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 Well, spring has sprung and our bodies have now adjusted to the longer, warmer -- and wetter! -- days. Now it’s time to adjust our wardrobe styles too, and as usual, the high-fashion designers give us plenty of opportunities to fine-tune our spring collections or give them a major overhaul, depending on our personal preferences and budgets. Also once again, there are a wide range of thematic options from which to choose, and we are highlighting nine of our favorite trends for spring plus the Top 10 hues for the season with our inspirations drawn from the haute-couture runways of London, Paris, Milan and New York.
 Pare Down Your Style for Minimalist, Unstructured Lines Ideal for Dressy Looks and Officewear. Echoing the menswear styles so popular in years past, this season’s minimalist shaping is a sophisticated extension of some of the sportswear styles we saw this past fall and even last spring. But instead of sturdy, menswear fabrics, designers are showing more flow and drape in their jackets, pants and suits primarily by using jersey textures. Also put the quintessential hoodie or hooded jacket in the back of your closet and no sweatshirt fabric please for the office or dress-up occasions. Instead, check out the unstructured, minimalist looks of Marc Jacobs and Miu Miu with soft pleats once again in the spotlight and Ann Taylor’s and St. John’s classic tailoring for jackets and pants.
 In addition, we’re impressed by how many of these lighter-weight pieces are so multi-purpose this season and are what designer Nanette Lepore calls “convertible dressing.” With this approach, a jacket can double as a shirt, outerwear is light enough to wear as a dress, and an A-line skirt suits everything from casual to eveningwear. For wonderful examples of these double-duty pieces, check out the traditional styling of Chloe, Calvin Klein and Escada and the flowing, drapey lines of Stella McCartney, Lala Berlin and Anteprima.
 Protect Yourself from the Rain & Weather with a Modernized Trench Coat. To spruce up your outerwear this spring, everyone needs to dig into the trenches and invest in a trench coat or the trench jacket if the shorter length better suits your lifestyle. The options seem endless no matter what your budget and color preferences too. From the classic, haute-couture lines of MaxMara in traditional camel, khaki, beige and off-white to the citrusy hues Liz Claiborne features in her ready-to-wear line, trenches dominant the fashion scene. And we also appreciate that choices abound for all of our body types and sizes from the sporty, hooded trench jacket featured in recent Dior ads for an unstructured, beachcomber style to the figure-flattering lines of Lane Bryant and L.L. Bean offerings. You can even go for rock-star glam with the leather accents of the funky Burberry Prorsum trench coat that’s sure to be a standout in any crowd.
 Add a “Tropical Punch” to Your Wardrobe for a Touch of Whimsy. Florals are back with a bang featuring large floral prints for all figure shapes and sizes. Floral frocks from Erdem, Jason Wu, Jean Paul Gaultier and even Banana Republic bring the outdoors indoors for a feminine flair. But the hottest new trend with the tropical theme is how frequently fruits are showcased in both garments and accessories this spring. Going tutti-frutti is definitely the showcase for Stella McCartney’s spring collection from her lemon & lime tote to her unstructured, short-sleeved mini dress adorned with large grapefruits, oranges and other tropical gems. Or enjoy Dior’s frocks decorated with banana leaves for a more subtle fruit accent. Fruit-laden accessories are also terrific options to add a touch of whimsy to any outfit, so take a peek at a funky tropical necklace from Les Nereides, a whimsical pair of banana earrings from Prada’s spring collection, a subtle golden pear pin from Marc by Marc Jacobs, Charlotte Olympia’s fruit-adorned high heels and cherry ballet flats by Dolce & Gabbana.
 Enjoy Traditional All-American Classics Even from Non-Traditional Designers. Each season we expect All-American classics from Tommy Hilfiger, and this season from his micro-mini tennis skirt to his nautical outfits featuring red, white and blue stripes, we are thrilled with his traditional offerings so easy to add to our current spring wardrobes. And the casual, Jackie Kennedy-inspired pieces in the Michael Kors collection are ideal for all body types and shapes.
 But when you’re searching for the All-American look interpreted by non-traditional designers, you have superb options there too. One striking example this spring is the revamped cowboy/cowgirl look around the world and not just in the American Southwest. Even Dolce & Gabbana adorned their models with cowgirl boots so that they could strut their stuff on the runway, and Western fringe, cowboy-styled hats and Western-themed pockets abound in the collection of Roberto Cavalli. And check out how Western-inspired snakeskin has infiltrated even such a classic collection as Coach purses and outfit accents.
 Ruffles Return to Both Casual and Dressy Fashion with Wonderfully Romantic Nostalgia. Feminine ruffles have been a part of the dressy, haute-couture scene for years, but this season we’re seeing the romantic, nostalgic use of the frills in even casual collections. Of course, we love this spring’s lovely warm-weather evening dresses from Nina Ricci, Valentino and Oscar de la Renta, but for your casual outings and for officewear options, we also recommend ruffled, feminine styles. Take a look at the latest from Ralph Lauren as he features Victorian-era ruffles, lace and crochet sometimes even paired with a classic yet lightweight, more structured blazer. Also channel your inner “Little House on the Prairie” femme with lovely pioneer-inspired designs, maxi and mid-length skirts and bonnet-styled hats for everywhere from the beach to the office.
