GET YOUR SPRING ON!
At Last, Optimism Blooms Everywhere in Free-Spirited Fashion
Finally, a Spring that really feels like Spring. It’s been a minute since we felt breezy, after two years of masking, social distancing and compulsive hand-washing. So with the retreat of winter and two years of quasi lock-down, Spring fashion for 2022 is all about liberation, forgetting, and remembering. Liberation of the body – free at last! Time to retire the puffa and show some skin (motivation to step up your ab game). Forget all those long, lonely nights in quarantine, bingeing on Hot Pockets and Ted Lasso. And remember how much fun it is to suit up, get with your crew, and represent.
The feeling of Spring is confident, so begin with a few smart accessories to manage the essentials: iPhone, AirTag, and critical assets (ID, sunnies, lip gloss, plastic). So you’re always on point and in touch, don’t leave the house without:
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PRESCIENT IN PINK
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Need a snapshot of what the new season has in store? Look no further than the ubiquitous Kim Kardashian, who set the spark to the biggest color story of Spring 2022 – hot pink—in three OMG get-ups by Balenciaga back in October, when she hosted SNL. And taking it to the next level, Kim even went viral by combining Spring’s top three trends – 1. hot pink, 2. catsuit, 3. feathers-- into a single ensemble: hot pink catsuit with matching feathered cape by Collina Strada. Perhaps she truly is the cat who ate the canary? |
LE SHOCKING
| Love it, hate it? No color is as divisive as acid-hot pink, first popularized in fashion by Surrealist designer Elsa Schiaparelli as “Le Shocking” in the 1930s. VOGUE editor Diana Vreeland described the brilliant, aggressive shade as “the navy blue of India”— not to mention Peru and other places where beige is just simply not a thing. This Spring’s pink is anything but demure or pastel. Scared? Then start small, with a ruched clutch by Rebecca Minkoff – carry it wearing all white, and see how it feels. Then graduate to a Dyjana Ruched Strapless Mini Dress, and the Vince Camuto Notch Collar Blazer, Bloomingdales for the full fuchsia-magenta shockwave. |
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OH, BABY!
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If you’re old enough to remember the first incarnation of the baby tee, sometime around 1990, you probably should think twice before wearing this newly resurfaced look again this Spring. But, if genes and gravity have been kind, the shrunken, navel-baring midriff top is back with a vengeance. Tiny tops in general are everywhere, including bikini triangles and minimalist micro-pullovers that are barely more than a scrunchie. Bare and wear if you dare. If you want a little more coverage but still feel ready to debut that bod you’ve been keeping undercover, slip into the Shimmer Catsuit by SKIMS, courtesy of Kim Kardashian.
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FEATHERS
| Emily Dickinson wrote that “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.” It’s good to feel hopeful again after so long. And since springtime is so filled with birdsong, some of the season’s freshest looks are avian in inspo. Feather trim gives any garment a little sway and swish that’s ultra-delish. What good is sitting alone in your room? To conjure high-flying glam, style your feathers with sequins, false lashes, glitter and lots of eyeliner. For softer take, dress down your plumage with fresh, glowy skin, a cotton bucket hat, and a khaki safari jacket, suggesting a hot lady-ornithologist in search of the nesting site of a rare bird species. Pair with the oversized sunglasses that are making fashion headlines right now. Feathers are fluffy, flirty and fun on the Denisse Faux Feather Trim Romper, the Zaina Top by LaMarque, and the Majorelle Feather Mini Skirt. |
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THE HEIGHTS
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Girls, the platform is back. While the stiletto definitely has its place for silk stalkings, there’s nothing like the sky-high elevation of a solid platform sole to give even a shortie a new perspective. The Charlotte Stone “Ellery” Platform Wedge in Tangerine embossed Tejus leather is like a power-hit of fashion-strength vitamin C after the long, dark, sniffly winter. Seriously, with these uber-funky throwback kicks and your Napa, Cardiff and Sawtelle, you’re dressed to strut: in-office debut, girls’ night out, power-brunch, and adventure wherever the road leads. And when you’re feeling especially fierce, rock a frilly baby-doll dress a-la 90s-era Courtney Love with absolutely brutal black platform boots: Jailbreaker 140 by Naked Wolfe, for instance. Just want to unleash your inner nurse, or nerd? Then slip on the platform Librarian Loafer in white, by Jeffrey Campbell. |
MATCHY-MATCHY
We’re mad about matching. Yes, for decades, we’ve been told that it’s cooler to mix than match. But our dress code authority, Miss Matched, relays that a matched top and bottom – like a cute jacquard sweater-vest and mini – is the easiest way to instantly look sharp and pulled together. This is especially helpful for those of us who may have temporarily lost our ability to accessorize, since everything looks great with sweats, right? Once you get yourself into the matchwear groove, you’ll have even greater love for how all of our fine leather goods match: color, texture, hardware.
THE LONG VIEW
Another retro staple that’s back: the midi and maxi-length skirt. This long, lean line is a perfect counterpoint to a shrunken, itty-bitty baby tee, all supported by a handsome, comfortable platform clog. The midi and maxi are easier to wear than a mini, and so sexy and versatile, especially when crafted with side-slits for striding. Raw-edged distressed denim keeps it real.
CARRY IT ON
Some pundits are raving about large handbags for Spring, but frankly we have doubts. The fashionista trifecta of Noemi Napa-Cardiff-Sawtelle may even make it possible for you to ditch your tote, purse and backpack altogether, and that’s an astonishing amount of body-con freedom!