It’s not about one particular shade of green this Spring season – it’s about all of them. From rich emeralds, citrusy limes and forest greens, to apple, pear, mint, sage, jade, shamrock, pistachio, chartreuse and olive. Saturated, pastel or muted, there’s probably a shade of green for you. But if you’re still not convinced you look good in green, sport it through accessories, handbags or footwear instead of close to your face.

I like greens when they are blindingly bright, super sour (like citron), or in a shade of olive. I like to pair different shades of green with one or a few of the following colours: yellow, turquoise, cobalt, purple, white, cream, charcoal and black. I loved how Laura used emerald green in one of her Mum-on-the-go outfits. It screams Spring in a clean and fresh way.

I do not like green paired with red because it can look Christmas-y. I also tend to stay away from pairing emerald green with navy or ink blue because that feels too nautical. But these particular colour combinations do work and can look fab if you like them.

I have a wardrobe full of timeless citrusy green and olive tops, knitwear and scarves. I have apple and lime green handbags and a brand new emerald snakeskin clutch. I’d love to add an emerald or apple green blouse, dress and skinny belt, and I might add a pair of green shoes too. Fun green items lift my spirits so they’re definitely on my shopping list.

It is nice to see various shades of green alongside the sea of coral and jewel tones in stores. Variety and choice are the spice of life. Clockwise starting at the top left: Apple green hooded trench, chartreuse cropped water resistant trench, shamrock and turquoise muffler scarf, pear piped belt, pear wristlet, emerald cardigan and emerald belt.

It’s true. The Fall 2009 collections on the runway at Fashion Week are full of outfits showcasing shoulder pads. This brings back all sorts of memories for those of us who wore them in the 80’s.

But the shoulder-pad trend that’s on the runways at the moment is different to the looks we coveted back in the days of Dynasty. The aesthetic is more sculptured and streamlined. It’s as if the modern shoulder pad is molded into the design and fabric of the garment. Sort of space-age looking. Back in 1983, you shoved huge spongy triangular shoulder pads under the shoulder seams of an oversized top and you could often see the actual outline of the pads. I remember thinking that I looked and felt slimmer in the waist and hips when my shoulders were all padded up, which is why I wore multiple shoulder pads under one garment.

I’m pretty sure that shoulder pads will find their way back into clothing. In fact, I saw a longer length 80’s style blazer with one-inch shoulder pads at Club Monaco yesterday. The effect was subtle but definitely there. Whether shoulder pads make it back into mainstream fashion remains to be seen. But the next question is whether you’ll wear the look if it does make a comeback. Before you answer, think back to how you vowed you would NEVER wear skinny jeans again. I was one of those people. Now I wear skinny jeans all the time. So maybe shoulder pads are in my future after all. Time will tell.

It’s “boyfriend” everything at the moment. First the cardigan and now the jeans, thanks to Katie Holmes and her stylist. With the new “boyfriend jean” the shape of denim has expanded beyond the four main silhouettes (skinny, straight, boot cut and wide-leg) for 2009.

Boyfriend jeans are supposed to look baggy, worn and distressed, although some versions are less so. The style is usually rolled up at the hem and worn with heels for a final feminine touch. The look reminds me a little of when us gals wore men’s Levis 501’s in the 80’s. Baggy crotches, turned up hems and belted waistbands were so in back then. The look has been revived and updated. Celebrities in Hollywood are all over the trend.

The style can be adorable worn with flats or a small heel on a preteen and teenager. They seem like an arty, hip and cool expression for that age group. Cute (don’t shoot me, Mums). But for anyone older I vote for giving this trend a miss. Maybe I’m getting old, but I am so over ripped jeans of any description. It’s not a stylish look. How do you vote?

The all-in-one jumpsuit is back in various silhouettes. From work wear and disco-inspired styles, to drapy palazzo 90’s looks. The belted versions look a little better than the unstructured styles, but I’m still not a fan. And wearing a jumpsuit makes going to the loo a chore. No thank you.

I wore both red and cobalt blue jumpsuits as a child back in the 70’s and early 80’s and remember them as wardrobe favourites. I have neither owned nor worn a jumpsuit since then and plan to keep it that way. Not only do I prefer the look of separates, but my bladder isn’t what it used to be.

Jumpsuits today. Although the flowing gray style on the right has a glamorous 70’s vibe about it, I just can’t do the look again. I’d feel like an 8 year old.

