Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered ~ The Best & Worst Spring Fashion Trends

Just the fact that there is color after a dark, subdued winter, feels good. As you will see in a bit, the extremes of pastels and primary colors leaves an entire middle range unexplored. As much as they say the super soft colors and very bright colors are hot, you will still find pretty medium-toned colors, especially blues and greens this season. In addition, metallics are popular and can be very fun to explore for your wardrobe. For instance, a great pair of metallic shoes can be worn with almost anything!  Like these …

These jackets have an elegance and simplicity that is stunning.  This one also incorporates the lace trend for this season and comes in this gorgeous periwinkle. Wear it over a pair of slim pants or a pencil skirt.

I don’t know about you, but I get cold even in May or June. New England weather is fickle and you don’t know if you’ll be bundling up in 40 degree days with rain or shedding clothes as the temperatures climb to 90 with high humidity. So you have to plan ahead and having a sweater or two that doesn’t look like you’ve pulled it out of the cedar chest in desperation is great. Here is a simple style in a popular blue this season.

In the early spring when there’s still a nip in the air, this faux leather biker jacket in a fun color can be just perfect. This lovely blush tone is very in and actually is flattering on a lot of skin tones.

This is a tricky trend. I’m intrigued by it, although I’m not sure it’s generally my style, and it can easily become very hippie-ish or a little over-the-top (it’s hard to believe how many bathing suits are available with fringe!). Here is a very understated fringed tee if you want to add a nod to this fun trend.

Not sure you want a lot of sparkle and shimmer all over your body? This pair of bejeweled sandals will look great with a pair of white jeans or white linen pants. Pretty with just the right amount of jewels and combined with metallic faux leather that is so popular (and flattering) this season!

If you love button down shirts, you are in luck!  They are everywhere.  You’ll find the classic styling, white button downs with unusual detail, bejeweled collars…you name it, the button down will have it.  If they are ‘you,’ go wild!

These are a nice contrast from the skinny pants that have ruled the fashion world for several years now.  You do not have to be six feet tall to wear them, but if you are petite, you might want to skip this trend or be sure the trousers come close to your natural waist to elongate your leg line.  Then pair them with a fitted shorter top.  Could be an interesting trend to explore.  One word of caution, if the trousers have pleats, leave them on the rack.  They will just add width.  Flat front is much more flattering.

As usual, sheer is in for the spring/summer and, with the right layering piece underneath, it can be very pretty, feminine and cool.

While the spring season is a relief after the starkness of winter, the colors that dominate the season are not always the most flattering. Pretty to look at, not so easy to wear. Radiant Orchid has been highly touted as the color of the season by Pantone. It’s a beautiful color, but doesn’t look good on everyone, especially if you have a lot of rosiness in your cheeks. Here is an example.

Pastels are a seasonal favorite and they are back.  Think of a big basket of Easter eggs and you’ve got an idea of what to expect. If you look best in deep rich colors, you’ll want to ignore these or wear them very sparingly—as an accent to black, white or your favorite neutral.

Black and white, as usual, is a strong (and popular) combination, but again, overpowering for many skin tones.

Don’t despair if the colors I’ve mentioned above sound too sweet or too strong for your taste.  There are always other options or variations on a theme, and when in doubt, remember to look for some of the colors that look good on everyone: periwinkle, teal and watermelon

These can be fun, but they do remind me a bit too much of the 1980′s, so be careful. They can look frumpy or out-dated in a heartbeat. This one has a closer fit than most (which is nice) and adds some metallic that is so popular this season

Please make this trend go away or leave it to the teenagers. There is nothing attractive or fashionable about these bejeweled, patterned, textured sweatshirts masquerading as style.

To continue the cropped theme, they are introducing boxy, cropped jackets.  Stay far away from this style if you are at all curvy.  Here’s a perfect example.  If this model doesn’t look good in it who can wear it?

While I have absolutely nothing against black and white, do we really have to have so much of it! This severe high contrast combined with the sharp angles of the prints, makes it not so easy to wear. This is a fun dress, but it will look best on someone with high energy and high contrast in her natural coloring (e.g., dark hair, light skin).

Didn’t this style just go away?  Well, it’s baaaaack!  The difference now is that they are being worn with skirts and pants that come to (or very close to) the waist so what is exposed is your waistline and lower ribcage.  It is still very definitely the territory of the young.

While these are very feminine and pretty, they are surprisingly tricky to pull off. They hit your leg between the mid-calf point and the ankle and can look frumpy in a heartbeat (especially depending on what shoe you wear with them). If you love this look be sure to choose a full skirt and shoes that are open on the top of your foot (low vamp) to elongate your legs and avoid looking frumpy.

I couldn’t resist. These two designs take the trends to the extreme.

These need no introduction. If you’re sixteen have a blast. Otherwise, leave them on the rack.