By Ingrid Schnader
Clothing at the Gameday in Style Boutique isn’t just for Saturdays at the stadium.
All kinds of casual styles from the boutique were shown off recently during the Hoover Service Club’s annual fashion show.
Animal prints, which have been on-trend for several years, aren’t going anywhere, said Darlene Higginbotham, who emceed the show. While some styles keep to the traditional look of animal prints, other styles show a more abstract version. Animal prints that are “out there” or subtle are hot this year, Higginbotham said.
Faux leather pants and jewelry were a hit among the models and the crowd. Higginbotham showed off her leather bracelet, and some of the models incorporated leather into their jewelry.
“All of the (necklaces) are long and simple,” she said. “Very few are high.”
In some of the longer dresses, shirts and shawls, Higginbotham recommended that the models tie a knot in their clothing.
“It looks designer every time you take that up and tie a knot in it,” she said.
Higginbotham said that putting on a fashion show was a confidence booster for the club’s members who served as models.
“The minute I say, ‘Put on this dress,’ you say, ‘That’s great that she thinks I can do that,’” she said. “That’s what’s so fun about modeling. That’s what we need to think about every time we put on something. We need to put it on, walk in front of the mirror. Say, do I need to add something? Could I add a scarf? Could I add a belt? Could I tie that up in a knot?”
Higginbotham’s love for fashion started from a young age. Her mother, who was in real estate, “dressed beautifully every day,” she said.
“And I could tell you probably all of the clothes she owned,” she said. “And she always wore heels.”
Higginbotham went to modeling school then traveled across the country taking classes in coloring, wardrobe, manners and protocol.
“You can turn into somebody else, and instead of people just looking at you just as you are, they’re really going to have to take a step back.
“What I want to do every time I step out, no matter what, I want to look a little different. And the way we hold ourselves makes all the difference in the world. To act like we know what we’re doing means everything,” she said.
Higginbotham teaches modeling and manners to people of all ages, holds fashion shows and styles people’s wardrobes. For more information on her services, visit darlenereal.com.
