What do women wear in fashion cities around New Zealand? We check in with some boutique owners around the country to find out what their customers are buying for winter.
GISBORNE
Boutique: Mrs Parker
"Gisborne women love their clothes and are very clued-up on trends, but they dress for comfort. We're a beachy, farmy, laid-back community, and that's very much reflected in the way women dress. One customer said despairingly when admiring a pair of heels: "But how would I open the farm gate wearing those?" Women here like something easy they can throw on and wear all day without having to think about it, but they like it to have a point of difference - an interesting fabric or quirky detailing. When it comes to eveningwear, though, there are lots of super-fit 30-somethings and immaculately preserved older women, so they can wear something quite form-fitting and glamorous. When the university students come home for the holidays, they're all incredibly fashion-forward.
"Cardigans far outsell jackets. But not just your classic styles, either - I've almost sold out of the Kate Sylvester sexy secretary cardies with gold studs around the neckline. Tops sell very well all year round - tees and relaxed blouson styles rather than formal pussy bow blouses. T-shirt dresses, like the Sylvester lace one or Karen Walker's prints, are perennial best-sellers. I only ever buy one or two of each style/pattern - that's important in a town of 40,000 people, as inevitably women with the same taste tend to know each other and don't want to be wearing the same thing."
