This has never happened before!
Every season I research the fashion trends and divide them into categories based on whether I think they are bewitching, bothersome or bewildering. Often there is a relatively healthy bewitched category and a few scary or ridiculous trends that fall into the other two categories.
This season is different…and not in a good way.
I am actually having trouble finding anything to put in the bewitched category!
As I was researching I kept looking and looking because I couldn’t believe this could be all the trends. It felt like a bad Saturday Night Live skit! But, no, this is what they are giving us.
REALLY!!!!
I will do my best to make it feel fun and different and I remain hopeful that the stores will try hard to circumvent the unwearable trends and find some pretty choices out there. Keep your fingers crossed.
Without further ado (or whining!) here are the Spring 2017 Fashion Trends with my commentary. Enjoy!
Bewitched
Spring colors – Pantone has declared ‘greenery’ the 2017 color of the year. This sounds good to me since so many of my clients would love to add a bit of green to their wardrobe. But, good luck finding it in the stores. Green is nowhere—at least right now. Hopefully it will filter into the stores as the season goes along.
For now, magenta is the prettiest spring color I have seen. The one they describe is like a bright raspberry. The good news is that every designer will have a different interpretation of magenta so there should be a nice variety of pinks available. (For more about the spring colors, see the bewildered category below.)
Here’s an example of beautiful magenta:
Kitten Heels – I love it when they give us all kinds of heel heights and shapes. Recently, block heels from flat to 4” have become popular and now the kitten heel – a shorter slim heel – is back. So, choose your favorite or enjoy the variety.
Here’s a very pretty pair and it comes in about 12 different colors/patterns and at a very reasonable price:
Slit Sleeves – For the past few seasons we have seen cold shoulder tops (where the shoulder is open) everywhere even this winter in sweaters and that trend is stronger than ever. But, if you do not want to expose your entire shoulder or you have enough cold shoulder tops, a slit sleeve top could be a fun alternative. Here are two examples.
In this one, you can always close the slit or add a few more tacks to make the openings not quite so long. It is all easily done.
And, here is one with the slit at the bottom:
You will also see a very pretty t-shirt with a slit shoulder and other ideas HERE.
Sleeves with Interesting Details – Right now sleeves do more than cover your arms and it isn’t just slit sleeves that are popular. With a bell, ruffle, slit or lace detail on your sleeves, it is generally a good idea to keep the rest of the top as simple as possible. Here’s one example:
Or, how about this one that has a bell sleeve with lace detail.
80’s Glam – There were parts of the 1980’s fashions I really liked, but, as always, 80’s glam is tricky. It can look tacky in a heartbeat. Lame was very popular and it’s back. If it intrigues you, it can be fun and can be worn tastefully. Here is one pretty option:
You will also see a gorgeous gold gown in the catalogue.
Retro Prints — While the 1980’s are making a bit of comeback we are still firmly ensconced in the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s. Retro prints are big…or so they say. I have actually had a hard time finding any. But, this one dress is very pretty and fun for the right person:
Vibrant Stripes – Stripes are in every spring and this season they have gone crazy – even more vibrant than in past seasons. Not everyone can wear stripes this dramatic, but if you can it will be fun.
Look at this pretty dress.
Or, how about this beautiful maxi:
I fell in love with this very wearable, bold…but not bold, striped dress. Even the color is kind of a watermelon which looks good on a lot of people:
See more wearable striped outfits including a truly amazing, slightly wild summer dress HERE.
Pinstripes – Usually when we think about pinstripes a menswear suit comes to mind. But, what’s nice about the twist on pinstripes this season is that they have added feminine details and not just on suits. Look at this pretty top:
Polka Dots – Polka dots are another popular springtime trend and this year is no exception. I’m seeing a lot of black and white polka dots and not too much else, but that could change as the season goes along. I adore this top with small polka dots:
And this dress also brings in the micro pleat trend:
See more polka dots HERE including a fun pair of casual polka dot shoes.
