I love that fashion has become more colourful, comfortable, practical and flexible over the years. We have the freedom to cherry pick from the trends, and wear them in ways that reflect our personal style. Gone are the days that there is only one way to look stylish. 

It’s time for the seasonal must haves list now that Spring collections have hit stores and warmer weather is on the horizon. Three points upfront: 

1. The best merchandise is available at the start and in the middle of a season. We are heading into the middle of Spring 2015 retail, which is why I am publishing this now. 
2. Spring and Summer merchandise becomes breezier, skimpier, more sheer and more casual deeper into the season. Make sure you shop early for Summer toppers, tops with more coverage, tops made of thicker fabrications, and dressier pieces. 
3. Colours that flatter your complexion and make you happy are always in style. Pastels, mid-tones, shades of orange, and all shades of blue are trending at the moment, but wear all brights, muted tones, earth tones, jewel tones and neutrals if that’s more your thing. It’s all good.

With a nod to the warm weather trends for 2015, here’s the list that works for all body types, lifestyles, ages and budgets. Find the version of the trend that works best for you and wear it your way. 

1. Fluid Fits

Wearing your clothes a little looser all over is as fashionable as ever. These fits are roomier than tailored, but not as big as the oversized look. The visual effect is slimming, relaxed, casual and forgiving. Oversized fits are trickier, but very wearable when a little structure is added to the outfit. And it bears repeating that petites and plus sizes can wear fluid and oversized fits with the best of them. 

Think boyfriend jeans, relaxed skinnies, wide cropped tops, slouchy pants, high-low hemlines, cocoon silhouettes, sack dresses, shift dresses, asymmetry, round shoulders, dropped shoulder seams, boyfriend shirts and blouses, big tees, boxy jackets and trapeze blouses. 

2. Tailored Silhouettes  

This is the BIG change this season, and for seasons to come by the looks of what came down the runway for Fall 2015. Tailored fits that define the waistline or follow the contour of the body are just as trendy as slouchier looks. Belt the natural waist, wear shirt dresses, fit-and-flare dresses, belted toppers, and tuck tops into high-waisted bottoms. Wear skinnies and straight legs. Wear tailored jackets, peplum tops, peplum jackets and fitted dresses. 

Do not confuse tailored fits with body con, which is tighter than a tailored fit and usually made of stretchy fabric to make a very snug garment more comfortable. Tailored fits skim the contours of the body, thereby showcasing your shape. The structure of these pieces is usually achieved with darts, princess seams, and panelling techniques to create a close fit. They do not rely on stretchy fabric to fit the curves of your body. 

3. ’70s Inspiration 

There are two ways to incorporate a ‘70s integrity into your style. Boho Chic is hippy inspired, maximal and casual. Sensual Glam is structured, feminine, dressy and quite simple. 

• Boho Chic means bell sleeves, embroidered and smocked detailing, kimono sleeves, fringe, bucket bags, hobos, high-waisted flared jeans, kaftans, tunics, peasant tops, handkerchief hems, weathered leather, drawstring necklines, lots of gathers, suede booties, textured cottons, cork heels, textured knitwear, pendant necklaces, floppy felt hats, wooden jewellery, and empire cuts.

• Sensual Glam means silky jumpsuits, flared trousers, fitted trouser suits with flared hems, flared pleated midi skirts, ruffled tops, culottes, fitted blazers worn over fitted shirts, fitted button-down shirts with pointy collars, pussy bow blouses, belted A-line coats and jackets, wrap dresses, flouncy blouses, bootcuts, A-line denim skirts, midi dresses and plunging V-necklines.

4. Cropped Pants 

All styles of pant and jeans are available in cropped lengths these days with either a high or low waist fit, and in patterns or solids. So think cropped cigarette styles, skinnies, wide legs (which are culottes), clamdiggers, leggings, slouchies, harem pants and cross-over styles. 

5. Knitwear

Summer knitwear (or sweaters) in cotton, silk, rayon and linen blends are fashionable to pair with bottoms both as a layering piece or stand-alone item. Think loose knits with lots of holes in both chunky and fine gauges. Wear them fluid and oversized instead of T-shirts.  

