Colour your closets: its spring shopping time

BY ELYSE AMEND

elyse.amend@transcontinental.ca

With the snow and ice melting, the days getting longer, and the temperatures rising, spring is on everybody's mind – and with that also comes ideas of all the new styles out there that can give your wardrobe that essential kick after a long, cold winter.

And what better place to go on a fashion hunt than right here at home? There are plenty of local boutiques that offer great selections filled with exciting items just waiting to heat up your closets and drawers.

“One of the lines for this spring would have to be ‘let the sun shine in’,” said Glynis MacDavid, a certified corporate trainer, makeup artist, and senior sales representative for Mary Kay Cosmetics. MacDavid held a seminar on the hippest fashion trends and gave tips on how to get the right look at the West Island Women’s Centre yesterday, and took the time to give The Chronicle a little insight into what trends are popular this season.

Anyone can get that sunny look with the many yellow clothes and accessories available at just about any store or boutique in just about any tone from olive green/yellow mixes to bright lemon yellows.

“The colour of the season is yellow, yellow, yellow, in any possible shade it’s made in,” MacDavid said. But spring is not limited to only one colour: blues, greens, and purples are everywhere, too. “Bright, bright colours are in, but paired with neutrals. Neutral tones are still very in as well.”

When out shopping for a few new items, MacDavid said to look out for eye-catching patterns – like florals, blocky patterns, and Japanese-inspired designs – and textured materials.

“It’s like the song from the Rocky Horror Picture Show, ‘Touch-a, touch-a, touch me,” MacDavid joked. “Texture is very crucial this season. Even cotton: the bumpier, the better.”

Leather is also going back to its roots, with jackets, bags and other items taking on a much more natural look in texture and tone, compared to the shiner patent leather. And if your accessory list includes a purse or bag for yourself, make sure to pick up a little accessory for your bag as well: purse jewellery is a must.

A big hit from last year should also be coming back this spring: “Capris only came in a couple of years ago, so I have a funny feeling we’ll see a lot of them again this year,” especially styles that are snug with a little flare at the knee, MacDavid said. And as for shoes, last year’s popular ballet slipper is back in a big way. “You’ll see ballet slippers in everything from cotton to patent leather. And, of course, they’ll be in every colour imaginable.”