However erratic the weather may be lately, spring is actually upon us. You may not be ready to put those winter coats away just yet, because one day it’s nice and warm out and the next day it’s freezing again. Luckily, spring fashion doesn’t necessarily mean that your clothes have to be made out of lightweight material. Instead, spring fashion is characterized predominately by the color of the material and the way the material is worn.
One spring fashion trend that Korin Ludicke, a junior Technical Communications Major, has been seeing and loves is the use of bold, bright colors like hot pinks, bright yellows and tangerines. Also, color-blocking, the act of using bold, solid-color pieces like a cardigan and a skirt, a wrap dress, or a demure one-piece suit, is big this spring. Color-blocking makes simple dressing look glamorous. However, most fashion blogs say to try and stick to three colors so that you don’t run the risk of looking like a rainbow.
Ludicke says, “Big, bold prints seem to be popular with a lot of designer’s spring collections. And polka dots, lots of those.”
Avani Patel, a junior Philosophy Major, thinks “this spring is going to bring in a lot of great things, especially pastel and bright colors, like orange!” She, like Korin, has noticed the growing trend of color-blocking. “It’s a great way to make something simple pop!” said Patel. Patel also has found that “floral/tribal prints are very in this spring as well,” but printed pants seem a little questionable.
For a male’s perspective, Cary Santiago, a senior English Major, has noticed the more popular, fashionable looks are going to be in reds and blues. Cary says, “In GQ [magazine], the primary colors that were displayed were pastel shades of red and blue. Most of the color comes from shirts and sweaters, but they muted these colors with dark jackets and pants.” To add contrast and to highlight the color in the shirts, different colored socks and belts are used.
Inspiration for the up and coming fashion trends come from a variety of places. Magazines such as InStyle, Glamour, Allure, MarieClaire and GQ are great places to find inspiration. There are some fashion blogs/websites that are also helpful. Some of these websites include: cupcakesandcashmere.com, refinery29.com, thesartorialist.com and whowhatwear.com. Another way to find inspiration is to see what other people are wearing. Patel says, “I see people on campus or at the mall wearing a particular type of shoe or dress and if I think it’s cute, I’ll try and find something similar to it.” Cary, on the other hand, says “Instead of just looking at what everyone else is wearing, I try to process the different looks and create my own unique look tailored to various fashions.”
Knowing what’s “in” this season, observing what other people are wearing and utilizing a little bit of creativity creates a sense of style that’s all your own. Own it, work it, love it! Now get out there, good lookin’!
2012 spring fashion: bold, colorful
