Spring has sprung! The season of growing things and warmer weather officially started March 20, and that means spring clothes and new trends from the spring 2014 runways. Visit your favorite boutique or store and you’ll see racks filled with this season’s hottest styles. Here are just a few of what’s on trend this year. Next up: my real favorite – shoes!
Cutouts
Geometric and edgy cutouts are all the rage on everything from laser-cut leathers and metal accents. Shoes and bags also sported mesh-like (but not locker room type!) cutouts and I kinda like the look!
J. Mendel
Crop Tops
I hope you’ve been doing your sit-ups and core work all winter because full-on stomach baring is perhaps this spring’s hottest look. Clearly not for everyone or for every age, but if you’re young and in shape, pair yours with anything from summer pants to high-wasted skirts to cuffed shorts.
Elle
Mexico
Styles go south of the border on this one, as fiesta-friendly “cantina” fashion incorporates ruffles and embroidery in a whole new and modern way. Ole!
Tennis Sweaters
No, I’m not talking a head-to-toe 80’s country club look, 2014’s version is a much more updated preppy look. To avoid the “I’m from Connecticut” appearance, be sure to keep the rest of your outfit modern and current.
Rag & Bone
White on White
Now here’s where you should think head-to-toe but as Elle magazine warns us, there’s a fine line between tasteful monochromatic and looking like the Michelin Man! You may think matching your whites is a must, but it’s not. In fact, it’s advised not to wear all the same shade. If it still horrifies to think of an all-white outfit, consider changing up the color with your shoes, opting for anything but white.
Calvin Klein
Marbling
Swirly motifs are fun for this spring, but be careful. I’m thinking they may be a short-lived trend so don’t invest too much in them! As with any busy print, keep the rest of your outfit simple.
Peter Som Stella McCartney
Modern Prints and Florals
Using striking, springy colors, designers have updated your basic plaid and Victorian styles with dynamic new takes on the classics. In fact, many of the florals are being called “art prints” because they look like works of art.
Style Voyager
Watercolor
Riding right along the “art” wave is one I’m obsessed with: watercolor inspired fashion. Both creative and artistic in both subtle and bold brushstrokes, these vibrant markings are both feminine and fun!
Sabo Elizabeth & James Alice + Olivia
Sheer Paneling
See through pieces can be sexy but make sure you have the body to expose certain parts of it! Thankfully this season, the trend isn’t skin tight. I love the strategic use of sheer paneling on T-shirts, skirts, and even evening wear, but nothing ruins the look more than the wrong body type sporting them. Remember: just because something fits doesn’t mean you should wear it!
Krizia Lacoste Marc Jacobs
Stripes
I love stripes but I’m not loving the trend of pairing them with prints or plaids. Ew! Tory Burch instead suggests mixing the scales of your stripes for optical contrast while others advise candy colored striping instead of the requisite nautical blue and white.
M. Kors T. Burch A. Ferretti
Fringe
No, we’re not going back in time; we’re employing the current year’s take on fringe. It’s soft and delicate and anything but western!
Netaporter
Logos
This is one trend I’m not too keen on, but it’s out there so I’ll share it. Blatant branding is everywhere and it seems the bigger the better. Eh.
Alexander Wang rocks three trends: logo, crop, and mesh
Blue
Expect to see lots of blue this spring, especially in denim and chambray. It’s important to know the difference: denim is woven diagonally while the lighter chambray has a crisscross weave. I’m a big fan of chambray on both men and women. Stock up, this is a trend that will probably never go out of style. In fact, to me it’s really not even a trend!
D.Karan R. Taylor V. Beard
Purple Reign
Another color that you’ll see everywhere this spring is orchid, as it’s been chosen “The Official Color of 2014” by Pantone, the leading color brand and trend-caller. Actually “Radiant Orchid” is the official name of the spectrum that includes pinks and purples and that was all over the spring 2014 runways. A soft change from last spring’s vibrant emerald green, the warm color incorporates “a harmony of fuchsia, purple and pink undertones” according to a Pantone spokesperson. Those pinks also have rules though, ranging from blush to anything but shy or baby-like.
Fashion Lady
Here’s to packing away the jackets and sweaters and bringing out the short sleeves and sundresses!
Beyond Words 