Retailers in the northern hemisphere will be full of Spring merchandise in less than six weeks. It’s hard to get our minds around that fact when there’s still snow on the ground, but that’s the way the crazy retail cycle works. Here are the trends that I expect to see in stores over the next 6 months:

• Strong 80’s flair: I’m all for it.
• Prints: Butterflies and pastel florals.
• Maxi dresses: You know how I feel about this trend.
• Suits: Makes for a nice change. This is the year of the pastel suit.
• Cropped military jackets: Fabulous. I love military inspired items. Does anyone remember the Sergeant Pepper jacket?
• Floppy pants and baggy bottoms: I doubt harem pants will take off, but we’ve seen wide-legged pants make a comeback. I’m curious as to how this trend will be received.
• Zipper accents: The “tough girl” rock-chic vibe is hanging around. Another trend that I adore.
• Rompers and jumpsuits: They were fringe fashion last year and I hope they stay that way.
• Single shouldered tops: Interesting.
• The exposed midriff: I’m staying covered up.
• More fringing: A little bohemian flavour is fine.
• Daytime sparkle: We’ve already seen this trend come through. I wear my metallic poloneck during the day, dressed down with faded jeans and casual boots and it makes for a fun look.
• Bikinis: I’m sticking to a one-piece.
• More gladiators: Both flat and stacked. Love the trend but can’t wear the shoe. Oh well. I’ve come to expect footwear seasons with a limited assortment of wearable possibilities.
• Accessories: Oversized necklaces, pastel handbags and footwear, stacked bracelets and cocktail rings.
• Hair: Center partings.

The colors will be ice-cream tones:

• Brights: Turquoise, yellow, apple green and fuchsia
• Pastels: Blush, peach, light blue, aqua and lilac
• Neutrals: head-to-toe black and nude, nude, nude

Each new season brings with it a sense of excitement. As always, I’m chomping at the bit to share our feelings about what’s out there. So far, it’s the military influences, the zipper accents and colours like apple green and turquoise that excite me the most. Trends like maxi dresses, jumpsuits and bare mid riffs excite me the least. What’s your take on these trends?

The mood of Spring 2009’s colour palette. Yummy.

It was an unhappy moment last week when I received “The Must-Get Maxi Dress” hints of Spring mail from Nordstrom. They’re advertising the maxi or “patio dress” as the new length frock that you’ll wear now and as the weather warms. Banana Republic is sending a similar message about new chic dress lengths. Oh no.

Floor-sweeping, daytime maxi dresses in casual fabrics are not my idea of style. And it’s not a question of adapting the eye – I did not like the look in the 70’s and 90’s and I don’t like it now. To me they look unflattering, clumsy on all but the tallest gals, and inappropriate for casual settings because the length screams “formal”. Fabulous floor-scraping ballgowns, worn with heels for extra height, are the right place for this silhouette.

There are a small number of fashion items that I completely oppose because I don’t think they look good on anyone. The maxi dress is in this category. I was relieved to see that they were less popular in America this past year than they were in Europe, but that seems to be changing. I will be skipping this trend.

Top handbag designers like Gucci, Longchamp, Etro and Louis Vuitton have brought back the miniature dressy backpack as the new “it” handbag. You know what that means. Give it a season and we’ll start to see the look filtering down to mainstream retail.

I remember when dressy backpacks were all the rage in the 90’s. The much coveted black nylon Prada mini backpack was copied and available everywhere. They were advertised as being “comfortable and practical”, but for me they were neither. I didn’t enjoy being strapped into the backpack and found it annoyingly inconvenient to retrieve its contents.

But horses for courses. If you enjoyed the style of a dressy backpack in the 90’s, you’re in for a treat. Watch as they filter back into fashion.

Remember these backpacks from way back when? I wonder which other 90’s trends we should expect to make a comeback.

Spring 2009 catwalk collections were full of harem pants: pants that are baggy on top and tapered at the bottom. A few fashion forward Euro chain stores like Topshop, H&M, French Connection and Zara have started testing the look in stores right now. I wonder what the reaction to this trend has been and whether the look will continue into Spring.

Genies and MC Hammer spring  to mind when I see harem pants (watch his video to refresh your memory). And yes, you guessed it, all the styles have either gathered or pleated fronts. So what’s the verdict on the look. Will our eyes adjust to their retro appeal, or will they look ridiculous forever?