Put away your heavy sweaters and wool pants—spring fashion is here!
About this time of year you’ve probably grown tired of bulky sweaters that just make you feel bumpy and oversized. Thankfully, it’s time to replace those fuzzy frocks with spring threads that are sure to brighten your mood after a harsh winter season. We wanted to help make your shopping a little easier by shining a spotlight on some of the trends for the spring season.
This year has been dubbed “the year of the dress.” From wrap dresses to mini-dresses, you can’t go wrong with a fun, flirty dress. Buy a basic wrap dress and open up a world of possibilities. Pair it with a cardigan and flats for a brisk spring day or for a casual day at the office and then dress it up with some flashy jewelry and heels for a night out on the town.
The trapeze dress is another style that you can easily take from casual to classy. Trapeze dresses have a square, fitted neckline above the bust and then float into an airy flare-out below. These versatile shape-shifters can easily become show stoppers when paired with some of this season’s chunky jewelry. If you want to make a trapeze dress more contoured to your figure, belt the middle for a blousy effect.
Think you’re too old for the mini-dress trend? Or are your legs still too pale from being locked away all winter? If you’re scared to expose so much leg so early in the season, you can still pull off one of these short dresses by pulling them—tunic-style—over jeans or leggings. Keep this look in proportion by choosing skinny or bootcut jeans as opposed to ones with more flared bottoms otherwise you’ll end up looking wide from head to toe.
If you’re one of those women who wouldn’t touch the skinny jeans, you’re going to love this season. While skinny and straight-leg jeans are still the rage, bootcut jeans are kicking their way to the forefront. According to Danielle Pflederer of Azura boutique, “The great thing about bootcut jeans is that a majority of women look good in them.”
And this season, wave farewell to pants that are worn so low they’re almost X-rated. Jade Venovich, owner of Belle Mie boutique in Junction City, says high-waisted, wide-leg trousers will be walking over the howlow- can-you-go pants of previous years.
If you tuned in to the Grammy Awards this year, you were probably blinded by all of the shiny, metallic garments melting down the red carpet. Metallics can be difficult to tone down, especially in an everyday setting, so keep them to a minimum. At night, have fun with silver and gold clothing, but make sure not to go overboard. Stick with metallic accessories in the daytime—like metallic belts, bags, purses or shoes—but, of course, don’t wear them all at the same time.
As the plants bloom with brighter colors this spring, so will the clothes. Bright colors are pushing over pastels as the must-have color palates of the season. According to Pflederer, if you love color, this is the time for you. Add a burst of fun to neutral and black outfits by pairing them with vibrant reds, yellows, pinks, blues or greens. Sure, solid-color tops are great for basics, but take a walk on the wild side this season with crazy prints. Whether they’re retro or animal—like a leopard design—prints rev up the playfulness of any outfit. Try to choose only one printed piece; because unless it’s a dress, wearing a print from head to toe—or worse, mixing and matching prints—can get you killed in the fashion kingdom. “It’s ok to do any color print you want,” Pflederer said. “For the women who still like pastels for spring, there are a lot of prints with soft pinks or browns.”
Bags are going to extremes on the shelves this season—from the tiny, almost clutch-sized, to the suitcase-sized carry-all. Tote your tiny purses at night when all you need is lipstick, mints and a credit card. And lug your oversized bags—and half of your life—around during the day and to work. The great thing about the big bags is that they not only function as a purse but can double as a stylish briefcase—carrying everything you need for the office.
According to Pflederer, big and chunky jewelry rules this season. However, she says many people overdo it with “matchy-matchy” jewelry. She assures women that it’s ok to wear accessories that don’t completely match each other.
“It’s ok (for them not to match), just as long as there’s something about them that goes together!” Pflederer said. Genuine stones will be the centerpieces of most jewelry, with turquoise, amber and other opaque stones working their way into necklaces, earrings and bracelets, Venovich said.
Bad hair day? No problem this season. From ultraskinny to super-wide to embellished, headbands can save both your hairdo and your style. You can also get the same effect of a headband by rolling up your favorite scarves and cinching them around your mane. And, if you think that your locks should soak up some sun with the warmer days of spring, think again. “Brown is the new blonde,” said Raylene Resler, owner of Raylene’s Total Salon Concepts. “We’re seeing a lot more brown highlights instead of the usual blonde.” Hair this season is going to rebound with browns now having more of the fun including coppers, chestnuts and chocolates. And opting for three colors of highlights instead of the usual two colors, this season gives the highlight look a funky feel. Hair is following a more modern trend this spring as short bobs and shags are cropping up. But for those transitioning to a more natural, bohemian-style, waves and long, tousled trendils are also traipsing their way onto runways.
For makeup, softer colors are making a bold statement. Resler says that we’ll be seeing a lot of pinks and golds this season. Remember, just because the fashion magazines say something is hot right now, your personal style is always in fashion. If it doesn’t look good on your body type, or you don’t feel comfortable in it, don’t wear it.
“It’s really about your own personal style,” Pflederer said. “Pick and choose the things that you like and that look good on your body.” tpw
