Accessorized at Essentials Boutique in Fort Lauderdale

Essentials Boutique sits in a plaza in a lively part of town, home to restaurants and shops frequented by locals for years, such as Carlos and Pepe's and Dough Boys Pizza. The boutique carries clothing of course but their essentials are accessories, namely, handbags and jewelry.

The main clothing items carried at Essentials are dresses. Some are tight and form-fitting (such as the Herve Leger-like dress pictured) and some are loose and flowy, while others run the gamut in between. Some dresses are best suited for the day, such as a rose-patterned cotton dress I saw, and others, for the night, such as the black and white number to the left.

Essentials carries a variety of bags, purses, pocket books, clutches, etc for day and night outings. They come in bright and neutral colors and fabrics from leather to canvas. They carry designer Vera Bradley, among others. Bags come in a variety of sizes, some with quirky drawings or word collages on the front, while others are more chic and simple. In fact they received a glowing review by a happy customer detailing her love for these purses.

An entire section of the store is dedicated to jewelery and they carry Brighton and Pandora. Known largely for their customizable charm bracelets, Pandora is very popular right now. Much of the jewelery inside the store is silver with colored charms.

Essentials Boutique has been in business for seven years and caters to customers looking for chic accessories. The price range has a large gap, with items starting at $2 and going into the $1000's, accounted for by the jewelery. The boutique holds many events to raise money for charities, such as their upcoming event on June 1 which will benefit eradication of lung cancer.

Essentials Boutique is located in South Harbor Plaza at 1350 S.E. 17 St., Fort Lauderdale, FL. To learn more, visit their web site.