thelittlegoldmix

Now that “Fashion Month” is coming to a close, and the mountains of snow outside our windows are finally beginning to melt, I am totally itching to start breaking out spring outfits. Like most of us, for me as a teacher, obviously a total wardrobe overhaul each new season is not in the cards– plus, I’m a strong believer in not being a slave to trends, and that REAL personal style comes from mixing new pieces with old favorites, picking which trends are actually wearable and workable for real life, and finding runway-inspired pieces that fit into a “back row at Fashion Week” budget.

Below is my list of key looks and trends that I’m excited to work into my wardrobe this Spring, and that you can jump on now!

1. Gingham, Plaid’s less grungy, sweeter cousin:

Both looks above: Oscar De La Renta Spring 2015

Since plaid has been around for a couple seasons now, everywhere from Alexander Wang to Forever 21, it’s nice to see a fresh iteration of the checkered pattern coming into play this spring.  Gingham tends to have a country-ish, sweet and feminine feeling attached to it, so in order to temper this, look for pieces in non-traditional shapes or sharper, more architechtual and modern cuts so that it doesn’t read to “square dance”.

2. 70s Revival: Suede and Fringe

Alberta Feretti Spring 2015

Isabel Marant Spring 2015

Chloe Spring 2015

Chloe Spring 2015

As any fashion girl what her favorite sartorial decade is, and chances are, she will list the 1970s among her top three.  1970s style was marked by a sense of easy glamour, unlike the following decade, the 1980s, which was definitely “glamorous” but in a WAY more contrived, over-the-top way.  70s style is full of awesome textures (my favorites!) — fur, suede, leather, fringe, corduroy, denim– and in a saturated, sophisticated color palette in a mix of rich pastels and autumnal shades like gold, auburn and the avocado green ubiquitous to couches in every parent’s basement (but way cooler).

Leather and colored leather pieces have been a mainstay in every fashionable girl’s arsenal for a few seasons now as well, so seeing suede coming down the Spring runways was a super exciting and refreshing way to update textures in our wardrobes (don’t worry though, leather and faux leather pieces have achieved cornerstone status, so keep using them!).  I have a few suede skirts, jackets and even tops that I’ve been keeping my eye on…If a full on suede piece of clothing feels too much for you, try bringing the fabric into your mix with shoes.  Extra style points for colored suede, particularly in one of the dreamy pastel shades like the ones featured on the Chloe and Alberta Feretti runways. Extra-Extra points (we teachers love giving extra credit!) for suede AND fringe– I’ve already chronicled my love of the fashion tassels in a previous post– If there’s one thing you must pick up this season, make it a fun fringe piece!

3. Pastels

Stella McCartney Spring 2015

Chanel Couture Spring 2015

Giambattista Valli Spring 2015

Temperley London Spring 2015

Pastels are still going strong for this Spring; in fact, they are becoming a year-round style staple, just shifting in the form of texture and material from season to season.  What I love about fashion can be summed up in looking at how pastels made a resurgence– a few years ago, pastel colors were synonymous with old ladies from Florida (no offense, old ladies from Florida), your mother’s pre-reno bathroom, and the Easter hat you despised being forced to wear as a kid.  There is a sense of irony in all the best trends in fashion; maybe its because the creative types who run the fashion world tend to be rebels at heart, and like turning the expected into the unexpected– either way, pastels in the form of rich, creamy, candy colored saturated goodness, continue to be a major trend.  Again, like I discussed above in the gingham piece, pastels are best worn in not-so-obvious ways– sharp cuts, edgy pieces, or paired with the unexpected, like sneakers, booties, or sporty sandals.

