Look Your Best with 5 of Spring's Fashion Trends
By Ally Lewis, BounceBack Fashion & Trend Expert
Photos from Style.com.
If you've been through a breakup or divorce in the past year, we bet you've fallen into one of two fashion camps. One, you've let your closet go completely, reverting to the same yoga pants and T-shirt daily ("who do I need to impress, anyway?") and never bothering to put together a new look for yourself.
Or two, you've succumbed to "retail therapy," dropping cash like it's your job on any item that barely sparks your interest and will most likely end up never worn or at the bottom of a stack of goodwill donations. Retail therapy may be a quick fix, especially online, where "one-click" to purchase makes it easy to end up with 5 FedEx packages at your door in a week - filled with items you don't remember buying. But don't go and spend all your savings yet - we suggest focusing your wardrobe updates on 5 of Spring's fashion trends, so you can look your best when you're ready to get back out there.
This Spring's biggest trends are Nautical, Military, Clean and Crisp, Patterns and Prints, and Sheer Fabrics. For most people, runway looks act as sources of inspiration and are not to be taken literally - a normal person would look like they're wearing a sailor costume if they donned a striped shirt and pants, anchor necklace, and red espadrilles - and no one is advised to go out in a sheer top with nothing underneath. The key is to take certain elements of your favorite trends and adopt them in your own way. Be brave and have fun with them, but stay true to yourself. Remember that fashion is supposed to be fun and give you confidence - so only wear what makes you feel good.
NAUTICAL
Red, white, and blue are the colors here. Key pieces are striped shirts (like St. James's classic navy shirts), espadrilles or wedges, white and khaki pants, and little navy blazers (buy one from the Gap and put on your own gold buttons). A simple striped tee with white jeans and ballet flats is a great, subtle way to adopt this trend.
MILITARY
Stay away from actual camouflage clothing and go for pieces in solid dark green and khaki. The key piece here is the utilitarian jacket in one of these colors - Gap and J.Crew both have great, affordable options. The jacket can be worn with jeans during the day or with a black sequin skirt and tee for a fun evening outfit.
CLEAN AND CRISP
Classic looks are here to stay. These are the simple, clean-cut pieces in neutral colors like black, navy, khaki, cream, and white. Try well-tailored khaki trousers with a clean, crisp white button-down or white wide-legged pants with a simple navy blouse. This is a "trend" you can really invest in, because classics will always be just that - classic.
PATTERNS AND PRINTS
This season's runways showed mixed patterns and prints - everything from tie-dye to tribal, abstract designs and florals - in lots of color. For a tamer version, try your nautical striped shirt with a patterned skirt - just make sure both pieces are in the same palette - or a patterned blouse with plain bottoms.
SHEER FABRICS
Sheer blouses and dresses were seen everywhere for this Spring. Many of the models wore little or nothing underneath, but we obviously don't advise you to follow suit. Instead, try a long-sleeved, sheer blouse over a camisole - it's a nice way to bring this trend into your own wardrobe without feeling like you are showing too much skin.
Above all, remember the basic rules in following trends: don't wear any trend head-to-toe, stay true to your own style, and most importantly, have fun!
Ally Lewis is the founder and author of the popular fashion and lifestyle blog, "Savoir-Faire: A Guide to Living with Style and Grace." She has worked in the beauty, fashion, and home design industries and currently lives in downtown New York City.
BounceBack is changing the way people cope with heartbreak as a result of a breakup or divorce. BounceBack is a place to tell your story, get advice from experts, and share what you've learned with others in similar situations. We're here to remove the negative stigma around being heartbroken - this happens to everyone. And we believe everyone has the potential to bounce back to life and move forward. www.bouncebacktolife.com
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