Retail Revolution

I found black and white contrasting pieces all around Athens from boutiques downtown to retail chains in the mall to mass merchants like Target.  Here are some of the great pieces I found!

Flirt Fashions:

I struggled to find contrasting pieces at Flirt.  I think it may have been because Flirt has clothes that are more suited for college girls going out downtown, and while black and white can be great for a night out, it may be best for a more mature woman.  Flirt didn't have any displays with contrasting pieces or promotions on the trend.

A Private Gallery:

I found a few pieces at A Private Gallery, but only one dress that had a black and white contrasting color scheme.  I'm surprised that I didn't find more pieces at A Private Gallery because I feel like they target a little more mature audience, so I figured they would have quite a bit of black and white.  Again, I did not find any displays or promotions showcasing this trend.

Encore:

This is the only contrasting dress I found at Encore.  I think the same reasons for the absence of the trend from Flirt apply here as well.

Heery's Clothes Closet

 

I found several examples of the trend at Heery's.  I'm beginning to think that this trend is more popular for a more mature consumer which would definitely be Heery's target market.  Also, Heery's carries a lot of designer brands, so maybe the contrasting trend hasn't quite made it to the mainstream market yet.  Heery's also had several contrasting pieces in their window displays.  Check out the pictures below to see the examples.

The Red Dress Boutique:

I found a few examples of contrasting dresses at The Red Dress Boutique.  Honestly, I wasn't expecting to find that many pieces at The Red Dress Boutique because I feel like they also target the college age girl, but you can see from the pictures that all of the dresses do have a younger look to them.  I didn't find any displays or promotions highlighting this trend at The Red Dress Boutique.


Target:

I think this trend actually is starting to catch on in the mainstream because I even found it at mass merchants like Target.  This dress is actually part of a designer collaboration with Kate Young.  However, it was the only black and white contrasting dress that I found, and this was the extent of the display that it was given.

Express:

Express had a huge black and white contrast display.  It was the first thing you saw when you walked in the door.  I thought that it was great to see the trend in a store like Express because their target market is the college age individual.  They also had a few examples tucked away in the racks as you can see in the bottom two pictures.  Although there was a great display, I found no promotions for the trend.

New York & Company:

I expected to find plenty of black and white contrasting pieces in New York & Company since their target market is a more professional woman.  While I didn't find many dresses, there were quite a few examples of the trend.  There was even a display piece that highlighted the trend as you can see in the bottom photo.  I didn't find any promotions focusing on this trend at New York & Company.

Charlotte Russe:

I even found an example of the black and white contrasting trend at Charlotte Russe.  I was surprised to find this trend at a store targeted towards such a young consumer, but I think that this piece is executed perfectly.  It's a fun and flirty silhouette with a sophisticated contrasting color scheme.  I didn't find any displays or promotions of the trend in Charlotte Russe. 


I think the black and white contrasting trend is definitely more prevalent in stores that target a more mature and professional lady, especially with the more structured silhouettes and usually at higher price points.  However, I think it is starting to trickle into the younger market with more affordable price points and more flirty silhouettes.