KEY POINTS:
You've seen it on the runway and you loved it. You see it in the stores here and you want it. But do you really need it to update your wardrobe? And more importantly, will you actually wear it?
Love: A maxi dress
Yeah baby, bring back the 70s. Can't you just imagine yourself romping about like some neo-Bohemian at the next pool party you're invited to in a tiered maxi-dress which skims your ankles and floats above your bejewelled sandals? This particular look has been seen on mainly Italian runways and has definitely filtered down to local chain stores. It's still hard to say whether all of New Zealand will be wearing long dresses as soon as the sun comes out, but there's definitely something romantic and retro about a maxi.
Want: A Shanti dress from Tanya Carlson or a Garden Party Dress by Helen Cherry. Because really, if you like this look, there isn't any substitute. Skirt lengths are all relatively similar so the key to finding the most wearable maxi-dress for you is to get the top half just right. You'll know if you suit shoestring straps, halter necks or strapless tops - just apply the theory to a maxi-dress.
Need: An adventurous sense of style and a less expensive version of the look. This is a right now, right here-at-the-poolside outfit. And for purely practical reasons, a maxi-dress can't really last into winter because those long hems are going to drag about in the mud.
So it may be best to seek out a genuine retro maxi dress at a vintage store or opt for a pretty chain store version. And if you really need to spend some serious cash on a pricier designer number, then consider whether the dress would also work as an evening dress in a few months' time. For example, although you might miss out on the retro-style printed version, Carlson's off-the-shoulder Sundowner maxi also comes in an elegant silvery grey. And Helen Cherry's maxi would work as an evening frock later on too.
Oh, and one final thing about a maxi-dress: they do make your legs look longer and they'll do away with the need for fake tan until you're good and ready to expose your limbs.
Love: Balenciaga and Prada next season, darling!
It's always Balenciaga this, Prada that, when you're talking to the seriously style-obsessed. New Zealand is in the strange position of being a season behind Europe and America so ostensibly we're supposed to be lusting after fashions shown in the Northern Hemisphere a few months ago.
But realistically, anyone who buys fashion magazines or bothers to look at clothes online has already seen all the outfits the Europeans will be wearing next summer. Which is why we've already seen all that uber-designer Nicolas Ghesquiere, who designs for the house of Balenciaga, has to offer. And the nice thing for Antipodeans is that you get to be in love with two seasons at once.
His latest collection, mostly in techno-floral prints, features futuristically constructed outfits with extreme hourglass figures, oversized shoulders, nipped-in waists and artificially expanded hips. Whereas the one before that, the eminently wearable winter collection they're wearing now in Paris, was all about what fashion editors called melting pot chic - a mixture of preppy, ethnic, street style, scarves and jodhpurs.
Want: Jodhpur trousers from Karen Walker's current collection.
By next winter it's a fairly safe bet the jodhpur will be a trendy look. So if you can lay your hands on some this season - loose, cotton versions were popular during the last European summer and the slightly cropped, white versions that Karen Walker is doing also suit the warmer weather - then you'll be ahead of the fash pack. Be aware though, that this could be an in-one-day, out-the-next sort of style, not an everlasting wardrobe staple.
Need: A floral print. Jodhpurs may be very Balenciaga but they can be a little trickier to wear. However a floral print - which is another trend bequeathed to us by both Balenciaga and Prada - is perfect for this summer, next winter and possibly even the following summer.
The European runways were literally bristling with blooms in all shapes, forms and hues. The good thing about this is the variety of floral prints you can choose from - from blurry, arty brush strokes to vintage sprigs and retro buds to digitalised, barely recognisable vegetation, there's a blossom to suit every taste.
Love: Bright colours, even those 80s-style neons.
Fashion trends seem to come from two quite different places. Some come from street style - what the musicians, artists and students are wearing. Others come from the runway - what the fashion designers think we should be wearing.
Most often though, there's an inexplicable intermingling of all of the above. The current desire for brighter colours is definitely like that. On one hand you've got the young 'uns getting into a sort of late-80s, early-90s rave revival that involves cavorting about in neon-bright colours.
And on the other hand you have influential designers like Miuccia Prada and John Galliano flashing rich hues, christened jewel brights, on the international runways. Both have a distinct appeal - the jewel brights because they're deep, beautiful colours, and the neon-brights because they're outrageous, interesting and a little ironic.
Want: A shocking pink satin wrap or shirt dress from Miss Crabb. Or a Flux dress by Cybele, in acid orange. With the almost punk sensibility of some of these dresses, you get the sexy, street style and the colour straddles the line between beautiful and outrageous perfectly.
Need: A pair of brightly coloured shoes. While some of us would happily wear bright pink satin or acid orange every day and all night, for others the thought of wearing a really brightly coloured dress is terrifying. So a good way to work this particular trend for colours is via accessories. Lately shoes have been far more attention getting in general, and a pair of cherry red, emerald green or hot pink heels will add daring to any outfit.
Love: Playsuits
Aw, they're just too cute. And they're everywhere. Followers of fashion love them because there's something innocent and pretty about them but they've also got a lot of "ish" words attached: flirtatious, tomboyish and delicious. Excellent for exposing the long, brown legs of models.
Want: There are too many to choose from. A star-studded Malibu playsuit from Zambesi, a stripey one from Sylvester, a denim Scuba Suit from Mala Brajkovic and one of several versions from Lonely Hearts. These little beauties run the gamut from relatively fitted to loose and more forgiving.
Need: Some stockings. These are to wear under your playsuit until the fake tan lotion really kicks in. Or some tailored shorts or a pinafore-style, smock dress (which can have a similar feel to a playsuit but doesn't require as much leg, and which could even be worn with trousers or jeans) might be easier for most women to pull off than an actual playsuit.
If you can do, then good on you and we look forward to seeing you shake your thang this summer. But if this style makes you nervous, or you feel it's something best left to 16-year-old models, then the latter garments might be a more versatile purchase.
Love: The shootie
You've got to love the weird name for footwear's flavour of the season as invented by fashion editors to describe the combination of the shoe and boot. But obviously it's not just the appealingly strange moniker - you're going to love the style too.
Want: A lace-up shoe with a high heel like those in store at the Jaimie boutique. Mollini also make some cool black and white ones. Coming in two tones, they're like high-heeled spectator shoes, so called because the original black on the heel and toe of a white shoe prevented grass stains that a spectator at the races or a golf tournament might get.
And yes, there's an odd, almost Victorian, feeling to some of these; admittedly, they're slightly uptight for a summer wardrobe. But if you invest in a high-heeled lace up shoe like this, especially if the contrasting colour is something other than white, they'll last right into next winter and lend a sense of sophistication and high fashion style to a shorter summer dress.
Need: A flat, man-style shoe or a heeled ankle boot because they're easy to wear. If a man-style shoe comes on a bit too strong you can always opt for a more feminine alternative in the form of a soft leather, dancing class version of the masculine lace-up. And mostly it just feels like knee-length boots are looking a little outdated right about now - so if you're going to have boots, they're better off in the style stakes at ankle height.
And finally, if none of that is to your taste, then may we suggest a love affair with the Mary Jane instead? This is rapidly shaping up to be summer's most wearable, feminine shoe shape.
