The '70s are back, baby.
That's the word from Jana Rae Salmons, owner of the Fulton boutique Olive + Grace. During Wednesday's virtual Fulton Rotary Club meeting, she shared some Mother's Day gift ideas and advice about trends.
"I was envisioning bringing my girlfriends, we were all going to be dressed up. I did bring all of my friends, but they're a bunch of dummies," she said, gesturing to the outfit-bedecked mannequins in the video's background.
Olive + Grace is at 411 Court St. in Fulton. It opened in 2017 with a special focus on providing fashionable clothing for women 35-60. A percentage of the stores' sales go to benefit a different area charity each quarter. Salmons stocks clothes in straight sizes and what she calls "above average."
"That's what most stores call 'plus sizes,' but I fall into that size range, and I don't like that," she said.
Though the store has been closed to the public during the ongoing pandemic, its website, oliveandgrace.com, is operational. Salmons has been hand-delivering orders around town and is thinking of expanding the service to Jefferson City and Columbia. She said customers have appreciated the personal touch.
"My goal with this store has never been to make a profit; it's been to break even," she said. "I'm still working on that."
Salmons said she's seeing the return of trends from her own youth in the 1970s. She showed off a black-and-floral-print blouse with a front tie, and a pink tank top with three ties in the back.
"I guess fashion moves in 50-year cycles," she said.
For the especially fashion-forward, she has bell-bottom crop pants.
"You might not be comfortable with them yet, but you'll be wearing them next year," Salmons predicted.
Though the blouse-and-leggings look is still popular, tops are trending shorter, she said. Bold prints such as leopard spots, polka dots and flowers are all in.
Salmons said she tries to keep her prices affordable, selling items for less than they'd sell at major retail chains. She pointed out one pair of pants which, she said, sells for more than $70 at a department store.
"Even at $42, I'm still making a markup," she said. "I like to pass savings on to my customers - I feel like you have to do that in a small town."
She also highlighted some of Olive + Grace's jewelry options. For those who've hopped on the essential oils bandwagon, she has lava-bead bracelets and necklaces.
"You can put essential oils in them, and it's a way to diffuse them all day," she said. "The scent stays for a long time."
She stocks jewelry by local artist Darlene Hobbs, along with other affordable jewelry options.
Items can be ordered online or over the phone. For those unsure of what to purchase for the ladies in their life, the store also offers gift certificates. Call 573-826-0266 for more information.
In addition to Olive + Grace, Callaway County is home to many other locally owned and operated businesses stocked with delightful, Mother's Day-friendly items. As retailers cautiously reopen following the end of Missouri's stay-at-home order, the Callaway Chamber of Commerce encourages people to shop local.