4)  Distressed jeans & Denim in Unexpected Ways:

Chloe Spring 2015

Rebecca Minkoff Spring 2015

R

Roberto Cavalli Spring 2015

J.Crew Spring 2015

There is nothing more classic American than denim, when it comes to style.  By now, every girl has at least 5 pairs of various types of jeans in their wardrobes (5 is probably a VERY low estimate lol), a denim jacket, and possibly a denim mini skirt from Abercrombie & Fitch leftover from college in the early 2000s (no shame).  To keep your denim arsenal current, I’d pick up a few new denim pieces for spring, some in forms you may not have considered before. A denim dress is tops on my fashion wishlist right now, one that is not tight (too Britney 2001), nor too embellished– something simple, possibly a shift dress, or pinafore style…maybe with some light embroidery if I’m feeling a little 70s, which I probably will be…

Denim rompers and overalls may not be for everyone…however, they are definitely for me! I love that they are completely unexpected and fun– perfect for casual brunches, spring and summer days at flea markets or on day trips…I love that you can dress them up with heels, make them edgy with booties, or sporty with sneakers.  Lastly, on the denim front, if you are looking to pick up some new jeans– distressed, particularly jeans with knee slits, is the way to go.  Again, this has a lot to do with fashion’s obsession with texture and irony- pairing the unexpected with the classic; surprising people with a more rebellious or boyish side, in contrast to other more feminine or streamlined parts of your look.

5) Accessories: Bucket bags, Mirrored Sunglasses, Mules, Pointed Toes, and Pearls

Gucci Spring 2015

Mansur Gavriel Spring 2015

Saint Laurent Spring 2015

Charlotte Ronson Spring 2015

Proenza Schouler Spring 2015

Tory Burch Spring 2015

Stella McCartney Spring 2015

Lanvin Spring 2015

Chanel Spring 2015

Lanvin Spring 2015

Accessories are the easiest and most cost-efficient way to update your personal mix– these are my personal favorites, and the ones I believe have the biggest impact on making your current wardrobe feel current (and good news– you probably already own a few of these!)

• The Bucket Bag: Feeling right at home with the 70s trend currently dominating fashion, the resurgence of the easy breezy bucket bag carry all was a no-brainer.  What’s cool about these bags are their simplicity in style, easy drawstring closure, and sturdy bottoms–not to mention that these are pretty easy to score in a vintage store, or even your mom’s closet.  If vintage isn’t your thing, there are tons of affordable bucket bag options in a range of materials and sizes in all our favorite stores right now.
• The Mule: Mules are kind of like the awkward, quirky, kind of dorky but cool member of the shoe family– are they a sandal? A shoe? Sporty? Feminine? A little 90s and a little 70s at the same time, mules are back in a big way, and run the gamut from heavily detailed, like the fringe and color blocked ones from Tory Burch and Proenza Schouler above, to minimalistic, architectural pairs from Vince and Phillip Lim.  I like mules best paired with distressed denim.
• Mirrored Sunglasses: Sun-glass styles tend to evolve at a much slower pace than the rest of fashion; most styles work forever and are considered classics with good reason: aviators, wayfarers, round styles, cat-eyes, over-sized… we all have these, and they all continue to still work.  However, if you want to update your sunnies collection to feel super NOW, mirrored ones are the way to go.  What I like most about them is that they bring color and life to any outfit, even the most casual…for example, yesterday, while running errands, I wore a simple grey sweatshirt from Zara, black leggings and a black leather jacket– but my new Wildfox mirrored sunnies made it feel like more than a lazy Saturday look!
• Pointed Toe shoes: These aren’t really a new trend, in any way, and have been dominating the fashion world as the sophisticated shoes shape of choice for a few years now.  They continue to rule, this season, new in the form of flats, brogues and loafers– super sharp with a pointed toe, often in a shiny patent or metallic color.
• Pearls: Not your grandmother’s sweet sixteen necklace, pearls in 2015 are statement makers.  Large pearls, pearls mixed with spikes or studs– these aren’t “sweet” or “feminine” — they are edgy, ironic and so new feeling.

So guys, I hope you’re feeling super inspired and a little more focused when it comes to shopping for spring!  Over the next few weeks, I’ll be posting my picks for each of the trends I featured here–runway-inspired pieces that will have your wardrobe feeling as fresh as the warm breezes that are just around the corner (hopefully)!

xo,

Christine