Fashion Trends for Spring 2010

Missouri has been teasing me with some warm and sunny March days... and my immediate thought is, how will I adjust my wardrobe for spring this year?

What's on the horizon for spring? In the past I would follow fashion week shows and trend reports religiously, but I've been so busy the past few years that I rely on the expert fashion reporters to do the job for me. I found a slide-show from Glamour offering photos of the most wearable spring trends. Seems like a good place to start... Here are some of my favorites from the list:

Tie-dye. This seems in line with the bright tribal trend I blogged about earlier. To me, tie-dye instantly brings forth images of hippies and grade-school art projects, but the looks shown in Spring 2010 collections were much more sophisticated: a modern take on the classic, laid-back style. (The above images are various looks from Spring '10 collections; my pick is the second from the right, by Proenza Schouler.)

Polka dots. Any excuse to wear feminine and retro dots is one I'll gladly take. I love how the first two trends are so different (tie-dye is decidedly surfer-chic, while polka dots are a girly girl's best friend). Lots of options for changing up my look!

Painterly prints. I'm mesmerized by dreamy, watercolor-like prints that are trendy for spring. They're a welcome alternative to spring's mainstay floral prints. These artistic prints have already made it to the red carpet, worn by Rachel McAdams and Maggie Gylleenhaal at the Oscars. (The skirt modeled by Karlie Kloss in the image above is by Michael Kors.)

The feathered skirt. What's more feminine and chic than a flirty feathered skirt? Anything that pays tribute to the glamorous looks of the Roaring '20s gets my attention.

Not-so-mellow yellow. Yellow is predicted to be huge for spring and I couldn't be more elated to add a dose of sunshine to my closet. The key is selecting pieces in vibrant, glowing yellows; mustard yellow is too drab for spring. (The above photo features spring collection looks by [from left] Cynthia Steffe, Preen, and Monique Lhuillier.)

The khaki suit. Personally, as someone whose lifestyle doesn't call for pantsuits, I think the khaki suit is more a symptom of the bigger safari chic trend. You can read my University Chic trend report on the safari fever here.

The military coat. In line with the safari look is the military coat trend; another uniform-inspired look borrowed from the boys. Military inspiration in outerwear isn't new, it's a trend that's been loitering for a few seasons now. I first reported on this for University Chic back in October.

The multi-strap dress. The multi-strap dress amps up your LBD's sex appeal, adding a sultry (but not slutty) nod to bondage.

What a difference a year makes

What a difference a year makes in your adolescence (or maybe just in Hollywood?).

Last year, Miley Cyrus was on the May 2009 cover of Teen Vogue. This year she's on the April 2010 cover, and almost exactly a year later, Miley looks dramatically more mature.

I'm not the biggest Miley fan, but I love the styling in her latest Teen Vogue spread, particularly the straightening of her unruly curled extensions. Her darker hair, paired with elegant red lips, makes her seem so much older in just a year's time.

This shot of Miley and Liam Hemsworth, her on-screen love interest in The Last Song (my book review here) and off-screen boyfriend, seems so natural and romantic (the Paris setting helps boost the romance meter, too). It transports me to Paris, where I envision walking arms linked with my own tall boyfriend.

Miley often times makes me cringe with her tacky clothing choices, but she looks extraordinarily sophisticated here when styled by the teenage fashion bible.

Though the book was somewhat dull, I'll confess I'm anxious to see The Last Song. Who doesn't love a teen romance set at the beach?

FASHION: Vibrant tribal trend

I love this trend reported on by my favorite style blog, WhoWhatWear!

A favorite item presently in my closet is a neon pink and black ikat patterned mini. I bought it almost a year ago, but I'm pleasantly surprised to discover it's still on trend; it works perfectly with the latest "techno tribal" look.

I love bright color for spring -especially after my winter wardrobe rotation of black and grey- and the juxtaposition of native prints with decidedly non-earthy hues is fun and fresh.

Best and worst of Oscar '10 fashion

My first and foremost reason to watch the Oscars? The fashion of course! Here are my hits and misses for the big night:

HITS

Cameron Diaz in Oscar de la Renta. When I first saw her, I literally said "Wow" aloud. This soft, classic Hollywood look is a departure for her, but a great choice. She glowed with elegance and femininity. I absolutely loved her hair and the way her curls complimented the overall look.

Maggie Gyllenhaal in Dries Van Noten. I love the basic, body-skimming silhouette in such a lovely print. Leave it to an underrated, indie actress to pick a modern red carpet look from a designer that isn't typically worn during award show season.

Rachel McAdams in Elie Saab. Love, love, love this gown's gorgeous print in those lovely muted pastels. The sweetheart neckline and full skirt is both figure-flattering and glamorous. An update on a classic Hollywood look.

Anna Kendrick in Elie Saab. This almost made it to my "pretty but boring list" but this gown's exquisite, feminine draping and sexy yet subdued neckline won me over. Her hair was a perfect example of the chic messy up-do. My only criticism? While presenting, girl looked terrified! Smile!

Miley Cyrus in Jenny Packham. Hate to say it since I'm not a big Miley fan, but she looked lovely at the Oscars. The dress was youthful, glamourous and feminine with just the right dose of sexy. Her hair and make-up looked great too (though her mega falsies were a wee bit drag). But she was clearly lacking some confidence: she had awkward red carpet interviews, flubbed while presenting, and didn't stand up straight the whole night. Shoulders back!

Zoe Saldana in Givenchy. This was the most interesting and captivating gown of the evening, in my humble opinion. Props to Zoe for being fearless and selecting a fashion-forward couture gown this is likely to get some backlash. The stunning violet color glowed against her skin and the sparkly bodice was mesmerizing. The train of ruffles was dramatic without being garish. All the elements (gradients, crystals, ruffles) could have been very overwhelming, but they were balanced well and therefore remained elegant together rather than overdone.

