Fashion forward: Betty's Divine offers unique, vintage-style clothing on Hip Strip - The Missoulian

“They are not swimsuits. They’re party suits,” the Australians told Aimee McQuilkin of Betty’s Divine during her last buying trip to Los Angeles.

Whatever they are, the nylon one-pieces, sporting the fierce faces of wild animals and produced by the Australian company Bamm-Bamm, will line the shelves of Betty’s Divine this spring.

McQuilkin is sure the versatile onesies will fly out of the store and into the closets of Montana fashionistas, serving as a chic staple for the warmer months of 2014.

For eight years, Betty’s Divine has continued to sell vintage-inspired clothing to fashion-savvy clientele.

The South Higgins Avenue boutique’s name, Betty’s Divine, doesn’t have very exciting roots, McQuilkin said.

It was inspired by the books, art and music from McQuilkin’s childhood that pointed to “Betty” as “your ultimate woman,” while the “Divine” part evolved as part of that vintage-inspired theme.

Located on Missoula’s Hip Strip, Betty’s Divine has been a great venture from the start, McQuilkin said.

“It’s obviously something that Missoula wanted,” she said. “It’s been evolving, but it continues to be fun.”

The spring will also see a return of saltwater sandals – shoes for adults that are made from leather and can be worn in the water or, as McQuilkin puts it, a “fashionista’s alternative to Chacos.”

Tie-dye will also enjoy a surge of popularity this spring and McQuilkin has those young Deadhead wannabes covered with plenty of choice pieces to choose from.

“It’s so bad that it’s good,” she said, giggling.

Initially, she couldn’t endorse tie-dye’s resurrection, but eventually it grew on her. Come March, the store will show off tie-dye trucker hats, tank tops and dresses.

Unlike the one-suit-fits-all animal print onesie and easy tie-dye sundresses, this winter’s fads tend to be a little less practical.

At Betty’s Divine, shoppers can now find wool shorts – a seemingly oxymoronic piece of clothing with summer design in a winter material. But the hot pants are designed to be worn with colorful tights and ankle booties, which can keep women cute and warm even on the short, cold days of winter.

The shorts are one of McQuilkin’s personal favorites, along with tiny rings designed to be worn above the knuckle called midi rings.

Every September, Betty’s Divine hosts a fashion show during the Hip Strip block party, but this spring McQuilkin and other downtown boutiques are considering hosting Missoula’s first fashion week, complete with fashion shows and events.

Milan, Paris and New York obviously have really famous fashion weeks, she said, but now smaller metropolitan areas like Austin, Texas, and Portland, Ore., are hosting their own unique fashion celebrations.

“I see no reason why Missoula can’t embrace it, too,” McQuilkin said.

via fashion - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNHXdOSf8oofpjS00hkJx1TI-zP0OA&url=http://missoulian.com/business/local/fashion-forward-betty-s-divine-offers-unique-vintage-style-clothing/article_a5904fee-52db-11e3-85ab-001a4bcf887a.html