Confessions of a Fumbling Fashionista©

By, Megan Aronson

            There’s a fashion revolution happening around Northern Arizona, and it’s coming from three Allie Ollie women’s clothing boutiques in Prescott, Sedona and Flagstaff.

            Dozens of women of every age throughout the Verde Valley are dressing up their wardrobes with unique, trendy and sophisticated Allie Ollie fashions, donning them at local events, barbeques, and restaurants.

            I guess you could call my style “rural small town sorta-chic”??? But, thanks to Allie Ollie owner, Allie Olson, my wardrobe of late has turned sophisticated and stylish. This Fumbling Fashionista was in need of serious style assistance when I stumbled into Allie Ollie in the Oak Creek Outlet Mall in Sedona late one night this summer.

            Honestly, as a certified “Fumbling Fashionista,” I’ve felt there simply wasn’t room for fabulous living in a rural community like Sedona, Prescott or Flagstaff (and I’ve lived in one of those three since 1993). This is no New York – where’s the space for bling, flair, fashion trends, and fabulous? My favorite articles of clothing are a pair of yoga pants and a loose fitting t-shirt!

            I don’t know my Ugg’s from my square-toed loose, hooded boots and I have never worn a pair of leggings in my life. I don’t know which boots to wear this fall, when, or with what. I was just getting the hang of skinny jeans when I heard flared jeans were back in. The most “bling” I dangle from my ears is a pair of x-shaped diamond studs that my husband bought me, and I only wear them once a year to weddings or funerals.      

            But, all that changed the first time I walked into the Allie Ollie Boutique at The Factory Outlet Mall in Sedona’s Village of Oak Creek this summer, for an unexpected “styling session” with twenty-six year old Olson. Olson opened her first store in Sedona in 2009, and has since expanded with two more spacious and inviting boutiques in the Prescott Gateway Mall and, most recently, the Flagstaff Mall.

            “Where in the world would I wear that?” I said to her, as the drool slipped down my chin, eyeing a gorgeous light pink patterned t-shirt dress.

            She replied, exuberantly, “To the grocery store!”

            Seeing my dumbfounded expression, she continued, “Why not?! What’s wrong with looking good wherever you go?”

            “Um, I don’t know...” I replied, stuttering. “I would just feel...overdressed. I mean, we live in Sedona.”

            But, since Allie opened her first store in West Sedona stemming out of a successful shop in Sedona’s Art Mart, “Small Town Chic” has taken on a new meaning. Lines like Sacred Threads, (ask her names of specific) patterns, glitz and bling have become the new Northern Arizona chic.

            Looks to me like Allie has started a fashion revolution.

            “Saw so many Allie Ollie shirts on all the women at the Harvest Festival [in Cottonwood] yesterday,” Monica Garland posts on the Allie Ollie Facebook Fan Page. And she’s right! Everywhere I look – at the grocery store (yes, I get the point now!), at the Jazz Fest, at the Film Fest, at Rendezvous in Old Town Cottonwood on a Friday Night, I see distinctive, recognizable Allie Ollie fashions.

            In two hours with Allie, I rediscovered my own “inner diva”, and left the store with two leopard-print shopping bags full of twenty-five things I thought I would never buy (or wear!). I’ve worn these fashions every day of the summer (gaining heaps of compliments, might I add!) and now, as we slip slowly into the leaf-falling drops of autumn, I’m delighted to attend Allie’s upcoming, “Flair for Fall Wardrobing Workshop” at the Prescott Gateway Mall, on October 22^nd.

            Strangely, I thought she might have designed these workshops just for me when I read their titles: “The Basics Boot Camp,” “Using ‘Props’: Guide to Accessorizing,” “You’re Never Too Old for Leggings,” and “Flair For Fashion: Identifying Your Personal Style.” But, apparently, there are other women out there just like me, who could use a little style inspiration!

            According to a Press Release, “Fall’s most fabulous evening of fashion, fun and ...flair,” will take place on October 22, at the Prescott Gateway Mall, at the Allie Ollie Boutique from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are only $20 each, and I think it’s well worth the $20 to save me from wearing my plain old, boring “last year’s” wardrobe all over again this fall. I’m putting a little pizzazz in my closet this year – and, I can afford it because at Allie Ollie, you can purchase an entire head-to-toe outfit for under $100.

            On the 22^nd, you’ll find me sipping on some sparkling champagne, snacking on delicious hors deourves, enjoying some classy live entertainment and, maybe even wearing my first pair of leggings, at Allie Ollie, making my “Fumbling Fashionista” © appearance. Hope to see you there!

            Due to space, only forty tickets will be sold to the “Flair for Fall Wardrobing Workshop.” Purchase your tickets now by registering online at www.allieollie.com or call (928) 445-9915. Call to schedule a private “styling session” with Allie and her stylists and receive 10% off your entire bill!

            Megan Aronson is “The Fumbling Fashionista”© as well as the former host of the TV show, “Out & About with Megan” in Sedona. She can be contacted at Megan.Aronson23@gmail.com or (928) 202-8193.