Jessica RothenbergWe had the pleasure of chatting with Jessica Rothenberg, daughter of Harold Rothenberg, owner of Hersh's in West Bloomfield, Michigan. She shared everything from her personal style to her must-have pieces for Spring 2015!

{SS}: What's your current position at Hersh's, and what led you to where you are now? 

{Jessica}: I'm currently a sales person, and I’m also in charge of the store's social media. I graduated from the University of Michigan with English and Political Science degrees, and my plan was to attend law school, but I wasn’t really invested in that. So, I decided to go back to school for teaching because I've always loved kids and working with them. It just so happened that Rear Ends needed help at the store, and considering I occasionally helped out at my dad's store, they asked if I wanted to work two weekends. I said yes, and I ended up loving it. I worked there part time while in school.Hersh's logoThat was really the turning point for me. I realized how much I enjoyed retail, and nothing else compared to how much fun I had working in a clothing store. It’s so important to get up and enjoy what you do every day. If you can love what you do and be successful, that's the greatest gift. I think deep down I always loved retail. I definitely love shopping, clothes and dressing people. My college friends told me I was crazy for wanting to do anything but retail and that I was meant to do it. But it wasn’t until I was working at a store that I realized how much fun it was.Jessica with her family.

{SS}: What do you love most about your job?

{Jessica}: My favorite part of my job is when UPS arrives. There's nothing more exciting than opening up a big box of clothes and seeing all of the fresh, new styles daily. What really keeps my job exciting is working with different people every day. Our customers are like our family, and it's so much fun to talk to and dress them.

{SS}: Hersh's sells a great selection of contemporary brands. Which ones do you love most?

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{Jessica}: My absolute favorite brands right now are One Grey Day, Kokun and Autumn Cashmere. One Grey Day made the most amazing, unique sweaters this season, and I've had to take a few of the styles home — especially the fringe sweaters. I've always been obsessed with Kokun; they make sweaters that are a blend of bamboo and cashmere. Not only are they cute, but they are the softest and most comfortable sweaters around. I also love Autumn Cashmere's amazing sweaters. They’re youthful and fun, and I get so many compliments every time I put one on.Autumn Cashmere sweater

{SS}: What are your favorite products currently in the store?  

{Jessica}: I would have to start with the 360 Sweater cashmere pant. I look forward to nights when my friends want to see movies because I think they are the cutest casual pant to wear out. I love that I can dress them up with a T-shirt and denim blouse and put on booties or sneakers. I throw them on just to lounge around the house, too.  The next thing that I absolutely love right now is the Kokun double-layer stripe v-neck. It's in my favorite fabric —need I say more?

Screen Shot 2014-12-11 at 10.05.03 PM{SS}: What are your favorite new pieces and your must-haves for Spring 2015? 

{Jessica}: The new MarcCain lace, fitted spandex shirt is a total head turner. It's the perfect piece to have in your wardrobe for spring and through the year. I think it looks so great with a cuffed girlfriend jean and pointed-toe metallic pumps or even nude sandals. It's the perfect laying piece. I would love it under a white blazer, or even with a skirt for spring showers and luncheons. We have it in both pale pink and ivory. I'm partial to the pale pink — it's the perfect subtle pop of color.

My absolute must-have look for spring is fringe, and nothing compares to the McGuire denim, fringe jacket. Fringe is the trend to wear right now, and I think a fringe jacket is the most accessible way to wear it. You can make it edgy with loud prints or dress it down with jeans. The best part about this piece is it looks just as fab with boots in the fall, so it takes you through to the next season. I'm the biggest advocate for a jean jacket. There isn’t an outfit that a jean jacket won’t look great with. It dresses down your dressiest of clothes and makes them more wearable, and it gives a pop to a plain tee and jeans. This fringe denim jacket is to die for. It adds the prefect dose of cool to any ensemble.

Why is it that when I need a dress, I can never find what I’m looking for? Well, I recently learned the hard way: if you see a great, classic dress, then definitely invest! This navy MarcCain mesh dress is stunning. It's the perfect dress for a shower, luncheon or even Saturday night dinner. I love great dresses because they’re effortless. You don’t have to think about putting together a whole outfit — you can just slip on a dress and feel great. This is one of those dresses that I'm just in awe over. It's perfect, and it's Olivia Palermo at NYFWnot black!I also love the beautiful, artistic print scarves by Franco Farrari. They're airy and lightweight — perfect for spring!

{SS}: What's your style archetype?

{Jessica}: Romantic chic (shop it here!).

{SS}: Who inspires your style?

{Jessica}: I think Olivia Palermo is a style goddess. She knows how to mix prints and dress to perfection. There's no one who wears clothes like her.

{SS}: What are a few items in your "Styleshack" (aka closet) that you can't live without? 

{Jessica}: I couldn't, and wouldn't, live without my Rag and Bone blazers. They get me through almost every occasion. I can dress them up or wear them casually with a T-shirt and jeans. I absolutely love the fit, and they have a little bit of edginess to them that I adore. I also couldn't survive without my Eberjey pajamas! I'm a huge fan of dressing cute for yourself, and there's nothing better than going to sleep in a cute pajama set.Eberjey pajamas

{SS}: Do you have a signature accessory?

{Jessica}: I have a diamonds-by-the-yard necklace that I couldn't live without. It almost never comes off my neck, and it looks great with everything. It's just a classic piece, and it was a special birthday gift from my grandparents, which makes it even better!

{SS}: What blogs do you love to read?SomethingNavy

{Jessica}: The only blog I frequent is Perez Hilton. I'm a huge celebrity gossip queen and love getting my daily updates. As far as fashion, I prefer to follow bloggers on their Instagram accounts. My favorite is SomethingNavy. She has amazing taste, and she always looks so effortlessly fabulous.

{SS}: What are your favorite local restaurants?

{Jessica}: I could eat at Phoenicia daily. The food there is always phenomenal. My next favorite is Luxe in Birmingham. If you haven’t tried their veggie burger, you're missing out. My little secret is instead of chicken, put it in their chop salad. It's to die for!

{SS}: What are you currently reading? 

{Jessica}: I’m constantly reading. I'm really into what I call “beach reads” — something you don’t have to think about and can just sit back, relax and enjoy. I just finished KA Linde’s The Record Series. It was romantic, playful and fun.

{SS}: What are your words to live by?

In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.

A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.

-Coco Chanel

 Check out some of the newest pieces from Hersh's on their Styleshack page!

Hersh's Styleshack page