Key Trends for Spring-Summer 2016

I love fashion but I certainly don’t advocate following it slavishly. The key to stylish dressing is to embrace those trends that work for you and avoid those that don’t. This means taking into account your  “style personality” as well as your colouring, shape, scale and proportions. Here’s the low-down on some of the key trends for this Spring-Summer.

Silhouette

This season sees a move away from form-fitting styles to a longer,  looser, layered silhouette, which will doubtless come as a relief to many women.  This look works particularly well if you’re tall, but shorter women will  need to include at least one fitted element in their outfit to avoid looking swamped.

 Colour

There’s a  riot of bold colour – lime greens, all shades of yellow and orange –  which will appeal to the more flamboyant  (dramatics, creatives) amongst you .  These colours are wonderful on women with warm colouring but more tricky for those who are cooler (think ash-toned hair and pinky toned skin). For the cools amongst you, there is an abundance of pinks and inky blues.

Wide leg trousers

Great for those who haven’t been blessed with slender legs and hips but can be difficult to carry off if you are short, in which case go for a relatively narrow (though not necessarily skinny) leg.  In either case, wearing trousers long and with heels will give the illusion of longer legs.

New Nautical

They’re calling it “new” but this is a perennial theme and one that especially appeals to “classic” women.  Dig out your striped shirt or Breton (if you’re a classic style personality, you’ll almost certainly have at least one!) invest in a pair of wide-leg trousers and you’re good to go!

Ruffles

This season’s pretty, feminine ruffles will appeal to those with a romantic style personality. Unlike last year’s more sculptural ruffles, theses are light and soft in fabrics like chiffon and tulle.  Ruffles tend to work best on a fairly curvy body shape – just make sure they’re not adding bulk where you don’t need.

The shirt dress

It was here last season and it’s still on-trend for this one. Suitable for most women and will particularly appeal to classic and city chic style personalities. Belt it if you have a waist, leave it to hang straight if you don’t.

Sexy Shoulders

They’re on display in tops and dresses with interesting necklines and cut-outs.  Most women can make this look work for them. Just make sure you invest in a good multi-way bra!

Jewellery

It’s bold! Long, dangly mismatched earrings were a key look on the catwalk.   If you’re  a creative or dramatic style personality you’ll probably love this trend. Other style personalities may be happy to go with long and dangly but prefer to give the mis-matched element a miss.

These are just a few of the key trends you’ll be seeing in the shops within the next few weeks. There really is something for everyone this season. If you’d like advice on what will work best for you and where to find it, please get in touch.