Austin Stylist Shares Fashion Inspiration for Perfect Holiday Fits with Finds from Showroom

With a social calendar that’s packed with festive events this December, we were recently looking for some expert advice on the latest looks to take us from office holiday gatherings to The Nutcracker with the kids, Christmas cocktails with the neighbors, tea time with Grandma, or even some New Year’s Eve swanky soirees. So we ventured over to The Domain NORTHSIDE to visit one of our most trusted sources for local shopping, Showroom.

The local Showroom location is second brick and mortar store that came to Austin following the success of their first shop in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. While this local store has only been here for just over a year, we find their curated looks and mix of established and emerging brands such a welcome addition to the Austin fashion scene and is already one of our go-to favorites for quality apparel.

The brand began with founder and buyer, Erica Hanks’ love of styling. With a past career as a celebrity fashion stylist, and as a mother of three, Erica’s passion for elegantly styling fashion-forward working women propelled her desire to open Showroom. Erica also has an admirable dedication to working with brands that support fair labor rights and mindful manufacturing.

For us, we appreciate that the team at Showroom makes us feel so comfortable when we walk in their Austin store. The shopping experience is not intimidating, yet offers such a sense of luxury.

So, with holiday fits in mind, we popped in last week to chat with Store Manager, Grace, along with Austin’s store stylist, Emily. Both women were welcoming and ready to give us some suggestions.

Q & A with Emily Meyer, Stylist at Showroom:

Tribeza: We find the store so elegantly curated, yet friendly and approachable. For someone new to Showroom, please share a bit about what to expect when they walk in the shop.

Emily: When you walk in, we want it to feel like it’s your own personal closet. That’s the way it’s set up. We have a little bit of something for everyone. We keep one of each size out on the floor and have more sizes available in the back. We also offer items on approval so we can send clothes to try before you buy, which is great. And we offer local delivery — so we just want to make the process as easy as possible for our clients.

The owner, Erica, is a veteran in the industry, and so when she started Showroom, she really wanted this to be a one-on-one experience for customers. So at both locations there is a stylist in the store, but we also work with external freelance stylists, so we’re very happy to have our clients customize whatever experience they want. So if they already have a personal stylist they work with, we are happy for them to both come in the store and to shop with us. And stylists can also just come and pick stuff up from the store and bring it to their client’s house to work with them. Again, we are so happy to provide that custom experience, whatever that looks like for each person.

Tribeza: It seems like you can really tailor the experience for busy clients.

Emily: A lot of our clients are working women — Moms who’ve got a lot going on. So local delivery or even curbside pickup is nice to offer.

Let’s talk about holiday looks

Tribeza: Speaking of being a busy time, let’s talk about the holidays. Can you share a few trends that you’re seeing this season?

Emily: One of the current trends is a pop of red. I’m seeing that so much.

And when you think about the variety of events that you’re going to this season, we’re seeing a lot of our customers that are wanting to have a dress that fits all occasions. So they’re able to wear for office or wear around family and be really comfortable in it. A lot of like classic silhouettes and easy black dresses.

Tribeza: Ah, maybe it’s a signature piece that you’re dressing up a little bit or dressing down?

Emily: Yes, and statement bags and accessories can make the difference. We’ve got some fun statement bags right now that have been really popular for the holiday. I’m seeing a lot of red personally, but we also see a lot of shine. I feel like shine is the thread line between all of the statement bags. Lots of glitter and pearls. Lots of gold.

Stylist’s Holiday edits

Following a little chat with Emily, we began to bounce around the store, looking at gorgeous gowns, sophisticated sets, and a variety of choice picks. See a few highlighted edits in the slideshow below that included such finds featuring feathers, florals, velvet, bows, ruffles, pleated skirts, and shimmer.

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(edit courtesy of Showroom)

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(sparkly edit courtesy of Showroom)

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(edit courtesy of Showroom)

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(edit courtesy of Showroom)

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(edit courtesy of Showroom)

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(edit courtesy of Showroom)

For a best look at Emily’s picks for the season, visit the Tribeza Instagram account for a fun video of our shopping day at Showroom or follow Emily’s Instagram account. You can also find plenty of inspiration on the official Showroom Instagram account as well as their website.

As we concluded our chat with Emily, she noted the most important key factor to dressing for the holidays or any days, “Again, style is personal. It’s what looks good to you — if it’s flattering, timeless — it’s what you’re most comfortable in.”