Blank NYC Tomboy denim short $78; fab’rik Fallen top $20; Bamboo Juliana sandal $38; Gold choker $26; Beaded fringe necklace $68; Leather tassel necklace $42; Gold earrings $18

BB Dakota Sheena romper $72; Lace plunge bralette $28; Gold hoop earrings $18; Tassel choker necklace $24; Bamboo Charade wedge sandal $20; Bracelets $18+

Upon hearing “Woodstock,” often the images in one’s mind’s eye are of sweaty young folk clad in bell bottoms and flower crowns. Today, the word “Coachella” is as much about Spring’s Californian music festival as it is the fashion trends it has inspired.

A brief look at the history of musical festivals reveals that, while many of us would like to trace their origins to Woodstock, which was held from August 15 -18, 1969, on a dairy farm in New York, these gatherings actually date back to the Pythian Games in ancient Greece, where musical competitions and acts were the highlight of entertainment for the wealthy upper class. Through the years festivals continued throughout Europe, finally catching on in America in the 1950’s via the Newport Jazz Festival – think Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Nina Simone. Interestingly, what started out as an older, wealthy crowd was overtaken by youth who camped out in tents to enjoy the music. Sound familiar? 1967’s Monterey Pop Festival, headlining the likes of Janis Joplin, The Who, Simon & Garfunkel and the Mamas & the Papas, was a prelude to Woodstock. Fun fact: it was there that Jimi Hendrix famously lit his guitar on fire.

While it may not have been the first, Woodstock remains the festival that kindled all others – setting the bar for not only great music but, perhaps more important, a spirit of camaraderie, acceptance, and free expression of self. The bohemian vibes conjured on Yasgur’s farm thread their way through the fashion choices of today’s festival goers: joining the still-present bell bottoms and flower crowns are feathers, vintage tees, earthy tones, lace, and lots of artisan jewelry. The look has become so popular it now serves up style inspo outside of the concert crowds. 

fab’rik Mercer midi dress $30; Bracelets $18+; Bamboo Choice sandal $38; Leather fringe earrings $28; Sunny Lane shades $18; Crossbody bag $38

More than 32 million people* attend at least one music festival each year. Here are some of the most popular offerings around the US:

SXSW: Austin, TX (March)

Ultra: Miami, FL (March)

Coachella: Indio, CA (April)

Hangout: Gulf Shores, AL (May)

Governor’s Ball: New York, NY (June)

Bonnaroo: Manchester, TN (June)

Sloss Fest:  Birmingham, AL (July)

Lollapalooza: Chicago, IL (Aug.)

Outside Lands: San Francisco, CA (Aug.)

Burning Man: Black Rock, NV

(Aug./Sept)

*Nielsen, 2015

Flying Monkey platinum edition distressed flare $98; Melodie lace cami $30; Bamboo Choice sandal $38; Crossbody bag $26; Fabulona Designs feather necklace $72; Arrowhead necklace $28; Lilly Bella wooden bead choker $16; Snakeskin cuff $24

Clothing & Accessories from fab’rik Homewood

Hair: Billy Halliday of Forecast Salon

Makeup: Ashley Bush of Forecast Salon

Model: Sydney Fiddler of Red Models

Shot on Location at Sloss Fest 2017

Sybella, age 7 and a 2nd grader at EPIC Alternative Elementary, rocks DL 1961 Chloe skinny jeans ($59), American Jewel jelly backpack ($54), Bella Bliss liberty floral top ($42), and American Widgeon faux fur vest ($59) from The Lili Pad. Her wear-with-everything neutral Vince Camuto Girls Campina booties ($60) are from Little Soles.

A+ outfits to start the year off right.

Written and styled by Tracy James

Photography by Chuck St. John

Shot on location at Shades Cahaba Elementary School.

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” jingles the holiday tune while a dad clad in late summer attire dances through store aisles tossing dull-edged scissors and Trapper Keepers  into a shopping cart, teasing his in-tow moping children with chomping staplers and spinning pencil sharpeners. “They’re going baaack!” exclaims the announcer in this 1996 Staples ad. If you don’t share at least a wee bit of this parent’s glee, I salute you. Whether gleeful or not, preparing your kiddos to start a new school year is no small task, and usually includes shopping for not just supplies but also clothing. Most magazine fashion editorials for the younger set focus on juniors style, which is not super helpful to parents since, by the time teenagedom sets in, many kids have their own ideas about personal style and certainly want little to no input from the parentals.

Elementary-age children, however, are just beginning to find their style, usually favoring comfort above all else and hopefully not yet introduced to peer pressure to look like everyone else. My motto for the fashion camp for kids that I created and conducted for eight years was “Confidence never goes out of style.” I found that kids do want to have a say in what they wear, but often need guidance as to how to articulate style preferences. Ask questions such as, “Do you have certain colors you like to wear?” “What kind of patterns do you like and dislike—stripes, plaids, florals?” “Are there certain fabrics you like or dislike against your skin?”

Now for the fun part. The good news is that, more and more, kids’ clothing designers are offering a plethora of style options, from preppy to bohemian. In fact many adult trends find their way into the youth world. For example, this fall, look for:

– embroidered/brocade detailing

– pleated skirts

– the colors red and army green

– bomber jackets

– suede and fur (faux for children, of course!)

It goes without saying, but I will say it anyway, that trends should be interpreted in a kid-appropriate way. After all, they will have plenty of time to be adults. What is a better time than adolescence to encourage experimentation when it comes to finding personal style, embracing the idea that individuality is always chic. 

