Timeless Trends

The classic appeal with a coastal breeze

Paris and New York may rule the Fashion Week runways, but Pensacola native Laura Belsinger is determined not to let geography limit style: She’s making her own scene at Bluetique, the coastal-inspired fashion enclave she’s created in the heart of downtown Pensacola. Awash in azure, the vintage Victorian home that she converted into a store space has become an outlet for her love of fashion, showcasing her eye for style and her deep understanding of the ways that a well-chosen piece of clothing can make a woman feel beautiful.

Much like her shop, the 37-year-old Southern lady-of-style is inviting and cheery, sophisticated yet relatable. Blue-tique is a reflection of her desire to stand out, enjoy the process of dressing and celebrate the joys of femininity. The clothing and accessories found throughout the showroom are her way of connecting to her customers — the very thing that keeps her so passionate about running the store. To Belsinger, Bluetique is a very personal pursuit rather than a cut-and-dry business affair.

Having had her first taste of running a retail store while she lived in North Carolina, when Belsinger and her husband moved back to Pensacola in 2012, she knew that she wanted to continue working closely with clients, offering personal service and making them feel as though they’d walked through the doors into a place that was truly unique.

Uniqueness is certainly something Belsinger values; but more than the trends, classics seem to turn her head. “I would describe my personal style as classic,” she says. “I like buying pieces that I know I’ll have for a long time. … It’s amazing how many pieces I have had for over a decade, and I still enjoy them!”

For Belsinger, whose first major fashion purchase was a Burberry trench, the well-designed, beautifully constructed pieces produced by iconic couturiers are truly heavenly — though she does enjoy the opportunity to throw in the unexpected: “One wildcard piece in my closet is a light pink Ted Baker top with puffy, feather-like cap sleeves in a pastel print,” she admits with a grin. “It sounds hideous, but I think it’s so much fun, and I smile each time I see it!”

She indulges her passion for fashion with buying trips to New York and Paris, where she shops not solely with the mind of a business owner, but as an adventurer to worlds where closets become treasure-troves full of magic and wonder.