Sew in for Spring

 by Nicole Stewart
 published on Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Chelsea Kent / STATE PRESS MAGAZINE

Woven flowers and pretty patterns are adorning shirts, jeans and tank tops everywhere. This spring, embroidery is in.

Embroidered tops "give clothing a little more personality," says business freshman Amy Graham. "It's simple enough to wear out, but it adds a little bit of a dressed-up feel to [the outfit]."

The trend's versatility makes it an easy accent for any outfit, says Lisa Bayne, co-owner of Here on the Corner in Tempe. "I think it can go with just about anything," Bayne says. "You can put it with denim or you can make it fun and wear an embroidered top with a skirt and flats."

To avoid looking like you're wearing grandma's knitted blanket, embroidery should be an accent to the outfit you're wearing, but not the entire focus. "I would just caution to not do too much of it," Bayne says. "I wouldn't do embroidered pants and then do an embroidered tank on top. You don't want to overdo it."

Graham says the perfect place to buy embroidered tops is Forever 21, but retailers Valley-wide are featuring garments with embroidered accents. Here on the Corner (714 S. College Ave.) is selling Frankie B "Downtown Starlet Nite Nite" jeans with an embroidered star on the pocket for $204.

"Embroidery is everywhere," Bayne says. And "it looks good on everything," Graham adds.

— nicole.m.stewart@asu.edu