William, age 6 and a 1st grader at Vestavia East Elementary knows layering is the way to go – he wears a Southern Marsh youth Juban Check shirt ($52), Luigi long-sleeve tee ($30), and E-land khakis ($39), all from The Lili Pad, along with Florsheim Curb chukka boots ($60) from Little Soles. Claire, age 8 and a 3rd grader at Vestavia East wears a Mimi & Maggie Tessa peasant top ($56), Egg by Susan Lazar Dakota camel faux suede pleated skirt ($69), and mixed bracelets ($12 each), from The Lili Pad. Her Volatile Kids Barkley booties ($58), Chirp Ladybug backpack ($28), and Wee Ones burlap clip bow ($10) are from Little Soles.

The reverse side of Ashley Mae’s fun Chooze backpack in Revive is black and white, which she can custom color herself or leave as is for those days she might not be feeling quite as colorful. ($48, Little Soles)

Ashley Mae, age 10 and a 5th grader at Central Middle School, wears a Peoples Project LA bomber jacket ($65), Three Friends tunic top ($33), Malibu Sugar distressed legging ($56), and mixed necklaces ($21 & $24) from The Lili Pad. Volatile Kids Haley booties $60 and a Wee Ones burlap headband ($15) from Little Coles complete the look.

William has room for plenty of books in his Chooze 2-sided backpack in Chomp ($48) from Little Soles.

This quilted, hooded coat with a soft (striped!) jersey lining by American Widgeon is the perfect weight to suffice for Fall as well as early Spring (The Lili Pad, $65). Chooze 2-sided backpack in Samari (Little Soles, $44)

The Linly Heflin Fashion Show

Written and styled by Tracy James

This month marks the 16th anniversary of my freelance fashion consulting company, ChicMadeSimple. As you might imagine, having a full-time career in fashion in Birmingham, Alabama, requires one to be a sort of jack-of all-trades under the style umbrella. If I lived in, say, New York or Los Angeles, I might only do personal shopping or business style seminars or magazine editorials, for example. But frankly, I love the variety my location affords!

One of the most fun aspects of my job is coordinating runway shows. Many, many years ago, I earned my stripes in this arena by coordinating shows for Parisian, invaluable experience I carry with me to this day. For the past few years I have had the honor of coordinating for Gus Mayer the annual Linly Heflin Fashion Show. (Who the heck is Linly Heflin? See inset.) This October was the organization’s 59th year of the event!  Most people don’t realize what orchestrating a fashion show entails, so this month I’m giving you a special behind-the- scenes peek.   

The Linly Heflin Unit

“Educate a woman and you educate a family.”

Linly Heflin has served the Birmingham community for nearly 100 years, since its inception in 1919. Today, Linly Heflin is a committed group of 100 women dedicated to the mission of educating deserving Alabama women at Alabama colleges and universities. The Scholarship Fashion Show, first held in 1959, continues to be Linly Heflin’s primary fundraiser.

While it can be a bit unnerving to relinquish control to what’s happening backstage, it is rewarding to see all of my work and vision come to life on the runway! In this case, the amazing backstage crew and models did not disappoint.

After pulling and styling 124 outfits (whew!), the models come into Gus Mayer for a fitting so I can make sure the look works, as well as decide on shoes and accessories.

Models arrive at The Club the afternoon before the show to find their outfits on a rack, organized by segment. Models have 2 changes in each of the 4 segments: I, Autumn Tones, II. Statement Details, III. After Five, & IV: Guest Designer Haute Hippie.

After a runway rehearsal during which the models learn entrance/exit cues and get a feel for the music, they are sent to hair and makeup. The team from Forecast salon set up a makeshift hair studio in the Bride’s Room at The Club.

I check all of the outfits once again, going over styling details with the models and making notes for the dressers. (Photo by Chuck St. John)

Mark Hyde of Forecast was backstage for touch ups – the team even managed to change some styles according to outfit in the seconds before models went on the runway! (Photo by Chuck St. John)

LOTS of model selfies going on backstage!

Let the show begin! My backstage crew keeps models in order according to the lineups I’ve given them, and I cue each model from the control booth, where I communicate with them via headsets. (Photo by Chuck St. John)

The Linly Heflin Fashion Show

Written and styled by Tracy James

This month marks the 16th anniversary of my freelance fashion consulting company, ChicMadeSimple. As you might imagine, having a full-time career in fashion in Birmingham, Alabama, requires one to be a sort of jack-of all-trades under the style umbrella. If I lived in, say, New York or Los Angeles, I might only do personal shopping or business style seminars or magazine editorials, for example. But frankly, I love the variety my location affords!

One of the most fun aspects of my job is coordinating runway shows. Many, many years ago, I earned my stripes in this arena by coordinating shows for Parisian, invaluable experience I carry with me to this day. For the past few years I have had the honor of coordinating for Gus Mayer the annual Linly Heflin Fashion Show. (Who the heck is Linly Heflin? See inset.) This October was the organization’s 59th year of the event!  Most people don’t realize what orchestrating a fashion show entails, so this month I’m giving you a special behind-the- scenes peek.   

The Linly Heflin Unit

“Educate a woman and you educate a family.”

Linly Heflin has served the Birmingham community for nearly 100 years, since its inception in 1919. Today, Linly Heflin is a committed group of 100 women dedicated to the mission of educating deserving Alabama women at Alabama colleges and universities. The Scholarship Fashion Show, first held in 1959, continues to be Linly Heflin’s primary fundraiser.