Friday, March 2, 2012

Spring Essentials 2012

I am still here! I have been busy with reading and research and wanted to have a worthy topic before posting. Yesterday I broke my cycle long enough to make a brief shopping trip with a friend. Although, I have submerged myself in trade magazines the past month nothing quite brings fashion to life like a little mall air. Some were small and seemingly insignificant ideas, but just touching the fabrics and observing the garments first hand, I realized I have a lot to potentially talk about for spring. Let’s look a simple grouping of pieces to announce your arrival to Spring 2012! 

Colored Jeans! 
Women’s Health Magazine featuring BCBG jeans

Those of us in our late twenties and up just thought we wriggled out of our last pair of colored jeans in the eighties...“they’re back”...Since your phobia just might show your age lets look at some ways to jump on this trend as if we had not already done it once before. 

First of all, this is a “trend” that means this look cycles in and out of fashion, and yes, this is your wake-up call if you have been wearing brightly colored or unconventional prints on your pants since the eighties and you are now coming back in-style. Please take trends for what they are...cyclical. This all being said use your better financial discretion when purchasing trendy items for your wardrobe. I will never discourage a worthwhile investment piece or a splurge (even a trend splurge) for a special occasion if it is something you have budgeted for. 

If you can wear juniors sizes and feel comfortable doing so save some money and find an inexpensive pair of colored jeans at a store such as Forever XXI 

If you have a bit more expendable income and are more concerned about trying the trend, but doing so age appropriately Chico’s has some more entry level colored jeans cut for more of a baby boomer and up body style. For everyone else any of your mall stores ranging in price points will have this trend readily available. 

We discussed the Spring Color Trend Forecast last post. Choose a few colors from that trend report before you set out to buy your jeans. By choosing a forecasted color you will be able to find pieces in multiple store throughout the remainder of the season that will go with the jean color you chose. 

Choose a color you are comfortable wearing. If your personality is not to draw attention to yourself there are several pretty blush tones and aquas. If you have small children, as my friend I spoke of does, choose a darker color to prevent sticky handprints and colored drool. Just because you have a lot of a certain color in your closet does not mean you should choose that color. You would quite possibly be better off choosing a color that compliments your most dominant color so you have many potential pieces to wear your jeans with. A perfect pairing for the colored jeans is often a neutral top as shown below in David Kahn’s 2012 look book 

Color Blocking! 
Alice-Olivia Resort 2012
Yes, there are probably more ways to make a mess of this trend than to do it well, but thankfully you can walk into most stores this spring to find the designers have done all the work for you. Opt for a dress... 

Here are some varieties at Express.

Prints! 

As always, I would encourage you to push your comfort levels, but not to the point of appearing uncomfortable. A huge variety of printed fabrics and garments in many different styles from floral to graphic will be available this spring. Choose one that suits you best. 

Unusual Pairings! 
Buffalo - David Bitton

This is a slippery slope to tread. Therefore, I will do my best with helpful advice. Let me offer the suggestion to shop with a friend that has a good color eye or seek advice from knowledgable sales staff. 

Let us first begin with color pairings, which could really be included in the color blocking segment. You want to define one piece as the dominant color (red pants, shown above) and the other as the passive (light orange, shown above). Notice the red shoe reinforces the dominance of the pant and is also in closest proximity to the pant keeping the bottom half continuous. If a red shoe were not available a nude shoe would be the next best choice. It would not interfere with the presented colors and would lengthen the leg. Stay within the same color family. The orange is next to red on the color wheel, as is pink. The difficulties you may find is that not all oranges or pinks look all that great with red. Be careful, be choosy. 

If you are mixing prints again, look for a dominant and passive print. You may start with a more traditional print paired with a more trendy print. Finding colors that pair nicely or a common color thread in both pieces will help. 

I hope I have given you some insight and courage to try some of the 2012 Spring trends!

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