Ready to skip the rest of winter and plan your spring wardrobe? Your personal stylists with Lots of Luxe are here for you and ready, too!
There are a host of spring/summer trends for this year, as usual. Designers must have their say and boy did they say it, showing underwear as outerwear, the skimpiest minis known to man, crochet, cutouts to reveal midriffs, patterns, all-white ensembles, and lots and lots of color. Think neon pink and highlighter yellow. (Get out those sunglasses, ladies.)
Don’t worry. We’re not going to dress you head to toe in pink or yellow. Or suggest you wear just a jacket over your bra. Our Carlisle and Etcetera design team always works with the most wearable trends. Below are a few that we’re loving this season, and we hope you will too.
KELLY GREEN
Bright colors: orange, fuchsia, lime green, and so on, were all over the runways in Paris, New York, and London. The brighter, the better. Bold, vibrant, and a bit flashy, these hues might strike you as too much, but don’t be afraid of them. Give one a whirl.
A safe way to add color is to opt for classic Kelly green, a rich, saturated green far too luscious to ever be called “grassy” again.
Designers showed a host of different greens for spring/summer but the Kelly green sheer wrap dresses and skirts by London’s Supriya Lele were so fun and attractive. At Rejina Pyo, the green was on shirts, midi dresses, and handbags, and at Molly Goddard, on some delicate wrap-ankle ballet flats. (Kelly green can be injected into every part of an outfit.) Former Bottega Veneta designer Daniel Lee started the trend for the color a year ago, and it hasn’t abated. It’s lighthearted, cheerful, and will get you noticed. In a good way.
We have a couple of pieces in Kelly green that we think you’ll love. One is a Carlisle shirt-style full-length, belted dress GERANIUM, with a pop of color in its fuchsia moire taffeta sash. The ultimate in stylish chic, it can be worn everywhere and in several ways.
Carlisle has also given us a Henley knit sweater dress with multi-directional Ottoman ribs made in a silk-enriched Italian yarn rightly named, DELIGHT. It’s easy and comfortable to wear and we all care about that!
GINGHAM
A cheerful, warm-weather print, gingham is an old favorite and looked great on the runways in unusual applications. While the Michael Kors Collection showed an Audrey Hepburn-style, classic-shaped sundress in black and white gingham, Brandon Maxwell showed jumbo gold checks and at Carolina Herrera, gingham got glossy with shimmer and sequins.
At Carlisle, we have the most gorgeous pannier-shaped skirt in sky blue Spanish organza that anyone can wear, BELLE FLEUR. It’s appliquéd with mini-gingham flanges in a swirling rose pattern while layers of tulle and a horsehair-stiffened lining hold the dramatic shape. Teamed with a white T-shirt or blouse or a little cropped cardigan, this piece is so versatile it can go from the office to lunch and then to dinner. An elastic waistband makes it easy to wear even if you do have that tiramisu at dinner.
FLORALS
With designers focused on the renewal of classic prints, florals are here, there, and everywhere. But these are not all Laura Ashley florals. This season’s botanical graphics range from bold, big, and bright to feminine and tender. YSL did tight catsuits in oversized red roses on a bright white background. Emilia Wickstead (one of Kate Middleton’s favorite designers) offered up a belted, midi dress created in green rose-printed taffeta faille.
At Carlisle we have the POSIES dress, a polo dress in denim-colored Italian cotton poplin emblazoned with a white floral print. The ease of this dress makes it a wonder to wear. Wear it as a runaround dress or pair it over white pants as a tunic.
Then we have a tailored jacket, IN BLOOM, in a Spanish stretch cotton with a floral design in lavender, teal, and white, printed in Italy. There are matching, cropped-length pants that when paired with the jacket gives you a floral pantsuit, which are trending for spring especially if you love lots of pattern and color. You’ll find IN BLOOM in the Carlisle spring collection.
A chicer than chic Italian silk chiffon blouse with an adjustable sash belt/necktie bears a floral print that includes 10 colors. ESTELLE, also from the Carlisle spring collection, is clean and feminine and will look great with pants or a skirt.
From Etcetera, NICOLETTE is a pretty blouse in a small white and blue floral print that’s made in a European fil coupé floral jacquard. It has convertible 3/4-sleeves and, while simple, has a lot of impact.
An organza sleeveless shift dress, FIORE, has luscious floral embroidery in several colors. This knee-length pullover style has olive satin binding at the neck, armholes and hem.
The FRANCESCA skirt and blouse are spectacular together or as separates. Both are made in a soft European twill and from the spring Etcetera collection. The ebullient flower and scroll design is skillfully framed in brilliant blue.
STONE COLD NEUTRALS
In amongst all the blinding colors for spring and summer there were lots of pieces in restful white. Etcetera has slim, drapey white dress pants, TREVI, that are so stylish and swanky. Carlisle has a great looking, jacket, CHAMPIGNON, in the softest European double-faced leather. It has the storm flaps of a trench with a much shorter length, along with removable epaulets and belted sleeves that bespeak a smart, military vibe.
Carlisle’s HELENA, a beautiful cool linen-blend tunic in European floral fil coupé with a rich luster. The easy fit and drop shoulders make it an A-list dressed-up option. The matching pants are an easy pull-on fit combined with a luxe fabric for dressed-up ease. These full-length lounge pants are crafted from a European jacquard with the same elaborate placed floral devore. Paired with the blouse you have a complete neutral silhouette.
We know that so many of you love being on trend but shy away from some of those runway looks. Our designers never fail at making some of the best runway trends wearable for you and we would love to help you add a trending piece to your spring wardrobe.
That’s what we’re here for, to make creating that perfect wardrobe with you easy and fun, season after season.