Spring 2012 Fashion Trends

1. Tangerine
Just like in the spring nail polish trends, tangerine is on trend for spring. Pantone has named "Tangerine Tango" the color of 2012. This bright red-orange is super bright and will cheer up any outfit.

Designers: Sophie Theallet, Steven Alan, Doo-Ri

If you aren't comfortable wearing a solid tangerine top, bottom, or dress, that's no problem. Try just sneaking a tangerine accent into your outfit, that way you won't have a super bright, our-of-your-comfort-zone outfit, but you can still have an on-trend outfit.
Try: Tangerine Earrings, Bags, or Shoes
Look out for a full post on how to wear tangerine(and other trends in this post) in the near future!

Click "Read More" for more trends!



2. Athletic Chic
Alexander Wang has had lots of sporty outfits on the runway. This style makes sporty pieces that are usually baggy and unflattering, sleek and cute.

Designer: Alexander Wang

This trend at first seems hard to wear, but if you think about it you can easily incorporate sporty pieces into your outfit in a wearable way. This trend is different, but still really cute.

Try: Leather Jacket, Compression Shorts, Nike Heels, Cute Sports Bra (If You're Brave Enough!), Leggings, Platform Sneakers (Which is also Another Trend!!!)

3. Peplum Accents

Peplum is a short flared skirt around the waist, it is really flirty and feminine. Also, since the flair is near the waist, this style will slim your waist.

Designer: Jason Wu

If you aren't ready to wear super showy peplum like the above photo, there are ways to wear it in a much more subtle fashion. Wearing neutral colors and smaller peplum accents will help a lot in having a subtle peplum accent. Also, try wear tighter clothing to avoid looking too baggy and flared out.

Try: Peplum Blazer, Peplum Pencil Skirt.

4. Polka Dots

Patterns are always in for spring. After a winter of darker and plainer pieces, everyone wants to wear bright colors and patterns. One specific trendy pattern this spring is polka dots.

Designer: Marc Jacobs

In these Marc Jacobs outfits, polka dots take over the entire outfit. Obviously, wearing polka dots like that is not very wearable. Pair a polka dot skirt with a solid shirt to make it less intense. Polka dots, in my opinion, look good with horizontal stripes. Similar to the outfit above, wear a polka dot skirt. Instead of a solid shirt, however, wear a horizontally striped shirt. You can also wear polka dotted accessories like bags, hairbands, or cuffs.

Try: Polka Dotted Accessories, Polka Dotted Skirt, Polka Dotted Tights, Polka Dotted Shirt

5. Color Blocking

This trend has been in for a while, and once you get the hang of it, is not very hard to pull off. Often times, pieces will be "pre-color blocked", which makes following this trend very easy.

Designers: Sophie Theallet, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Tommy Hilfinger

To wear color blocking, you need to either be sure that the colors are complete opposites, or they are all in the same color family. That will create the best effect. Personally, I do not think that patterns look too good when you are color-blocking, but if you can make it work for you and you like it then go right ahead. Usually you see solid, bright pieces mixed together. If the bright colors are too much for you, you can color block with shades of grey and brown as well.

Try: Bright Blazers, Bright Jeans, Bright Shirts, Pre-Color Blocked Pieces like Dresses or Shirts, Bright Shoes, Bright Bags, Bright Jewelry

6. Pastel

Just like for nail polish, pastel is on trend for spring 2012. These soft shades are girly, flirty, and feminine.

Designer: Jenny Packham

Pastel hues look very good on flowing dresses like above. If you aren't a dress girl, pastel look really good on shirts or shorts. It also looks really cute if you combine color blocking and pastel shades. Usually you think of color blocking with bright colors, but if you use pastel shades, it makes the look much less harsh.
Try: Pastel Dresses, Pastel Shorts, Pastel Loose-Fitting T-Shirts

7. Neon
After a long winter of grays and blacks, it is time for spring and bright colors! Neon is the brightest of all, so it makes your outfit scream spring and summer.

Designer: Elie Saab

Neon is a super fun and unexpected color that can make you stand out. Not everyone can pull off a bunch of bright neon pieces, but everyone can wear a few accessories in these fun shades. Neon, like pastels, look awesome when combined with the color blocking trend! However, if you are not ready for something that drastic, or even just a neon orange shirt, neon still looks really fun in accessories.

Try: Neon Shirts, Neon Colored Jeans, Neon Bags, Neon Jewelry, Neon Shoes

8. Floral
Floral is always cute for spring, so you can still wear that cute floral dress from last spring. Floral is very girly and feminine

Designers: Alice and Olivia, Proenza Schouler, Dries Van Noten, Marni 

If you have gotten bored of so much floral for so long, try a different variation of floral: graphic floral. This kind of floral is more edgy than girly and will change up the normal floral print. However, if you still like girly floral, that is fine too. Wear floral with neutral colors to put all of the attention on the colorful and fun print.
Try: Floral Flowing Dresses, Floral Skirts, Floral Tights, Floral Shirts, Floral Bracelets, Floral Shoes, Floral Jeans

9. Bird Print
Birds are taking flight all over the fashion world! This print is unexpected, but if it is worn with the right pieces, can work into your wardrobe without much work.

Designer: Jill Stuart, Carolina Herrera, Marc by Marc Jacobs

A full bird print outfit looks very cute, but it might not be for everyone. A bird print romper or dress looks adorable, but if you want to tone down the look, wear a solid piece with it. You can also wear bird print shirts or shorts. Jeans may look like too much, but if they work for you, more power to you. 

Try: Bird Print Dresses, Bird Print Rompers, Bird Print Shirts, Bird Print Shorts