Dresses, Sets, and a Variety of Accessories are Waiting for You!

By Jane Lebak

With spring around the corner and days getting longer, it’s time to brighten up the wardrobe with lighter colors, breathable fabrics, and plans for warmer weather.

“Springtime means dresses,” says Marta McNulty, owner of Franklin’s Apricot Lane Boutique. “Last year, we became the town’s dress destination, and it’s easy to see why.”

Apricot Lane is a sweet little boutique tucked behind the Starbucks on Route 140. Stocked with hand-selected fashions, the shop hits the sweet spot between fashionable and practical, keeping costs down and always targeted toward local tastes and needs.

This spring’s dress selection covers all the bases, from formal to semi formal to casual events. Apricot Lane can outfit you for an evening wedding in Boston Common or a mid-afternoon wedding in a countryside barn. They can get you set up with a sundress for the beach or even just a t-shirt dress to run errands.

Colors this season are mostly lighter, shades of beige, pink and baby blue, and Marta’s personal favorite, the combo dresses. “It’s a dress which has a crochet top, tank or cap sleeves, and airy cotton from the waist down.”

Another trend this season is the denim dress. “These aren’t GenX denim dresses. Blended with Tencel, today’s denim dresses are light and flowy, beautifully tailored, and flattering for any figure.” Marta says, “We’re used to denim being bulky, but these have to be seen to be believed. Seen, touched, worn, and then loved.”

For cooler evenings, you can pair the dresses with the perfect cover-up. “We have adorable shrug sweaters and little jackets. Because they’re cruelty-free, vegan leather jackets are the current status quo, and we have many of those,” Marta adds. 

Last year, many of Apricot Lane’s customers wanted outfits for country music concerts. Marta says. “We’d combine glittery tops and denim skirts, or we’d pair an airy cotton dress with a light jacket, a coordinating pair of sunglasses, and statement jewelry pieces.” 

Coordinating separates is Marta’s specialty. Her initial experience as a visual merchandiser for both H&M and Bloomingdales taught her how to quickly pair not only colors that work together, but also interesting texture combinations and different styles. These blends create a person’s own signature look. “You can come in and build an entire capsule wardrobe with several carefully-selected pieces,” she says.

In choosing this spring’s lineup, Marta continues Apricot Lane’s commitment to charitable causes. Beaded bracelets by Noble Venture are made by survivors of human trafficking in Nepal, Haiti, and Guatemala, and sales help them rescue other victims. Clothing from Vero Moda, a Denmark brand, is made from 100% recycled materials, and their manufacturing process is certified eco-friendly. ESW face masks are cruelty-free and also biodegradable, so after you use one, you can compost it in your yard…or even in a house plant.

“We just brought in WMP, Wear Me Pro, a line of sunglasses that makes a donation for every pair sold to the Arizona Humane Society – the state’s largest no kill shelter,” says Marta. “They look great, and you feel great wearing them.”

The current season features Molly Bracken, Elan, Another Love, Vero Moda, Good American, Hidden, Vervet Denim, Kinsey Designs and Kendra Scott jewelry collection. “I source from all over the world,” says Marta. “This year, a number of Canadian brands stood out as very high quality, and strikingly different, so I’m introducing Franklin to new brands, like DEX, R.D. Style, and B.Young. I think they’re going to love them.”

Stop over at Apricot Lane, at 342 East Central Street in Franklin, to pick up a summer-accented necklace, and maybe spend an hour in the spacious changing rooms trying on every piece of your brand new capsule wardrobe. Or, just visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/apricotlanefranklin. 

Let Apricot Lane get you ready. Ready for spring, ready for concerts, ready for drinks with friends…ready for anything.

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