Spring Trends: A Sneak Preview to Keep You Warm

As of December 21st, winter has officially begun.  I know some of you are scratching your heads and glaring at your screens, wondering why you've been freezing your bums off for a few months now if winter has just begun, but hey - take that up with the sun.  I also know that the official start of winter can only mean one thing.

It's time to think about your spring wardrobe.

C'mon, humor me here!  It's snowing outside - what else have you got to do but dream about sleeveless shirts and sunshine?

That's what I thought.

Audrey and I had the opportunity to cover Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week for Lifetime Moms back in September, so we were front and center when the Spring 2010 looks made their debut.  We provided coverage of our experience and of some of the individual shows, but since then we haven't taken the time to actually dissect the trends of the spring season.  Since you know as well as I do that swimsuits will begin appearing in the stores within the next month, I thought you might want to know which trends will be hottest for Spring.

1)  Staying Neutral.  Models sashayed down the runway in neutral tones, particutularly in soft dresses with lots of great movement. Dress after dress like the ones above from Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, Christian Siriano (left to right) made their way down the runway.  The focus was on a simple, clean aesthetic which I think will really speak to money-conscious consumers who will find it easier to create a basic look with staples already found in their closet. 

2)  All That Glitters.  There were so many flashing sequins and shimmering looks at Jill Stuart's Spring 2010 Show that I considered donning my sunglasses.  Of course, she wasn't the only one - Philip Lim, Michael Kors, Preen, and Diane von Furstenberg all embraced the use of metallics as well.  It gives new meaning to "Oooh, look!  Shiny thing!" now doesn't it?

3)  Cut It Out - Sheerly You Jest.  I was perched at the tip of the runway for Max Azria and was completely taken by the peek-a-boo look that manifested itself in several forms.  Backs were exposed with well planned slashes that were carefully trimmed in sequins and shimmer, and bits of skin were exposed up each side of otherwise conservative dresses.  Jill Stuart included sheer mesh panels that showed off tummies, legs, and shoulders, and Donna Karan wowed with sheer chiffon.  This trend seemed to be everywhere - we also spotted it at Michael Kors, Chado Ralph Rucci, and Narciso Rodriguez to name just a few.

4)  Seeing Red.  While spring colors are often subdued and soft, it seems that even the most neutral collections included a jolt of red in some form.  Ceriese, pimento, rose - whatever you call it, it was on almost every runway at least once.  Most of the other colors were bright and soft, not bright and bold - so I'm clinging to red this spring as my power color. 

With those four things mentioned, you might be wondering what trends will be sticking around for Spring.  The boyfriend blazer is back for another go-round, so if you haven't invested in one yet, now is the time.  Cinched and belted waistlines are still adding shape to otherwise flowing frocks, so I think tunics will have yet another popular season.  Hardware, which was popular for fall, continued to pop up on studded jackets among other things, while zippers created asymmertrical lines across otherwise predictable tops. 

We can dream about spring 2010 trends all day long, but for now we'll leave it at scratching the surface and wheting your appetite for all of the delicious looks yet to come as we discuss the hottest trends over the next few weeks.