Women of Fresno: think quickly – where do you shop for clothing for yourself most frequently? Do you have an established pattern of standby places you always go to first when you need a new pair of jeans, accessories or a dress for a special occasion? I’d bet my favorite boots you do. It’s easy to get into a pattern (read: rut) when it comes to clothes shopping, especially in phases of life that are particularly busy, as you want to be as efficient as possible and shop the places that consistently have what you’re looking for, or at least something close enough so you call it good, pay for your items, and move on with your busy life.
My typical clothing and accessory go-tos include Stitch Fix (online), Target and Ann Taylor Loft, and when I can’t find a specific item through one of those three, I’ll shop Old Navy, J. Crew or Nordstrom Rack. If you’re noticing my list is sorely devoid of locally owned stores, you’re right – and I’m not proud of it. During the 2015 holiday season however, I noticed an unexpected pattern occurring – I would see someone receive a gift that was really fantastic, and exactly like something I would look for myself, and when the recipient asked, “Where did you find this? I love it!” a common answer kept coming up – the awesome accessories, tops and jewelry items I was drooling over were all coming from locally owned women’s clothing store Ooh La La!
I’d been to Ooh La La in the past, it wasn’t completely foreign to me, however I hadn’t found a lot that fit my taste (or size if I recall correctly), and in my mind, I had chalked up my impression to target customer age – “It must just be intended for teens and young adults.” This was several years ago however, and after making a long overdue stop into today’s Ooh La La in Riverpark, I have to say I found a LOT to love, at my current age of 34.
When it comes to clothing, I like pieces that are feminine, made of fabrics that feel soft on the skin, are comfortable to wear and are cut in a way that is flattering to the frame. I tend to follow seasonal trends to a degree, but ultimately prefer clothing that is classic and can be worn for multiple seasons. Inside Ooh La La I found many fantastic basic, neutral tops that would be great for layering, made of fabrics that you want to reach out and touch, and cut to flatter and flow stylishly when worn. Dolman sleeved tops with fitted waists, flutter sleeved tees, center seams and longer, drapey tees easily lend themselves to a put together yet casual weekend outfit, and can be found in abundance at Ooh La La. Seeing as I visited the store near Valentine’s Day, I noticed there were many great dresses (both fancier and more casual options) as well as romantic blouses and skirts. With spring around the corner, I couldn’t help but look longingly at some of the strappy, cognac-colored heeled sandals displayed on the shoe rack in the center of the store.
For those who enjoy graphic tees and baseball-style shirts, Ooh La La had a number of choices with snappy sayings and cute, floral prints. Another nice touch, was the store’s well-stocked NYX cosmetics display, located near the register. NYX offers high-quality makeup at drug store prices, and its popularity has led to often ravaged displays of the brand at Ulta and in local drugstores. So, if you have a favorite NYX product that you can’t locate elsewhere, it may just be on hand at Ooh La La!
There are so many cute things to see and try on at Ooh La La, with styles appropriate for a much broader age-range than I’d previously realized – however, I saved my most favorite section of the store for last: the accessories. Ooh La La’s jewelry and accessories selection is just fantastic. Whether you like long necklaces or short, trendy earrings or class, gold-tone or silver jewelry, scarves (blanket? knit? infinity?), hats (classic-brimmed, cozy knits?), boot socks or bandeau tops, Ooh La La’s accessories section has so many unique choices that cover such a large range of styles, it’s the perfect place to find a special piece for yourself or gift for someone else. I really had a hard time deciding what to purchase, as narrowing it down was tough – there were so many necklaces that made me think, “I won’t find anything like this one again – I don’t want to pass it up!” However, seeing as I didn’t think my husband and son would appreciate me dropping all of our grocery budget on fistfuls of pendants, I did have to narrow down my selection to a few favorites.
All this to say, if you’ve never been to Ooh La La, or you have been, but it’s been awhile, I highly encourage you to give the store a try soon. I think you will be very impressed and the wide array of styles and items to choose from, and you may even find the perfect gift for your next special occasion.
Ooh La La is locally owned, and is located in the Riverpark shopping center on Blackstone and El Paso, next to Ann Taylor Loft and across from H&M in Fresno, and on the Northeast corner of Willow and Nees in Clovis.
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I haven’t made it in there yet. I too assumed that it was aimed at a much younger audience than me! Oh, if you like NYX, there is a NYX store in Fashion Fair.
There are so many great things there! Even if you went just for the accessories section, you’d be bound to find great things. I’ve heard about the new NYX store! (Though admittedly, I don’t go to Fashion Fair super often…) I need to check it out!