Judging from the spring 2011 trend reports, you never would have guessed that New York, London and Paris just went through a season of being hit by brutal winter storms. From hyper colors to crazy prints, there's plenty to shake you out of your seasonal winter drab. Sexy '70s glamour made a return to runways with wide-leg pants, platforms, midi- and maxi-length skirts and slinky jersey dresses—in addition to bold prints, bright colors, sheer, a true-waisted silhouette and dolman sleeves. That’s not to mention the season’s citrus sorbet color palette. We are seeing a warming trend!
Hyper Color
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| Christian Dior |
There hasn't been a season in which fashion has wrapped its arms around color like it has for Spring. Designers embraced a plethora of colors, including poppy citrus hues, teal and electric blues.
"Color blocking will also carry over, and it's nice to see color back – like cobalt and green," said Noelle Cellini, owner and personal stylist of My Best Foot Forward.
Taking note of the rich colors that ran the runway, Wemi Opakunle, designer, stylist and wardrobe consultant, says cobalt blue and emerald green made their mark, along with marigold and burnt orange (Hook 'Em!). While black may have dominated the runway in many collections, bursts of vibrant colors couldn’t be missed.
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| Marc Jacobs |
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| Jil Sanders |
Colin T. McDonald, celebrity/fashion stylist and commentator says, “Rich and bold color patterns showed up a lot and are great in adding a bit of flair to any look. Marc displayed this beautifully in his Marc by Marc Jacobs collection.”
To get more of a bold ‘70s-style fashion, find a floppy hat. For more formal occasions, a fabulous mini dress with velvet detailing or halter maxi dress is so chic, so ‘70s.
Midi is the Message
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| Calvin Klein Collection |
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| Chloé |
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| Rodarte |
The calf-length skirt may cover up more, but it's endlessly feminine and pretty. With the return of ladylike dressing, it is definitely the time to invest in this new hemline.
Three-quarter-length skirts are on the rise everywhere from Calvin Klein Collection to Rodarte. They can either be second-skin tight, or pleated, sheer fabrics that flow as you walk.
The midi skirt is another ‘70s resurgence staple for the spring. Whether the skirt is patterned or not, try a printed top tucked into any one of these skirts and you’ve got an instant hit.
Prints Revolution
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| Prada |
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| Given |
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| Mary Katrantzou |
Mixing bold prints can be something totally unexpected and cool. This season, the designers went bananas (literally, in Miuccia Prada's case) for quirky patterns this season.
Some eclectic pattern combinations included flora, fauna, fruita—you name it, they printed it. Leopard, python, and polka dots ruled at the runway. On the wilder side, models wore houses and quotes on their backs for Mary Katrantzou and Marco Zanini.
A top comprised of a sophisticated blend of patterns will be a key standout item in your wardrobe come this spring. Worn loose and flowy, cinched into a waistband or layered with another top for extreme mix and match style, multi-pattern tops are sure to be trendy.
Wear the Pants
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| Derek Lam |
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| Michael Kors |
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| Zac Posen |
Tailored trousers were also a focus this season. Piled on in a delightfully messy way, louche menswear seemed to have a cool, undone appeal.
At Derek Lam, a high waist and relaxed leg were in step with the seventies trend, while at Michael Kors, it was all about borrowing from the boys. The whole collected, queen of the world- swagger that oozes from this trend is perfection.
Wide-leg pants are not only incredibly comfortable and cool when it’s warm out, but they are also one of this season’s signature pieces. These pants are perfect for mix-and-matching and are an easy, different way to dress up this spring.
Sources:
Noelle Cellini, owner and personal stylist of My Best Foot Forward, located in Chicago
Also this weekend, the Domain played host to Simon Fashion Now, a yearly event in which Simon Malls around the country hold runway shows to highlight the upcoming trends for the season. The fashion at a mall show is obviously not supposed to intrigue and inspire your wardrobe creativity, but rather to inspire you to buy these wearable items. Everything that walked the runway was safe and well put together. This was definitely different from your usual outrageous couture runway shows, which was good but slightly boring. However, the biggest difference between a big corporate fashion show compared to the spontaneous local Austin shows is that the models are professional and actually know how to walk the runway. The Simon Fashion Now show gave you a real look at what trends we can expect to see in stores right now and in the next couple of months. According to these shows, it looks like bright colors, color blocking, crochet tops and floppy beach hats are in for summer.
