Style a patterned THML dress ($99) with a Pretty Simple Nova Nylon Purse ($66) for a pop of color. Erimish bracelets ($35 for a set of five) top off this tropical-inspired look. Photos: Chris Emeott
Get away this spring in comfort and style.
Travel is back and in a big way. Whether you’re making up for lost time from canceled trips during the height of the pandemic or looking to create memories with your family, people are yearning to get out of town. And what better time to do it than on the cusp of winter and spring? Snow has usually worn out its welcome, and sunny destinations are calling. But getting from here to there comes with its own set of quandaries—namely what to pack. We asked Debby Terlizzi, owner of Mainstream Boutique in Woodbury, for some suggestions on how to make the most of your wardrobe to get maximum wearability with minimum hassle.
Terlizzi opened Woodbury’s Mainstream Boutique 13 years ago. A year later, she added a Mendota Heights location to her burgeoning fashion rolodex. Despite being just 12 miles apart, the two stores attract different clientele with different tastes. “We’ll order something, and it sits in one store and blows out in the other,” Terlizzi says.
After more than a decade in the business, Terlizzi and her staff have a pretty good idea of what their customers are looking for, and they deliver the on-trend pieces to match. “It’s years of getting to know your customers,” Terlizzi says. “And knowing where you live.
“You can’t be too trendy,” she says. “It’s not Paris.”
But it is Minnesota, and if there’s one thing Terlizzi knows, it’s how to dress Minnesotans. “The joke is that I can dress other people, but I can’t dress myself. My staff helps me with that,” she says.
Terlizzi says the number one thing to keep in mind when putting together a travel wardrobe is material. “You want wrinkle-free,” she says. “Things you can roll up and throw into a suitcase.”
Debby Terlizzi sports a look perfect for snowbirds, featuring a patterned Lulu B Zip Jacket ($96), a Lulu B Skort ($69) and Blowfish Malibu sneakers ($59).
To that end, she recommends avoiding pieces that are 100 percent cotton or linen. “Women don’t want to worry about ironing or steaming something,” she says.
Terlizzi says they sell a lot of wrinkle-free dresses in the store, as well as skorts. “They come in a couple different fabrics,” she says, of the skorts. “And they’re great for golfing, tennis, pickleball …”
To get from Point A to Point B while traveling it’s all about comfort, and joggers continue to be the go-to piece whether you’re leaving on an airplane, road tripping in the car or swaying to the rhythms of the train rolling down the track. These aren’t the sweatpants of old but stylish knit pants in flattering styles that offer all varieties of styling options. “You can wear them with that cute sweatshirt top or a shacket. Shackets have been great—people love those,” Terlizzi says.
From head to toe, joggers can be paired with everything from flip flops to booties. “They’re really cute with platform sneakers,” Terlizzi says.
If joggers aren’t your style, Terlizzi recommends pull-on capris or a pair of stretchy denim pants. “We have some pull-on capris in an almost gabardine fabric … We also carry capris with this great embroidered design,” she says.
And when it comes to denim for travel, Terlizzi recommends Mainstream Boutique’s private label, Mac and Me. “The denim is very stretchy,” she says. “They have an ‘AbSolution’ waistband. They’re the only ones I wear.”
A Mac and Me ribbed top ($54) pairs well with a sleek Papillon faux leather vest ($49) and a necklace set from What’s Hot ($29 for a set of three).
Layering is another great option for travel—especially when leaving the frozen tundra of Minnesota and heading to warmer locales. “Say you’re going from here to Florida, you’re going to want layers, and you can shed them as you get closer to your destination,” Terlizzi says.
Accessories are the jewel on top of the outfit and can elevate the style of any ensemble. Terlizzi recommends light jewelry for travel, like hoop earrings, necklaces and stackable bracelets. “Our Erimish bracelets are great sellers,” she says.
Accessories are queen when it comes to putting together a chic travel look—as seen with Erimish bracelets ($35 for a set of five).
To carry all those great souvenirs, you’ll need a versatile bag that doesn’t hold you back. For the ultimate hands-free movement, crossbody bags are king. “People love a crossbody bag,” Terlizzi says. That includes what the once-maligned fanny pack, which has been reinvented as the belt bag to great success. “They’re styled differently now. It’s an updated look,” she says.
Travel comfortably in a neutral-inspired look with a Mac and Me ruched top ($48), Skies Are Blue cream trousers ($54) and topped off with accessories including Erimish bracletes ($35 for a set of five) and a What’s Hot necklace ($29 for a set of three).
Top it all off with a foldable beach hat, and you’re ready to take on vacation in style.
Terlizzi says their warm weather clothing starts appearing in store in early-to-mid January as people prepare for their winter getaways. “By January, people are ready to go, so, we’re pretty prepared,” she says.
The bottom line is that you don’t have to give up your style when you travel. Terlizzi says, “You can be comfortable but still look nice.”
Mainstream Boutique
7774 Hargis Parkway; 651.739.8111
Facebook: Mainstream Boutique Woodbury
Instagram: @mainstreamboutique_woodbury
