Breaking out of your winter clothing routine is always exciting – and liberating. Since you no longer have to adjust to winter’s weather tantrums, you can shove the heavy boots to the back of the closet and let style – rather than function – reign.
As with any season, there’s a trend for everyone in spring 2011. Whether your personal taste is conservative or a little more adventurous, you’ll want to find space in your wardrobe for the designs that marched down the runways. Luckily, many of the trends are making their way onto the Web, where you can find discounts.
As you gear up for a stylish spring, keep these trends from the spring 2011 runways in mind.
* Glam neutrals – A camel trench is timeless, but many designers chose to play on its classic tones and elegant styling. Other shades have moved into new neutral territory, like the muted olives and golds at Elie Tahari, where good dashes of white and chambray blue also popped up. Donna Karan’s serene collection of strictly desert-toned dresses, skirts and shirts managed to find the perfect balance between elegant and rumpled – a sort of nonchalance that made everything look very comfortable and easy to wear.
* Prints – Designers were showing a major playful streak, bringing out bold patterns in bolder colors. Miu Miu‘s saturated bright colors blended with kaleidoscopic prints and bold details that called pop art to mind, but other designers took a totally different tack. At Rochas, prints varied from folkloric pastels that recalled Swedish country décor to painterly florals that would look right at home on vintage dresses from the late 1950s. The key message? Don’t be afraid to be bold – and to mix it up.
* Punk – If your inner rocker has been looking for a way out, this is the season to let her shine. Leather, holes and studs all had their place in some of the most-anticipated shows of the season. Balenciaga‘s interpretation was perhaps the most elegant and unusual, melding feminine details like lace, paillettes and sheer printed fabrics (another huge trend this season) with tough touches like shiny black pants and velvet rocker boots. Burberry Prorsum was awash in leather details and biker jackets and Balmain’s patterned skinny pants and tons of safety pins made an unabashed punk rock statement.
* ’70s – You don’t need to feather your hair, but re-evaluating the beauty of ’70s style should be on your spring to-do list. Flowing silks and flared jeans are on the hot list, and offer a fun alternative to skinny jeans and stiff fabrics. Marc Jacobs’ runway was almost ’70s drag, but items like a red, halter-neck dress with a gold breastplate and billowy off-the-shoulder dresses still had enough modern sensibility to feel fresh. Other characteristic looks, like peasant blouses and floor-length maxi dresses also showed up on runways from Fendi to Ferragamo.
As the weather warms up, add bits and pieces that reflect the top trends of the season – and revel in the fact that you no longer have to bury your style under winter layers.