Shaping the new season

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Fashion

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As the season changes, I am enjoying watching the new styles trickle into the shops.

Whether or not I intend to buy, it is exciting to see the new shapes, styles and looks refreshing the fashion scene at the end of a long winter.

This spring-summer is one of diversity and contrasts, meaning there is going to be something to appeal to just about everyone.

Ladylike and retrospective: The new season's ladylike is a little bit 1950s, with floral prints, cardigans and neat separates. If I had the figure for it, I'd be angling for a pretty, full-skirted dress in a bold, floral print. Spots and stripes, in classical colour combinations such as navy and white, are also apparent. To make the look really work for you, try combining your ladylike pieces with red lipstick, pearls and a coiffed updo.

Pastels and neutrals: Sheer fabrics, such as chiffon and silk, in combination with lace and a soft colour palette, make for a strong boudoir-inspired fashion moment. While top-to-toe pastels aren't for everyone, pairing gently coloured pieces with light denim or pure white is a way to introduce this trend into your wardrobe. Remember that pastels can be warm, cool or neutral in hue. Choosing the right colour base for your skin, eye and hair colour will help prevent a washed-out appearance that pastels sometimes create.

Lace: Lace has a bit of a seedy reputation, but it need not. The contemporary take on lace is a sophisticated way to add glamour and sensuality – without revealing too much skin – day and night. Look to international fashion house Prada for inspiration, or New Zealand's Kate Sylvester for ideas on how to make lace look sophisticated. Be wary of lower-priced chain-store garments in lace. Cheap lace generally looks it.

Boyfriend and grunge: You know you're getting older when trends re-emerge from your teenage and early university years. This time, the 1990s grunge trend is more about relaxed tailoring, and elements adapted from menswear, like tartan shirts and Doc Marten boots. To keep modern grunge from looking sloppy, make sure your choices fit well, and add a hint of femininity, such as high heels or a partly visible lacy camisole.

Minimalism: I'm loving the recent shift towards minimalism. While not all designers are doing it, simple lines, neutral colour, classic accessories and tailored shapes do seem to be creeping back in. The direction is a welcome alternative to the 1980s influences of late, such as fluoro colours, exaggerated and/or "worked" shoulder details.

Bold prints: Art-inspired bold, bright, regular and irregular prints and patterns are a fashion direction challenging all others. Colours are bright and anything but traditional. As designers experiment with modern textile manufacturing and dying techniques, including advancements in digital technologies, a whole new generation of prints is surfacing.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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