A unique handbag, a flowing scarf, a pair of fabulous earrings: These three elements have always been great ways for women to punch up a wardrobe without spending lots of cash. During the past two years, as the recession reared its ugly head, women have embraced this idea. In my own shop, accessory sales have grown substantially in the past three years—we’re talking an upswing in sales of jewelry, eyewear, wallets, clutches, scarves, purses, watches, even men’s ties. Accessories are “in.”

Robert and I just returned from a major trade show in New York City, called Accessories the Show (ATS). This trade show is big but joyous—think pulsating music, free food, free coffee, happy people. It’s got a different vibe than, say, the Home Décor shows (and I’ll have a future blog post about that).

ATS focuses on presenting thousands of lines of women’s apparel, scarves, jewelry and handbags to the retail industry. New York is the best place to view firsthand the latest offerings from European and American suppliers, and, even more importantly, to see the latest color and pattern trends in the accessories field.

Trend Report—I saw three current and growing trends at this trade show:

1) Bright animal prints—not real but faux (zebra, giraffe, python, etc.).

2) Big, bright florals, and …

3) Ethnic-inspired patterns with South American and African influences, such as hand-painted beads and distressed leather.

These trends were prominent in all categories of handbags, scarves and jewelry.

I am personally obsessed with textiles, so hunting for new scarf lines was a big part of this trip. As I wandered through the sparkling and organized maze of exhibits at ATS, I continually came upon leopard and other animal prints in scarves. I’m not a crazy animal-print kind of gal, but I did find a stunning cashmere scarf line, produced in India and based in California, called Me & Kashmere, and they had an entire booth of animal-inspired prints and patterns (see the picture with Me & Kashmere owner designer Sualiheen Shaw).

One can see evidence of the popularity of animal prints, floral imagery and ethnic inspiration in the diverse levels of merchants such as Chico's, Nordstrom, and Anthropologie. I can confidently predict that these large retailers, and many small retailers, will be stocked this spring, summer and fall with all of the three of these design styles.

For your web-surfing pleasure, I have provided a few stores with links below. You can also be old-fashioned and actually visit these retailers throughout the state of Virginia. Go out and have a little retail therapy with your friends, and get up close and personal with some of these hot trends.

Whether large retailers or small boutiques, here are some of my favorite stores offering a broad selection of accessories, with locations in Virginia:

The Big Ones

Nordstrom: Dulles, McLean, Arlington, Richmond, Norfolk

Chico's: Alexandria, Arlington, Charlottesville, Chesapeake, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Leesburg, Lynchburg, McLean, Newport News, Norfolk, Reston, Richmond, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, Winchester

Anthropologie: Charlottesville, McLean, Reston, Richmond

Saks Fifth Avenue: Leesburg, McLean, Potomac Mills, Richmond

Small but beautiful:

The Pink Palm: Richmond, McLean, Charlottesville

Gossypia: Alexandria

Lou Lou’s Too, 18 East Washington Street, Middleburg 540-687-4204

1/21/10 12:29 PM