Guest post by Felicity Johnson
Fashions come and go with bewildering speed and if you haven’t got your finger on the pulse, you could quite easily end up looking like you have just wandered out of last year. Staying on-trend doesn’t have to break the bank, however; high street clothes shops are all swiftly translating catwalk looks into real-world clobber, available at reasonable prices. All you need are a few well-chosen pieces and you can look cool without breaking the bank.
Colours
Bright red, sorbet yellow, gold – all these warm colours will brighten up your wardrobe and keep the blues at bay. Neon colours are all big this summer, and many designers have been combining shockingly bright hues with camel, of all things. At the other end of the colour scale, pastels are also in evidence this summer. They may be softer than the reds and neons, but still a world away from last season’s greys and silvers.
Prints
Last year was all about finding the perfect print for an outfit; this year, you don’t need to settle for just one print! Mix and match your prints on clothes and accessories this summer and don’t worry about clashing; in fact, you should be aiming for an original and unique kind of couture clash.
Baroque
Another trend that tiptoed onto the catwalks last season, only to burst out in full force this summer is the baroque influence. While last year saw the introduction of the odd baroque print, albeit in a subtle way, trends this year are taking baroque to a whole new level. It’s all about going a little OTT this summer, so think opulence and exaggeration rather than understated elegance.
Dresses
Summer wouldn’t feel like summer without dresses, and this year is all about extremes. Forget mid-length skirts and choose between maxis or minis to be in with the crowd in 2012. The taste for excess and extravagance continues with the trend for flapper dresses: think 1920s glamour and jazz and make sure this summer’s party dress makes you look like you’ve stumbled out of the pages of The Great Gatsby.
It would seem that clothes this summer should be resolutely cheerful and uplifting, regardless of the tales of economic gloom and doom that currently bombard us from the pages of newspapers and the television screens. It’s all about individuality and imposing a larger-than-life image that firmly rejects the woeful state of our world, reminding us all that it’s good to be alive and it’s summer!
Felicity Johnson writes for Nly Scandinavia AB on fashion and the latest trends for Summer 2012.
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