By Jasmine Cunningham
I WOULD bet that most of you felt the need to scream rather loudly when suddenly faced with the local weather forecast, 24 degrees and sunny! Now I’m not referring to the screams you make in anticipation of the warmer season to come but rather the scream, cry or whine (loud, of course) that many a female has exhibited over the years, or should I say every year, when we simply cannot find anything to wear!
Our wardrobes always, always, get incredibly hungry over the winter months, which seem to last forever in Warrnambool, and our foolish clothing storage systems continue to eat at our expense. I know my previous summer purchases get eaten first as they are nowhere to be seen when needed most.
Well, at least that’s the excuse we can use, especially when attempting to cover up our new purchases from friends, family, husbands and partners. I love the old "I borrowed it from my friend" or "I’ve had that for ages, where have you been?". It never seems to get old. I hear some fantastic cover-ups concerning new wardrobe purchases and those must-have items of clothing that we simply cannot live without.
Leaving recently acquired parcels under the passenger seat of the car when returning home after a spending spree is always a fail-safe way to disguise the fact that you have cleared the bank account. Just make sure that when you get inside, you cook up the best two minute noodles ever - because that’s all you will be eating for a while!
So what’s in for spring/summer this year? Well a heck of a lot, that’s for sure! I would love to sit here and write about the one single most ‘followable’ trend at the hype of fashion weeks around the globe but I simply can’t. This year, more than ever, an abundance of 'wow factor' looks have graced stores everywhere.
A few simple key trends should help with making a start on the new wardrobe additions - just make sure you are equipped to spend or cover up with an alibi on hand!
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THE SLEEVELESS BLAZER
A terrific carry-on from the ever-popular-and-not-going-anywhe re-trend of the full-sleeve cousin. The blazer is such an easy piece to wear. Blazers can be worn over anything and having a version to carry us through the warmer weather is simply irresistible. The sleeveless blazer can be worn with patterned pants, skirts, floral shorts, denim and looks amazing with maxi dresses. Most of the sleeveless blazers around this season have a mini cap sleeve and have been shown in natural, nude, navy and pinks. Black can be a little heavy particularly when pairing it up with florals and pastels.
KHAKI
We are seeing lots of khaki this season. Singlets with embellishment, military inspired shirts, shirt dresses, tees, denim jeans and, of course, the ever-popular cargo. The oversized cargo pant in khaki is a great no brain piece to add to any wardrobe. They can be worn casual with printed tees, singlets and shirts or rolled up with heels and dressier tops. The over-sized cargos are super versatile when trying to make the most of a transition from casual to dressy and now more than ever they are being spotted with florals and feminine prints.
PASTELS
Pastels are everywhere this season. Pastel basics are a great addition to any wardrobe with long sleeve tees, singlets, shorts, dresses and jackets all being shown in pastel colours. Spring race wear, although strong in colour, has been influenced by the overseas trends in nude and natural colours. The pastel hues have included pinks, purples and nude tones with a lot of the footwear and accessories following suit. Try not to be too bold when adding pastel pieces to your wardrobe as teaming them with blacks and darker shades can be quite tricky unless accessorising with similar colours. Pastels look terrific with floral prints, stripes and have featured heavily with khaki.
STRIPES
Like spots, they never seem to go out of fashion. I am seeing a swing more towards the nautical inspired stripes in reds, white and navy tones. It is always easy to have a striped basic on hand to make a boring casual outfit classy. Striped tees have featured heavily in ranges for spring/summer, so too have summer dresses. Team that striped basic with a cargo pant, denim jean, tailored shorts, or distressed denim. Add a loafer or boat shoe, canvas sneaker or thongs to keep the look casual or alternatively dress it up with heels, pearls and jewellery.
THE MAXI DRESS
Ahhhh, how we love you! Maxi dresses would have to be one of the most fail-safe spring summer transition pieces around. The maxi can be worn layered-up in winter with tights, leggings, blazers or leather but can also be taken into summer on its own. If you find your maxi dress a little long tie up the bottom at the front in small knots - it can shorten the length but add a curtain drape effect to the dress, and heavy draping is running hot in fashion circles globally. Alternatively your dress can be altered to the correct length if desired. This seasons prints and trends include bold thick stripes, pastel colours, soft floral prints and have been shown in silks, polyester and cotton jersey fabrics. Strapless maxi dresses are terrific for more formal occasions giving a ball gown feel but on a more conservative level. Add belts, beads and ribbon of any colour. I am a stickler for having ribbon on hand in a variety of colours if needed to draw in the waist and create a more feminine silhouette, that way the scurry to match shoes seems less stressful if the ribbon is of the same colour!
LACE & CROCHET
A much larger influence has been placed on lace and crochet looks this season - from singlets, to cardigans, blazers, dresses and even added into destruction denim looks. Lace tops look terrific paired back with washed back denim, and tailored shorts. Lace this season has favoured more creamy nude tones which tie in quite nicely with the khakis, florals and pastels on offer. Crochet singlets have been a popular choice amongst consumers of late and can be a quite useful addition to the spring/summer wardrobe. Crochet singlets look terrific with coloured singlets and printed layers underneath, they can be worn under a dressy jacket or blazer but have appeared more recently as a great addition to the maxi dress. Throw a crochet singlet over a maxi dress to add a different element, particularly great when spaghetti straps aren’t quite your thing.
SHORTS
Shorts are always a great piece to wear in the warmer weather. This season, shorts are becoming increasingly popular due to the variety of fabrics, colours and cuts available. Forget the old stone coloured ‘mum’ short with the elastic waist, or the thigh hugging mini short trend that only the svelte or teens among us can adopt. This season is all about the cullotte short, the knee length tailored look and the high waisted feminine cuts. Nautical inspired colours feature heavily in the tailored department and the lengths are getting longer... yay! Tailored shorts look great put back with striped basics, shirts, crisp white tees and blazers. Make your shorts part of your casual outfit by adding a gladiator sandal, thong or plain canvas sneaker or dress up adding a wedge heel or beaded detail shoe. Cullotte-style shorts are terrific for any body shape and the stress of worrying about whether ‘the thighs’ will fit into them is now only a distant memory in the past. Most cullotte shorts this season are shown with shirring or elastic on the back or sides of the waistband which make them exceptionally comfortable especially on a sizzling day. Cullotte shorts look great in soft florals, black and pastel earthy tones.
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Experiment with a few of the key looks and trends this season as many new pieces can be easily added to existing wardrobe items. Magazines and window shopping are great ways to get inspiration even if it makes you re-think your already-full wardrobe.
Adapting to the changing season and trends does not always have to mean starting from scratch. That old jacket you have been hanging onto for years may well be the perfect fit for the new pastel shirt, dress or singlet. Get out there and get inspiration, keep it simple and remember: it all comes down to having a little dress sense.
* Jasmine Cunningham is the manager/buyer for Mix It Up and Mixture Boutique in Warrnambool.
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