The season changes, but the weather doesn’t – a familiar story for New Orleans as the summer months come to an end. As school and other fall activities begin to pick up we see the signs of change, even if it doesn’t feel any cooler or less humid outside. Despite the lingering summer heat, finding a fresh look for fall can be a fun and rewarding task. Metairie Road has become a popular destination for shoppers and prime real estate for hundreds of businesses that cater to both the Old Metairie neighborhood and its many visitors from in and out of town. From shopping to salons and skincare, you can find everything you need for a fresh look along this bustling thoroughfare.
A newcomer to Metairie Road, Wildflower will soon be celebrating two years as a fashion boutique in the neighborhood. “We truly love our blossoming location – there are new restaurants, stores and salons popping up monthly which has really made this end of Metairie Road more of a shopping destination,” says Owner Danielle Conrad.
Shoppers looking to freshen up their looks for the fall season can find one easy solution at Wildflower; the start of football season brings fun new styles in locals’ favorite colors. Gameday selections at Wildflower start arriving in late summer and early fall and make for more sophisticated, fashionable statements than a supportive T-shirt.
When it comes to surviving those hot, humid days, Conrad recommends midi-skirts.
“Printed, pleated, silk – you name it. Midi-skirts are wildly popular this fall and can be worn in all climates and seasons,” she says. When the weather does start to transition into fall, Conrad recommends a statement jacket in addition to light layering pieces like sweaters and denim jackets. This month, look for Wildflower at the ALG Warehouse Sale at The Cannery on August 25.
Meanwhile, at the other end of Metairie Road, long-established boutique Elizabeth’s is also bringing in new styles for fall. Owner and Buyer Sal Trentacoste is consistently bringing in new European collections and items you won’t find everywhere else. Trentacoste keeps his eye out for unique modern lines that have a sophisticated edge.
Current trends that Trentacoste sees for fall include updated animal prints, the return of wide-leg pants and more emphasis on belts – wide belts, belted jackets and more. In the fall, as transitional styles arrive, Trentacoste focuses on maintaining a selection of lightweight materials, which he notes is key for us in the South.
“Fall colors are deeper, and with that normally comes heavier fabrics. But we search the market for lightweight goods since our clients and region stay warm so much longer,” says Trentacoste. Cotton, silk and lightweight knits are key for Elizabeth’s. With lightweight fabrics, customers can find items that help achieve a fall look without worrying too much about the temperature. With clients from all over the Gulf South, Elizabeth’s caters well to southern climates.
Another stalwart of the Metairie Road shopping scene is FeBe, which for 16 years has provided a boutique for all ages with a diverse selection of designer brands. Some fall trends noted by owner Bessie Papazis are a good patchwork dress or a fun top with a puff sleeve.
“We will also be seeing blazers paired with animal print as a trend for the end of summer and early fall,” she says.
For Metairie Road shoppers looking for an update, Papazis recommends considering a printed Ulla Jonshon top or a lightweight dress – the brand’s fun patterns make for a fresh look.
“Saloni printed flower dresses are also great with flats or wedges. You can transition these looks easily from day to night with a fabulous pair of heels,” says Papazis. As the cooler months do descend, she echoes other boutiques with a nod to animal print, especially leopard and snakeskin.
A jewelry update might be in order for your fall fashion as well, and Boudreaux’s Jewelers has been a New Orleans favorite for generations. Since its move to Metairie Road in 1985, Boudreaux’s has been able to watch the neighborhood’s shopping scene explode with options. Boudreaux’s offers fine diamond and gemstone jewelry, designer fashion jewelry, watches and full repair and custom services in-house.
When asked about fall trends in jewelry, Brandon Boudreaux, Lead Designer, notes that they are still seeing a strong trend towards yellow gold fashion pieces in designer lines, such as Jude Frances and Rudolf Friedmann. Jude Francis is a handmade designer collection out of Newport Beach, California, which Boudreaux says is great for gold layered and textured looks for late summer and fall. A Jude Francis trunk show is in the works for fall, so keep an eye on their events.