Sandra Bullock's hair and make-up: I loved the intricate bodice of Sandra's Marchesa dress, but wasn't thrilled with the overall look once the top flowed into a silver, scaly-looking skirt. What was flawless, however, was her hair and make-up. She looked even more stunning than ever. I couldn't stop staring at the perfect sheen of her hair.

On the pretty but boring list...

Jennifer Lopez: Though her dress had a unique texture and interesting lines, the color looked so flat and dull to me. She didn't radiate. Also, her up-do looked frizzy instead of chic messy.
Demi Moore: She looked beautiful, but the dress was a safe silhouette in a very safe, muted color.
Kate Winslet: Her hair looked sleek and picture-perfect, but the dress was snooze-worthy.
Kristen Stewart: The epitome of boring.

MISSES

Vera Farmiga in Marchesa. Usually Marchesa can do no wrong for the red carpet, but this bright and bold dress took away from the nominee's beauty. I love the color and appreciate the attempt to be fashion-forward and not dull, but this dress wore her; it should be the opposite.

Mo'Nique in Tadashi Shoji. I understand it's more difficult to dress black-tie when the designers aren't accustomed to fitting larger women, but actresses like Jennifer Hudson and Queen Latifah have shown that bigger girls can dress beautifully and still be in a figure flattering piece. Mo'Nique's dress was not very flattering. Also, she chose the color and chose to add an oversized flower in her hair to mimic (and honor) the outfit worn by Hattie McDaniel when she made history as the first African-American Oscar winner. I'm all for honoring the past, but we shouldn't dwell on it. It's not like other African-Americans haven't won Oscars since then (hello, Halle Berry?) and this should have been Mo'Nique's moment to shine, to make her own historical look.

University Chic Articles

I've been neglecting my blog here because I've been so busy and every free minute I have to write has been used to write for University Chic!

Check out all my UChic article links in the sidebar to the right, or click below for my latest:

Trend Report: Spring Safari

Book Review: The Last Song (I was a little peeved at some of the editorial changes, but nonetheless I really enjoyed the assignment).

Trend Report: "Jersey Shore" Style

Trend Report: Space-Age Beauty

Someone want to buy me this?

I love this dress.

I know they're "so over" but I love Herve Leger's bandage dresses. They're the perfect balance of sexy and chic.

Yesterday while at BCBG I tried on a plain bandage dress, but it just wasn't the same as this number at left. I should rock dresses like this while I still have a young, curvy body.

Someone want to buy it for me? It's only a grand and some change...

ANTM gets a credibility boost

I can't remember the last time I watched America's Next Top Model regularly (I think it was the Melrose/Jade cycle... classic television) but I know why I haven't: it blows.

If reruns of the first season on Oxygen have taught me anything, it's that the show now sucks because it's lost touch with its somewhat realistic, somewhat credible roots.

On the first season, they went to Paris, lived in a tiny model apartment there, did photo-shoot challenges reminiscent of the real fashion world, and had much more one-on-one time with Tyra. (Project Runway has gone through a similar progression of becoming less realistic and credible, but that's a story for another day). In recent cycles, Tyra relies on gimmick to garner audiences (like the short model cycle where every girl was under 5'4").

But America's Next Top Model will be getting a Vogue boost in coming seasons with the addition of Andre Leon Talley as a judge. Talley, Vogue's Editor-at-Large, will bring the perspective of a credible fashion expert to the show and also a dynamic shot of quirky personality.

Maybe I'll be watching this time around.

Fun Superbowl ads

I don't really care for football, but I love the advertisements from the Superbowl. It's a nice tradition to have companies compete for the best ad possible and it always brings about some fun results. I spent this morning online watching some and was a little disappointed to find there weren't many stellar ads this year. Nonetheless here are some of my favorites for your viewing pleasure:

Dove for Men

Career Builder - Casual Fridays

E-Trade - Baby's Girlfriend

Bud Light - "Lost" Parody

Bud Light - Lost Parody | Viral/Other | SPIKE.com

Snickers - Betty White (Who doesn't love Betty White?)

Doritos - "Keep your hands off my Mama"

I'm a hopeless romantic.

I love this Superbowl ad:

Using Greek leadership on a resume

While building my resume, I've hit one roadblock: how to express how valuable my experiences in Greek leadership have been without making them sound trivial. When I say I was the Social Chair of my sorority, I expect employers to write the role off as that of a silly sorority girl, when in reality I've gained valuable professional experience communicating with vendors, handling risk management, and overseeing a huge budget.

So how does one communicate the experience of Greek leadership to sound applicable for the job market? A post on the blog Sweet Careers offers some great resume phrases to help us Greeks out:

• Oversaw $___ budget; coordinated with President in allocating funds responsibly throughout the academic year
• Organized several philanthropic events, both on campus and in community, successfully raising over $___ for local charities
• Served as a member of the chapter's Discipline Committee
• Participated in diversity and cultural sensitivity training
• Oversaw and executed recruitment process; created public relations plan for the year and successfully increased recruitment quota from ___ to ___
• Collaborated with membership chairs of other sororities to coordinate recruitment process
• Used Java and MyZQL to develop a voting system to enable members to anonymously vote on fraternity business
• Redesigned fraternity's website using PHP and Flashing resulting in ___% increase in web traffic
• Ensured that all standing rules and bylaws, as well as national rules, were adhered to consistently

These are obviously just examples, and they should be changed and tailored to fit your own experiences and roles in the chapter. Start thinking about all that your leadership role entails and how that can translate to the business world; then put it on your resume!