6. Sporty Luxe

There is no stopping this HUGE mainstream trend. In terms of clothing, think bomber jackets, trackpants (or joggers), upscale anoraks, hoodies, upscale sweatshirts, cricket jerseys, rugby jerseys, baseball shorts, baseball tops and haute polo shirts. There are fashionable backpacks, haute baseball caps, mesh insets, perforated textures, colour blocking and plenty of neon. And heeled or flat sneakers make up the largest component of the Sporty Luxe trend.

7. White

I say this every season because nothing makes an outfit look quite as fresh and Summery than wearing white. Think white jeans, culottes, cropped pants, shorts, dresses, tees, knitwear, shirts, skirts, blouses, vests, jackets, footwear, bags, belts and hats. Sport white-out if that tickles your fancy. 

8. On Trend Footwear 

Adding trendy footwear to an outfit is an effective way of making it look extra modern. Think espadrilles, loafers, d’Orsay flats, pointy toe pumps and flats, ankle strap sandals and pumps, gladiators, flat and heeled booties, casual wedged platforms, Birkenstocks, flatforms, upscale sneakers, closed-toe sandals, slip-on sneakers (round and pointy toed), chunky wide strap sandals, oxfords, slipper flats, peep-toe booties, sandal booties, platform sandals and caged heels. 

High-vamped Summer footwear is very fashionable, but low-vamped pointy toe ballet flats and pumps don’t look dated either. In fact, to my eye, pointy toe low-vamped ballet flats look quite fresh which is why I added a pair to my wardrobe last week. 

9. Wild Card

Add an item to your wardrobe that is atypical for your style persona, but that speaks to you in some way. This is one way to evolve your style, making it feel extra refreshed for the season. Wild cards can be new colours or styles of clothing, footwear and accessories. Or a new way that you wear your hair, or put together your outfits. 

Not making the main list but also notable are ‘90s footwear styles, menswear inspired looks, wearing skirts and dresses over jeans and trousers, two-piece dresses, skater skirts, moto jackets, moto vests, high-waisted jeans and cropped pants, torn denim, short boxy jackets, long shorts, gingham, floral pants, overalls, neon, front vented skirts, shift blouses, pattern mixing, obi belts, abstract patterns, chain handle bags, bucket bags, mini satchels, mini crossbody bags, sharp shoulders, belt bags, socks with sandals and pumps, D-ring bags, sheer panelling, cold shoulders, one-shouldered styles and Asian patterns. 

Remember that conventionally flattering outfits are always in style, but an unconventional, but “just flattering enough” juxtaposition of items is extra current. Most of all, have fun with fashion.

A new Raf Simons documentary is coming to US theatres, J.Crew opens its first store in Paris, an interesting Target collection, and more style-related stories from around the globe.

• J.Crew just opened its first womenswear store in Paris. A separate men’s boutique is also in the works.
• According to a recent study menswear is the fastest growing category of online sales.
• Starting April 29, Women’s Wear Daily will appear weekly instead of daily. The publication is also shifting its focus to the web.
• Dior and I, the documentary about Raf Simons’ first months as Creative Director at Christian Dior, is coming to US theatres on 10 April.
• Seven7, Melissa McCarthy’s women’s collection, will hit stores this August, and will also be sold online.
• Target is launching Target Collective, a curated men’s line of clothes, accessories and stationery all made in the United States.

Fun Fashion Fact

Did you know that French fashion designer Jeanne Lanvin was one of the first designers in the world to make four collections a year, with each collection consisting of more than 200 looks.

I recently worked with a client who wanted to relax her corporate business casual look for Spring. So we refreshed her wardrobe by building a smart casual mix-and-match capsule in black and white with splashes of jewel tones. The bottoms and jackets are what make her work outfits more casual than what she had worn in the past. 

We worked on a ratio of three bottoms, seven tops, three toppers, three pairs of shoes and two bags. No scarves or belts, since most of the tops are worn out over bottoms. In some instances the tops can be partially tucked in front, but since the bottoms are slim-fits, we decided to keep things simple and leave off the belt. 

Apart from three substitutes, these are the exact items that went into the capsule. All seven tops can be worn with all three bottoms and topped with either of the black jackets. The taupe and cream jacket works best with five of the tops, but at a push can be worn with all of them. Both black pairs of footwear work with all the outfit combinations. The stone booties work with fewer outfit combinations, but provide a good amount of variety in the mix.