If designer trends aren’t what you seek, Boudreaux’s offers custom jewelry for creating your own timeless style. “I work directly with clients on custom designs, and as the designer who will create their piece, they are able to work directly one-on-one with me from start to finish on a project,” says Boudreaux.
And don’t forget haircare and skincare when updating your look and preparing for the seasonal shift. Nothing makes you feel more fresh than a salon shampoo and style, and that’s the expertise of Emily LaBorde, Owner of BLEU, a Blowdry Bar. With locations on both Metairie Road and Magazine Street, BLEU is a blowout focused hair salon boasting a luxury styling experience in addition to updos, makeup applications, hair/eyelash extensions and bridal/wedding party services both in the salon and on location.
“Unfortunately, we can never fully escape humidity, despite the change of temperature, so Keratin Express Treatments can be done year round. We recommend you alternate between that and the Olaplex Blowout Experience to keep your hair happy and healthy,” says LaBorde.
According to her, this one-hour, five-step process tames unruly, frizzy hair into shiny, easy-to-manage tresses. Avoid water the first 24 hours and you can expect results to last four to six weeks, or longer. Post treatment, she says, clients enjoy frizz-free hair with a smoother texture and faster blowdry and styling time.
To freshen up the skin at the end of summer, Sanova Dermatology dermatologists recommend beginning a comprehensive program that includes skincare products and in-office procedures to reverse sun damage. According to Drs. Patricia Farris and Mamina Turegano, skincare products with ingredients like vitamin C, retinol, niacinamide and alpha hydroxy acids can be used to reduce the visible signs of photoaging (sun-induced aging). Meanwhile, procedures such as chemical peels and lasers are used to lighten brown spots, soften fine lines and wrinkles and firm the skin.
“We find this is a winning combination for patients who had just a little too much fun in the sun,” says Dr. Farris. Additionally, the practice has two new-to-market options for low-maintenance, low-downtime treatments: skinpen microneedling and Laser Genesis. For a dramatic change with a few days of downtime, the Fraxel Dual laser treatment is designed to give a younger-looking appearance in a single treatment.
For those who aren’t yet done having fun in the sun – after all, August and September still provide perfect beach weather – Dr. Keith LeBlanc Jr. of The Skin Surgery Centre has some advice for avoiding the dangers of the sun and skin cancer. As a surgeon specializing in Mohs surgery, Dr. LeBlanc sees a great deal of skin cancer caused by sun exposure. Common mistakes, according to Dr. LeBlanc, include not seeking shade during peak hours of exposure (10 a.m.-4 p.m.), inadequate application of sunscreen, forgetting to reapply sunscreen every two to three hours of continued exposure and each time you get out of the water.
“It is recommended to apply 1 ounce of sunscreen per application, approximately one shot glass worth of sunscreen. Data shows average American applies less than half of this amount,” says Dr. LeBlanc. Additional sun-safe practices include protective clothing, seeking shade and using broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or greater.
Readers might be surprised to learn that basal cell skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in America. “There is more basal cell carcinoma in the United States in a given year than there is breast, prostate lung, and colon cancer combined,” says Dr. LeBlanc.
Be sure to protect yourself if you’re still taking advantage of New Orleans’ lingering summer weather, even in fall. Sunscreen goes a long way towards giving you that fresh look even after your sun-filled vacation ends and fall back-to-school and work grind resumes.
Wildflower
2700 Metairie Road, Suite C
Metairie
218-8996
Elizabeth’s
204 Metairie Road
Metairie
833-3717
FeBe
474 Metairie Road
Metairie
835-5250
Boudreaux’s Jewelers
701 Metairie Road
Metairie
831-2602
BLEU, A Blowdry Bar
701 Metairie Road, Suite 112-2A
Metairie
309-5999
Sanova Dermatology
701 Metairie Road, Suite 2A205
Metairie
836-2050
SanovaDermatology.com/locations/old-metairie
The Skin Surgery Centre
1615 Metairie Road, Suite 101
Metairie
644-4226
