The story below is a preview from our March/April 2025 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
Roanoke’s fashionistas are rewriting the style rulebook, blending tradition with bold, refreshing choices that celebrate individuality and creativity.
Southern fashion has always been deeply rooted in tradition. But lately, Roanoke style setters have been playing with looks that break the rules ... sometimes with a refreshing sense of curiosity and joy. That’s why we asked a handful of local boutique owners to share the style rules they’re happy to leave behind ... and the fresh new looks they’re ready to embrace.
Here’s to the new rules.
Get Comfortable.
Roxy Broom, manager at The Bird Cage Boutique in Roanoke County, moved to the United States when she was just 16, and she watched her mom found several clothing and décor shops, the last of which she now helps manage.
Ashley Wilson Fellers
Shoppers increasingly seek an elevated approach to loungewear, like the ensemble modeled here by store associate Sarah of Vivendi.
Style comes naturally to Broom now — especially the kind of style that speaks to Roanokers. But as a newly-minted American teenager, she had to become a quick study in the way Southerners dressed. Back then, the folks around her had an outfit for every occasion, she says: tailored separates for the office; a dress and tall heels for dinner out; a pair of jeans for yardwork and everything in between.
And then came 2020.
“COVID changed everything,” says Broom. And after a year or more of working from home in comfortable pants, people just didn’t want to go back.
Comfort, as it turns out, is the new rule we dress by — no matter where we’re going. Buttery-soft fabrics are de rigueur and denim often appears at upscale restaurants. The trick, says Darcy Funk, owner of Vivendi, rests in selecting high-quality, hard-wearing jeans and loungewear with an updated silhouette and then layering those pieces in a way that feels more intentional than what you’d see in the gym.
“In today’s world, a jean will take you to work, out to dinner, to church, to lunch with your friends,” says Funk, wearing a favorite pair of Paige denim with a feel-good, drapey-soft full cut. “A sharp, classic jean goes a long way.”
And it’s easier to wear, too. Gone is the restrictive era of the skinny-jean silhouette, with its tight waistline, synthetic-laden fabric and a sprayed-on look. These days, Funk says she often steers customers toward wide-leg jeans, sometimes with a trouser pleat, a front seam or other small details that can signal dressier vibes for the office or date night, but can dress down, too.
And if you’re afraid that the new, wider silhouettes aren’t for you, Broom suggests taking a second look at the fit ... and investing in alterations, if necessary. “Tailoring — even if it’s a relaxed piece like a jean — is a good investment,” she says, “because if you feel good in it, you’ll wear it.”
Mix, Match & Mash It Up.
If you can remember a time when you wore the same fabrics head-to-toe, matched your handbag to your shoes and paired your patterns strictly with solids, you might be surprised by the latest ensembles.
William Drew Photography
To meet increasing customer demand for sustainable looks, La De Da has begun carrying designs from locals, including store manager Robyn Gross.
Today, style is a study in contrast. Celebrities walk the red carpet in track pants paired with corset tops, silk skirts with basic white tees or joggers with tuxedo jackets. Mismatched textures, clashing colors and unexpected pattern pairings have flooded the streets of Paris and New York. Meanwhile, boutique owners report that on the local level, Roanokers are playing with their own down-to-earth ways to approach the mix.
“A lot of people have started pairing dresses with sneakers, or even tuxedos with sneakers,” says Alyce Carlin, owner of New’d in Salem. “That would have been a huge no-no 20 years ago.” It’s a welcome change, she says, and one that can shake up a wardrobe that’s stuck in a rut. “Just putting surprising shoes with an outfit you wouldn’t expect is an easy way of breaking barriers. You could wear a very structured tailored pant or shirt with jeweled mesh flats — something outrageous. And it can make your whole outfit a little more fun.”
J Bohn Bishop of JBohnBishop Mercantile at Smith Mountain Lake says her current favorite mashup juxtaposes a floaty, feminine dress with a casual cap.
“I don’t want to do my hair. I don’t always have time,” she admits. “So I’ll wear a dress and a hat, no problem. It’s not a wide-brimmed hat; it’s a baseball or a trucker hat ... The trucker-hat scene is really big.” Bishop loved the look enough to create a build-your-own hat bar in her boutique, where customers could embellish caps in unique ways. “It’s me. I’m being 100% authentic,” she says of the look. “And I think people are saying, ‘Oh, I can wear that too.’”
Choose Secondhand & Sustainable First.
Want to learn more about the new rules for Roanoke fashion, where comfort, creativity and sustainability take center stage? Check out the latest issue, now on newsstands, or see it for free in our digital guide linked below!
The story above is a preview from our March/April 2025 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!