Mary Wilson of Ishi Boutique in downtown Boise joined us on November 17, 2007 to talk about the Festival of Trees Fashion Show and holiday fashion. Ishi is located at 224 N. 9th Street in downtown Boise. Ishi has been in Boise for 10 years and specializes in contemporary fashions at great prices... from comfy casual everyday wear to gowns and cocktail dresses. As Mary says, "We serve women from age 14 - 90."
A Conversation with Mary
About Style:
What new styles are you seeing coming into the holiday season?
I believe this year will be a bit more casual all around. We aren't seeing as many full gowns as several years ago, with separates taking their place.
Are there any colors that are particularly popular this year?
Chocolate brown, coppers, bronze and animal prints will be big this year. Black is always great, along with a touch of red and hunter green.
What does the word "style" mean to you?
"Style" is an expression of who we really are.... it says so much about us, whether we are shy or supremely confident, conservative or a bit flamboyant, fun or serious and so much more. The way we dress speaks volumes about who we are.
Are there any styles that are popular right now that are only good on a particular body type or for a particular age?
Sweaters and leggings are big this year. Certain shapes of sweaters should only be worn by the tall lean ladies. Leggings can be worn by everyone with attention paid to how we adorn our upper torso. Slim lines are not limited to the lean bodies, for often the straight lines of a garment take pounds and inches off the full figured woman who is going for a smoother look.
What are some classic styles that never go out of date (business and dressy)?
Everyone needs a couple of crisp white blouses and black slacks and sweaters. In Idaho, you can wear jeans just about anywhere, often with a turtleneck and snuggly jacket. The great news is that we can slip into an updated turtleneck by Hanky Panky with a tiny bit of a ruffle at the cuff and collar or a tneck with interesting texture. One of my favorite changes is that animal prints are now considered classic... we had all thought them to be a passing fancy, but after a decade they are here to stay.
What style rules have been broken in the past few years that you are glad to see go away (white shoes before Memorial Day, matching purse and shoes, etc)?
In general, there is a stiffness which seems to have left the world of fashion. With the entrance of more romantic looks these past few years we have loosened things up a bit and allowed women to look like women, feeling natural without looking like a Laura Ashley doll.
Are there any style rules that you think are really worth keeping?
The most important rule for women is to know what is to be familiar with what is flattering on their body and that they FEEL good in. At Ishi we work with women to find that place where they feel good in an outfit and feel beautiful and like themselves. As I always say, "if it's not a YES it's a NO".
What are some good aspects to holiday wear?
SPARKLES... SEXY... GLAMOUR
Are there any challenges to holiday wear?
Figuring out what to wear to your event.
What is your favorite season?
In terms of fashion, I love them all By the time October comes around I am dying to snuggle up in a big sweater with boots and scarves. Come April I want to strip down into a cute little summer dress.
About Downtown Boise:
Is there anything about being in downtown Boise that is unique as a business owner?
I hear it every day.... we have a wonderful downtown that people from all over the country go home and tell their city leaders to emulate. Downtown Boise has a friendly feeling and is clean and easy to navigate. The shopping and dining selections are fantastic. We deeply hope that residents of this city realize what they have and come downtown to participate in and enjoy all that downtown has to offer....
What does being a member of the local community mean to you?
I love this town and am proud to be a business woman in Boise. My husband and I live in Eagle and both have businesses downtown, so for us we have the best of both worlds. Boise is still small enough to feel like a small city, yet big enough that there is so much going on that you can't do it all.
What do you think are Boise’s strengths?
We are a recreational community perched on the edge of the mountains and the desert... it is like Boulder, Colorado twenty years ago. Our economy is good and we aren't too big.... yet.
What are areas that you see need improvement in Boise?
For the small business owner, we are still not there. I have seen so many great businesses come and go in spite of tremendous efforts by wonderful people who take big risks. If any of our stores were in a big city, they would all be hugely successful and thriving. I would ask our listeners that, if they haven't shopped downtown in awhile to take an afternoon and go explore our cool downtown. We have really great shopping and many of the stores are quite reasonable. The other Boise issue is commuter traffic. Aii yaii yaii!
What would you like to see happen in the next few years in the Boise Community?
Speaking as a merchant, I would love to see all of the downtown stores come together and create some fun shopping events for our local women. We used to have lots of fashion shows and other events, but I think we kind of ran out of gas. It would be fun to have a downtown garage sale; and give people super deals from all the stores. I love what Diva for a Difference are doing and I applaud them.