Sock Boots – Believe it or not this is something I have wanted for a long time. For years now, ankle boots have been wide at the opening at the ankle making it hard for some of us to wear them and create a sleek look. The ‘sock boot’ changes all that. Plus, it is soft and comfortable. Here’s one example and it comes in a few colors:
Micro Pleats – These delicate pleats can be very pretty especially since they are usually in a floaty fabric. They are great for someone who loves a romantic feel to her clothes. Here’s a very pretty dress:
Head to Toe Florals – What better trend in the spring than flowers! But, wearing them head to toe can either be completely over whelming or can look too sweet. If you love florals you do not have avoid this trend, by any means, but do choose carefully. Here’s one of my favorites:
There are many, many more ideas for these ‘bewitching’ spring floral trends HERE. To be honest, the selections are overrun with truly hideous or overwhelming florals so I couldn’t stop myself from including ones that are really beautiful—although I’m still not always a fan of wearing them head to toe! Check them out and choose your favorite. Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to see the ‘Trends to Avoid’ as well!
Are you ready? Here come the rest of the spring trends!
Bothered
Bathrobe Trench Coats – As if it were not bad enough that people are wearing their pajama bottoms everywhere, we now have bathrobe trench coats? Please stop!!! I found one that has some potential to look more like a coat than bathrobe. Here it is:
White Shirt Dresses – Why take what can arguably be the frumpiest dress style ever created and give it to us in white? Yes, shirt dresses are classic and when done well can look gorgeous. But, this season I am having trouble finding one that doesn’t look like a sack of potatoes. In fact, you can see a couple of examples (I tried to control myself and not include 40 different bad styles) in the ‘Trends to Avoid’ category HERE. If this look really appeals to you, by all means, keep looking until you find one you adore. Otherwise, skip it.
Bewildered
Color – Where are the pretty colors? Not everyone wants to wear magenta and even those who do, don’t want to wear it every day! What else are they giving us? Khaki (a definition of khaki you will see on the internet is ‘drab light brown’ – bleh!), yellow (NO!), and super brights which mostly look like primary colors AGAIN (and they didn’t look that good on people when they were popular a few years ago).
I did find a few yellow items that are wearable. Here’s one example. The fabric is delicate and floaty – feels perfect for summer – and the neckline is low enough that the yellow isn’t too close to your face. Plus, it’s not a strong, saturated yellow so it’s more wearable:
As I mentioned, supposedly green is in, but I’m not seeing it…yet. And, of course, there will be other colors in the stores (thank goodness!), but these are what the sources are saying are the hot colors for the season. They can keep them, in my opinion!
I searched high and low to find something I could show you in yellow, but to no avail. I even thought that a swimsuit would be a great way to wear yellow, especially if you have a tan. But, I couldn’t find a yellow swimsuit anywhere!
Droopy Trench Coats – The beautiful classic trench coat has taken a beating this season. Not only have they handed us the dreaded bathrobe trench coat, but designers have also created a trench coat that is made out of slouchy fabrics with big buckles on the belt and oversized silhouettes. Oh, geez. I doubt we’ll see a lot of these in mainstream stores (fingers crossed), but feel free to roll your eyes dramatically when you do happen upon one.
And, I have also added one to the ‘trends to avoid’ category. You can see it HERE.
Foldover Waist Pants – This look has potential but only if you plan to tuck in your top. Many of the women I know have stopped tucking things in in which case wearing a top over foldover waist pants defeats the purpose. And, it adds extra volume at the tummy. The example I put in the ‘Trends to Avoid’ section made me laugh out loud when I saw it. WHO is going to wear those? And, why?
There are at least 20 other spring trends that I am skipping here because they are just too ridiculous to consider. Some of them I can’t find in the stores and some are so ridiculous, hideous or demeaning that I wouldn’t want to. There are some (like visible bras) that even though I’m not wild about I expect some young women will wear them.
To have a good giggle, be sure to visit the ‘Trends to Avoid’ section of the catalogue to see what NOT to wear – it’s a bigger selection than usual. And, of course, review all the pretty options I was able to find. Start making your spring shopping list and dream of warmer weather coming soon.
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A Note About the Clothes: All of the garments pictured here (and in the catalogue) are vegan (made from fabrics that did not harm any animals). Please note that I am passionate about ending animal suffering and choosing cruelty-free clothing is just one aspect of a vegan lifestyle. If you have any questions about being vegan or what fabrics are vegan please let me know. I am happy to help and will answer any questions with kindness and compassion.
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