From Pastels to Pop-Art Prints

Are you a flower-worshiping girly girl who digs pencil skirts and pastels, or a tomboyish type who needs to feel comfy at all costs? Or maybe you’re a straight-shooting power type ready to tackle the world. Whatever your fashion personality, designers have brought out something for you this season. There’s a color, style and silhouette for everyone, as a wildly diverse mix of trends continues to hit stores for spring and summer. Whether you’re shopping for athletic-inspired separates or ladylike shapes with a vintage appeal, here are some of the top fashion trends to consider.

Hey, ladies! If refined is your thing, now is the time to flaunt your femininity. Florals are growing in popularity, this time in bold photographic prints and large vintage-inspired blooms. Pastels are lending a soft touch to everything from A-line skirts to silk blouses, with blush-pink the most popular hue. Micro pleats are back in the fold, appearing on the smartest skirts and dresses. And billowy tea-length skirts—which fall just between midi and maxi—seemed to have popped out of a 1950s Christian Dior Look Book.

Hit the ground running. Sports-inspired looks are everywhere this spring, with varsity jackets, tennis-inspired dresses, gym shorts, sweatshirts and jerseys stepping out of the sports arena and into your closet. Count on seeing details like athletic stripes, team numbers and mesh on everything from skirts to socks, and shoes punched up with sporty straps, buckles and laces.

Collars are so last season. Just when you thought you had exhausted all your outerwear options, there’s a new layering piece in town. It’s long. It’s streamlined. And it’s free of collars or lapels. A welcome alternative to the ubiquitous vest or moto jacket, the collarless coat is appearing in a variety of prints and fabrics, works well with dressy trousers or pencil skirts, and plays nicely with both leather pants and tailored dresses. Destined to come the new classic, this year-round look can be dressed up or down with the right extras.

Warhol would’ve been proud. Pop Art prints are making a big statement on ready-to-wear and accessories. Bold graphic prints are making their debut on dresses, blouses and even jackets, and jewelry and handbags are offered in strong geometric shapes. Look for big triangle and hexagon earrings, pop-art screened images on T-shirts and dresses, and Mondrian-inspired patterns on handbags, scarves and other accessories.

The boyfriend’s back. Menswear-inspired fashion makes another comeback, this time with a decidedly more Wall Street feel. They’re cut in crisp poplin fabrics with assured details such as stripes. But you won’t find these powerhouses in your banker boyfriend’s closet. With fun and flirty details like asymmetrical cuts, neck adornments, glitzy buttons and trim, these shirts are 100 percent female.

Shiny, happy accessories. While girly looks aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, we’re also seeing bolder, over-the-top adornments. Not since the Urban Cowboy era has fringe been so hot. This time around, it’s popping up in interesting places, such as necklines, headdresses and ponchos. Also making an impact are 3-D embellishments featuring pailettes, sequins or crystals. And designers such as Diane von Furstenberg have taken a shine to metallic, particularly bronze, silver and gold—most befitting of the recent Olympics.

Loosen up, ladies. After seasons of skinny jeans, it’s refreshing that we’ve now got less form-fitting options. Wide-legged trousers, billowy culottes and loose Bermuda shorts are back, especially in white. (A great fitted pair of wide-legged trousers can show off your figure as well as a tailor dress, and if you add a pair of boots or high-heel wedges, you’ve got a great Studio 54 look.) As pants loosen up, so do the tops, with boxier shapes working their way onto bomber jackets, shift blouses, sweatshirts and dressy Ts. Andvery hot right now are cropped and sheer tops, especially paired with the new higher-waisted skirts.