Chic girly is where it’s at

Iif Miuccia Prada gets behind a bare midriff, there must be something in it.

Iif Miuccia Prada gets behind a bare midriff, there must be something in it.

Published Sep 3, 2012

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A snapshot of what’s fashionable this spring.

Scarf prints

From porcelain to paisley, nautical to psychedelic, the way to wear your prints this season is on a scarf. A scarf that has become a blouse, skirt or shoes, that is: the traditional silk foulard was twisted and knotted into all of these at the final show for D&G this season.

A new silhouette

Forget those dresses with a helping-hand hourglass etched on – there’s a new silhouette in town, courtesy of Phoebe Philo at Céline and Nicolas Ghesquière at Balenciaga. High-waisted and broad-shouldered, it’s not the easiest look to pull off, but that’s the point. Perfect it now, because it’ll be around next season, too.

Make-up

Make-up trends follow the same hyper-feminine directive that clothing does this season – the Technicolor 1950s housewives. Lipstick crayons and nail polish are key among them.

Pink hair

As sported by model du jour Charlotte Free and most of the line-up for Thakoon’s spring show. Forget Amelia Lily’s X Factor make-over: pink hair is a dead cert this season as long as you go bright and bold. Temporary colour is advisable, professional help is a must.

Peplums

A peplum is that frill you sometimes get on skirts or jackets – and it’s the big thing for spring. Atop pencil skirts at Jason Wu, curling round dresses and trousers at Dries Van Noten, it’s a fuss-free feminine note for separates to thrill even the most frill-phobic.

JW Anderson

The name on everybody’s lips at London Fashion Week was JW Anderson. His nostalgic, sportswear-informed, sharp and modern garments have made quite an impact in menswear and womenswear. For spring, he offers an on-trend paisley print, blown up and zoomed in on so as to look like squiggling amoebas.

Bare midriffs

A trend for the brave. But if Miuccia Prada gets behind a bare midriff, there must be something in it. Approach with caution; abandon as soon as you return from holiday.

Miu Miu plunge bag

One of many It-bags of the season, Miu Miu’s plongé is elegant but roomy and comes in a wide variety of colours with a detachable strap, so you can choose between using it as a tote or satchel.

Candy colours

There’s no getting away from the fact that spring 2012 is girly: fondant colours and delicate material abound, such as the lemon-and-mint-tinged broderie dirndls (a type of traditional German dress) at Louis Vuitton. Still, it doesn’t hurt to be a bit saccharine while the sun is shining, does it?

Pyjamas

You can’t move for silken separates this season, printed in a variety of nostalgic patterns – some may call them pyjamas, others prefer “two-sie”. Either way, it’s a matching top and bottom that look a bit like something you’d sleep in, but are in fact the pinnacle of chic.

Wedge trainer

This spring’s unlikely hero: the wedge trainer. Shown first by Parisian designer Isabel Marant, the elegant hybrid has been taken up by Nike and Liberty, with a pair in adorable paisley. – The Independent on Sunday

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