 Go Cuckoo for Polka Dots as a New Take on Ever-Popular Prints. As usual, oodles of prints are making big fashion news this spring, but many of them are enhancements of previous seasons such as Missoni Ikat, snakeskin as the favored “animal” print and typical floral themes. But one particular print caught our eye on the runways of New York, Paris and Milan because of its new interpretation after a number of years away from the spotlight. Polka dots are now being featured everywhere to add pizzazz to your wardrobe. Select a dark denim jacket with fun white polka dots from Dana Buchman’s spring ready-to-wear collection, and you’ll be prepared for a trip to the mall or to the office. Or go dressier with your polka dots and deck yourself out in a stunning, ruffled dress with small polka dots from the Peter Som collection. You can even combine two trends in one piece by topping off your favorite outfit with the MaxMara silk trench in navy and accented by large white dots.
 Bring Out Your 1970s Diva with Various Fashion Statements Both Major and Minor. We’ve seen retro styles in past seasons and have even revived our inner disco divas, but this spring the variety is outstanding and the range unprecedented as the influence of ’70s styles abound. From the metallics and super embossed embellishments of Oscar de la Renta and Dolce & Gabbana to the subtle shimmer of Proenza Schouler, you can shine this season in a variety of ways. Purses in the new Jet Set Monogram collection from Michael Kors are even constructed from actual flashing. But the influence of the 1970s is seen in many other areas too including flared pants instead of thigh & leg-hugging styles, draped necklines instead of boat necks, asymmetrical styles baring one shoulder instead of strapless styles and jumpsuits for eveningwear instead of harem pants. And to display your ultimate disco diva, add some feathers to your wardrobe as in the jacket necklines and even a fully feathered jumpsuit from the House of Chanel.
 Explore Fun & Funky with Rock Star Glam, Motorcycle Chic and Punk Styles. Or if you’re more of a rocker than a disco diva, rock out with oh-so many fashion opportunities this spring. For the young and young at heart, you can showcase your inner rock star with studs, rivets, tons of black leather, metal zippers and rebel lines. From the safety-pin adorned jackets of Balmain to Versace’s classic leather jackets and from stud-filled outfits from Burberry Prorsum to heavy metal belts by Bess and Toneka, you can add rock glam to any extent you wish. Even a more classic tote from the fine leather line of B. Makowsky features rivets and studs this spring for a more subtle statement. Or go all the way and embrace your Punk Rocker with the funky collections of both Balmain featuring studded and zipped red lambskin and Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquiere with python/leather inspirations plus silk shirts with metal-accented collars.
 Bring the Bedroom to the Boardwalk and the Boardroom with Lacy, Sheer Lingerie Looks. Then as usual, this spring’s collections bring us examples of how often opposites are showcased for the same season. So for a contrast to the flowing, unstructured look of the popular tailored classics, embrace the sensual, lingerie trends featured in the fashion shows of Antonio Marras, Jill Sander and Fendi. Think lace, sheer fabric, form-fitting skirts and accenting, see-thru blouses for eye-popping eveningwear and special occasion dressing in particular. Beautiful, silk chiffon printed skirts are breathtaking in the Ella Moss collection created by Pamela Protzel Scott. Also Valentino’s strikingly sheer, frilly, feminine styles featured in his latest print ads make us want to play dress up by teaming a lingerie-inspired, girlie blouse with our favorite suit for a pairing of elegant opposites.
 Combine Brights and Neutrals for an Exotic, Exciting Color Palette. Subtitled as “An Exotic Journey,” the Pantone Color Institute has a wonderful mixture of brights and neutrals for the Top 10 hues for Spring/Summer 2011. We are especially excited to see that the designers remain sensitive to our need to make wise wardrobe investments even when it comes to enhancing our outfits with new shades. As Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman points out, “By cleverly combining complementary colors, those that are opposites on the color wheel, they have created a striking intensity to the palette. These unique color combinations make it possible for consumers to pair existing pieces in colors traditionally associated with fall, with new favorites to punch up springtime wardrobes.”
 As the ideal post-winter pick-me-up comes the #1 color for spring – Honeysuckle, a playful, festive pinkish-red to make everyone feel full of life and joie de vivre. Prominent in both apparel and cosmetics, Honeysuckle is the definite must-have shade for spring 2011, followed closely by Coral Rose, a lovely haute-couture orange, and honey-hued Beeswax, both of which remind us of exotic faraway lands such as Africa, India, Peru and Turkey.
 Then blues, purples and greens fill in the middle positions of Pantone’s Top 10 list by going to the color-wheel opposites of Regatta, Lavender, Blue Curacao (a continuation of Spring 2010’s #1 Turquoise) and Peapod, a natural yellow-green signifying the fresh green shoots of spring. And to ground these exotic brights, we have sensational transitional neutrals often called “nude hues” along with the resurgence of white and off-white hues. This earthtone range varies from ethereal Silver Peony to deep Russet superbly reminiscent of autumnal shades. To round out the complete palette, Silver Cloud serves as the quintessential background color that will coordinate with everything in our closets.
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