Hurray! Let the forest nymphs and artsy chicks rejoice… Spring is here!

Lucky for them they are already properly dressed for the celebration. Their style is right on track with my next favorite spring trend.

Prints, prints and more prints- from bold florals to graphic patterns to floaty, fluid garments that appear to have been dipped in or splash by a bath of wild color.

Over the past few seasons we have been seeing florals and stripes creeping back into favor at some of out favorite fashion houses, though for me last Spring was ultimately most about refreshing color combinations ( I still get a thrill at the rediscovery of pairing yellow and gray!)

Who could forget Spring 2007’s most memorable trends- ladylike florals at Carolina Hererra, a metallic trench at Celine, jewel-toned satin at Prada and bright yellow paired with gray at 3.1 Phillip Lim

This Spring- all bets are off and no surface is safe… patterns and movement seem to be exploding everywhere you look.

Bold patterns on the runways of Balmain, Christian Lacroix, Diane Von Furstenberg, Dolce and Gabanna, Alexander McQueen and Carolina Hererra grabbed everyone’s attention this past fall as the stage was set for a trendy bouquet of colorful looks this Spring

Worn alone these prints make a fashion statement, creatively paired together the trend will speak volumes. In fact, wearing two or more of these fabulous prints at the same time is where the trend really gets exciting.

Dries Van Noten Spring 2008 collection epitomizes the trend of thoughtfully mixed prints. His fifties inspired florals mixed with modern day colors mixed with spring motif fabrics create a “perfect storm” of patterns.

But we all know mixing fabrics can be scary…to make sure your blended ensemble looks”forward” not “confused” there are a few color and pattern rules to remember:

1. It’s a good idea to keep the movement of the patterns similar and allow for one piece to be much louder than the other, like in this look from Dolce and Gabanna.

2. Florals can be blended together, just allow for them to have at least one color in common- like the pale gray flowers that appear in both prints in this Dries Van Noten ensemble.

3. Or simply take a cue from the stylist at Prada and keep the two patterns the same, just mix up the size of the motif and blend together two complimentary colors ( in this case red and green) for added “oomph”!

I realize that for most- wearing prints, especially loud ones mixed together, may have some shaking in their lace and bone Balenciagia boots- after all haven’t we all just gotten used to the idea of throwing in a neon or metallic tone to our neutral wardrobe for excitement?!!!!

Don’t worry there are plenty of beautiful solid looks on the horizon for Fall 2008, so why not throw caution to the warmer wind and rejoice in the Springtime by adding at least one or or two fabulous prints to you repertoire.

Intermix.com is a great place to find inspiration!

The quick fix…. one great patterned dress, a dip dyed blouse, a floral bag or a show stopping pair of print shoes. Whether you wear patterns this Spring on their own or mixed together- you’ll be right on trend!

Let me know if you have a favorite print for spring! Or send me a photo of your best “mixed” ensemble and I’ll post it on our site!   

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