Spring Ahead in Style
By Julia Chance, Special to AOL BlackVoices
White-hot ensembles, beautiful bouquets, tribal touches, metallic-glazed fabrics and beautifully bold colors rule the runways this spring. Give your warm weather wardrobe a stylish boost with these exciting new trends.
Bright Whites
From crisp suits to soft, flowing dresses, versatile white is this season's new black. It comes clean and casual in classic sportswear looks like Luella Bartley's trim polo shirt worn with full-cut trousers, or fun and sporty like Y-3's short-sleeved jacket -- with track-suit-style ribbing at the elbows -- teamed with a matching skirt and lace-up Adidas'. Pretty white dresses abound, either chic and simple or replete with frou-frou frills such as ruffles, lace, embroidery or beading. One of the season’s white-hot winners are sleek, figure-flattering pantsuits, like those by Chado Ralph Rucci and Kenneth Cole, which give white a cool and sophisticated edge.
Vivid Vibrations
On the other end of the fashion spectrum, color is at an all-time high. Sunburst yellow, tangy orange, dreamy turquoise and pretty coral are all part of the palette that lend a lively punch to standard black, white, denim and khaki.
Modern Metallics
Silver and gold, bronze and copper -- these cool metals are hot for spring and glints of them can be seen on everything from Nicole Miller's lean gilded overcoat to Phat Farm's gleaming silver tote. Newer still are the many metallic-tinged colors seen in many of this season's styles, such as Tuleh's electric-blue coat or Narciso Rodriguez’s sheer, white sheath with glistening ivory stripes.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Multitiered skirts, Middle Eastern style tunics, gauzy dresses, crocheted camisoles and bejeweled flats are all part of this eclectic mix. These types of free-spirited looks elevate old-world flavor to a modern level. Take Etro's off-the-shoulder peasant top paired with a colorful print skirt with a crochet overlay, for example, or Catherine Malandrino's diaphanous take on the classic caftan. Jean Paul Gaultier took his gypsy looks to excessive proportion with long-layered skirts of swirling color and silky headband scarves. For everyday, it's best to limit this look to one or two elements to keep it interesting but neat.
Afro Chic
The motherland is the inspiration for some of this season's most exciting styles. Vibrant colors, bold prints and patterns, and lots of chunky jewelry, made from natural elements like wood, shell and precious stones, were runway hits here and abroad. Some looks are literal interpretations, like Roberto Cavalli's long, sleeveless mask print dress with fringed bottom. Others are subtle, like Daryl K.'s short, cinched tunic dress in mud-cloth-inspired print. Wild kingdom animal prints -- zebra, tiger, giraffe and leopard -- show up on everything from jackets to bathing suits, and lively tribal prints give prim shirt dresses and skirts a hip edge. But the big news is safari jackets, in a variety of fabrics, paired with pants, skirts and shorts or lean and sexy pedal pushers.
Flower Power
Spring is blooming with lots of floral possibilities for some of the most feminine looks around. Behnaz Sarafpour showed Asian-inspired silk dresses with brilliant buds, and Tracy Reese embellished her ladylike skirts, cardigans and jacket-and-dress ensembles with lots of lush petals. Betsey Johnson's bright blue strapless party dress is cinched with big pink satin roses along the skirt. When flowers aren't the main attraction, they're turning up as lovely accents -- think floral printed handbags, shoes, sun hats and scarves, or a single silk flower pinned to a lapel.
About the Author
Julia Chance is a Brooklyn-based writer, and author of 'Sisterfriends: Portraits of Sisterly Love.' She is ecstatic that spring has finally sprung, and can't wait to sport the season's new looks.