Bottoms

My client is not a skirt gal, so we chose three pairs of dressier tailored skinnies across different colours. A pair of black cigarette pants, a pair of shiny taupe jeans, and a pair of relaxed cropped jeans in a dark denim. The skinnies fit my client more like slim straight legs because she is narrow in the calf. Although these pants are more casual than the slacks my client used to wear, they are dressier than faded denim, chinos, leggings or corduroy. The tapered leg is easy to pair with any heel height and works well in wet Seattle weather.

Tops 

Ample variety is key. We chose two woven tops, four knitted tops, and one item of knitwear. We added further variety by choosing patterns, solids and a colour block. We kept some styles fitted, and others fluid. The assortment is both modern classic and trendy:

1. On trend woven drape-front blouse in a fluid fit and pattern. 
2. Classic knitted and fitted mock-wrap top in a pattern.
3. Classic knitted and fitted keyhole top in a pattern.
4. Classic woven crisp tailored shirt in a solid. 
5. On trend knitted and fluid flutter sleeve top in a pattern. 
6. Classic knitted, fitted and textured shell top in a solid. 
7. On trend oversized underlay sweater in a solid colour block. 

It’s unclear in the photos but tops #1, #3 and #5 have taupe in the pattern, which picks up the taupe in the shiny jeans. The black in the patterns creates a cohesive look with the black shoes and my client’s black hair. 

Toppers

We kept the toppers on the trendy side to complement the simpler bottoms. We chose three different, yet tailored silhouettes. One knit, one woven and one pleather. Although two of the jackets are black, they are not similar in style or integrity. The one is a casual and comfortable knitted moto jacket, while the other is a dramatic, stiffer and dressier peplum jacket. The pleather is light and playful, and a tonal match with the taupe pants. 

The jackets will be kept open most of the time to showcase the contrasting tops, and to create a slimming vertical line down the centre front of the outfit. But the black jackets look sharp zipped up, as another option. 

Footwear  

Booties can be worn most of the year in Seattle so it’s practical to have a large number of them. We chose a dressy pair of black booties and a trendy and dressier pair of black slipper flats. Although we haven’t found them yet, we intend to add a pair of stone booties to lighten things up. At home, my client has sea foam, black, animal print and nude pumps that can also work beautifully with some of the outfits. 

Accessories 

My client is not a big scarf or jewellery wearer. That leaves a bag, watch and wedding ring as daily accessories. We’re sticking to a beautifully made black satchel for most days, and threw in a trendy white pleather clutch just for fun. 

My client has items at home that further embellish the outfit possibilities of this capsule, like white jeans, a white denim jacket, sea foam jeans, red jeans, a fuchsia jacket, black and white geometric print tops, and more floral knitwear and black booties.

Now that the neutral capsule is complete, we’re on to building the next Spring capsule with mid tones, pastels and white. A big thank you to my wonderful client for generously allowing me to share this information with you. 

From “flandanas” — the fleece-lined bandana that adds extra warmth — to versions in silk or cotton, the bandana made a regular appearance on the catwalks and streets during last month’s Fashion Weeks.

• Popsugar suggests that the bandana may replace your statement necklace.
• From date night to brunch, they also created four looks that incorporate the bandana.
• Coach and Derek Lam 10 Crosby sent their models down the runway sporting the handkerchief scarf.
• Would you sport the look yourself? Here are a few examples for inspiration: Knotted under a turtleneck, with your warm Winter coat, skinny jeans and fun-coloured furry coat, paired with a classic white shirt.

Fab Links from Our Members

This article on powerful women and their uniforms discusses the concept that when we dress for work, we are “defining our public-facing self”. La Belle Demimondaine finds this idea both interesting and wearying.

Deborah has found Hot and Flashy, a blog that focusses on anti-aging procedures, skincare, make-up, hair, fashion, nutrition, and exercise, very helpful.

Sally recently linked to YLF forum member Sharon’s wonderful and inspiring blog, The Breastless Years. Thanks for letting us know, Deborah.

Check out these slides and video from the Chanel show for Fall 2015 earlier this week. Attendees sat at a brasserie while the models joined them. Angie thought the concept was unique and memorable.

We’re hopefully leaving blanket scarf season behind us very soon, but LadyLilac is definitely saving Jean’s video on how to style an oversized scarf for next Fall.

Lisa’s post on how to wear black, or any colour for that matter, with intention and forethought, really spoke to Vildy.