Category: Fashion & Shopping

Lee Loves: April/May 2020

After months of gray days, Bloomington’s glorious spring brings smiles to our faces. Local retailers have an array of practical and whimsical finds that pop with cheery colors to add even more joy to your day!

Bedford Artist’s Abstract Paintings Now Adorn Raincoats and Jackets

When she first put paintbrush to canvas, Janet Barnette didn’t imagine that her vibrant, abstract paintings would someday be used as the fabric design for high-end outerwear.

Mainstream Boutique: Styles for Mother, Daughter & Grandma, Too!

Mainstream Boutique has a multigenerational approach, and owner Cathleen Jackson and her staff work on personally styling each woman who walks through the door.

A Tivoli Fashion Shoot Leads to Modeling Career

Melanie Surian Pickett and Cheryl Nichoalds met 10 years ago when Pickett was shopping at Nichoalds’ store, Tivoli Fashions, in downtown Bloomington.

Mirth for Higher-End, Quality Women’s Shoes

When Mirth opened its Fountain Square storefront in 2018, co-owners Amanda Forgas and Kelly Jennings weren’t sure the shop had the space to carry shoes, but they knew they wanted to. “Kelly and I are both lovers of shoes, so we knew if we could offer footwear, we would do it,” Forgas says.

Find a Piece of History at the IU Surplus Store

“If IU owns it, we sell it,” says Todd Reid, manager of the Indiana University Surplus Store, 2931 E. 10th St. From ballpoint pens to game-worn IU jerseys to the contents of entire hospitals, IU Surplus is the university’s retail outlet, selling unwanted items from departments across the IU campuses.

Lee Loves: December/January 2020

Old Man Winter is whistling at our keyholes, but Bloomington businesses are amply stocked with items to keep us warm and cozy.

The Tailored Fit Presents The University of Sewing

With Indiana University and Ivy Tech Community College in its midst, Bloomington is known as a college town. Now, the city can boast yet another institute of learning—the University of Sewing.

Where to Find IU Gear Galore

From die-hard sports fans to casually proud alumni, students, and faculty, Hoosiers are not shy about flying their crimson-and-cream colors or sporting IU’s iconic, more-than-a-century-old, interlock logo.

Glenn Close’s Costumes Add Glam to IU Fashion Collection

In 2013, actress Glenn Close began collaborating with Indiana University on a college pilot program for Bring Change to Mind, a nonprofit organization she founded that works to destigmatize mental illness. As that partnership unfolded, another one emerged.

Lee Loves: October/November 2019

Strolling around downtown Bloomington on a crisp autumn day is one of our town’s great pleasures. Be sure to visit the businesses on the Square and see what’s new.

Posh Boutique Caters ‘To Ladies from 20 to 80’

With a daughter and two young grandchildren residing in Bloomington, Laurel Nardine thought it was a good time to move her fashion boutique, Posh, from one Indiana downtown to another. So, after seven years in Vincennes, Nardine relocated Posh Boutique to 118 S. College, the space formerly occupied by Lola and Company.

IU to Hold Fashion Show For Folks With Disabilities

The fashion world has rarely accommodated people living with disabilities. Most often, clothing created for individuals who use a wheelchair, are unable to manipulate buttons, or need specialized footwear or other clothing adaptations comes with an obvious, sometimes awkward, preference for function over form.

Book-Themed T-Shirts Are Popular at the Book Corner

Clothing can tell you a lot about a person, including what they read.

Andrew Davis for High-End Footwear

With a curated collection of men’s clothing and accessories that come from all over the world, Andrew Davis Clothiers has provided menswear in Bloomington since 2008.

By Hand Gallery—Artists’ Cooperative Still Going Strong After Four Decades

When By Hand Gallery celebrates 40 years of offering downtown Bloomington shoppers original, handcrafted art, the festivities will include demonstrations in stone carving, scarf tying, and pottery making. And there’s a good chance there will be cake to mark the occasion.

Moon Stones: Selling Gems, Rocks, Crystals, and Fossils

Located in an iconic Victorian-style building at the corner of East Kirkwood and South Grant Street (that also houses Soma Coffee House and Juice Bar and The Laughing Planet Cafe), Moon Stones sells gems, rocks, crystals, and fossils as old or older than the limestone from which the structure was built.

The Munns: Makers Of Artistic Furniture (FIRE UPDATE)

Vicki and Lance Munn make art furniture—functional objects of beauty designed to be timeless—under the name VicLan. “We decided we wanted a legacy statement, like an heirloom, as opposed to being trendy,” Vicki explains. “We sign and date everything we make.”