!