Genevieve Loves: Spring 2011

There is so much to love about Spring 2011 that I am dedicating an entire post to it.  I really enjoy seeing new trends emerge, entire decades revisited and reinvented, and fabulous new ways to get ourselves feeling fresh and glamorous.

This spring it’s all about turning over a new leaf – styles are bursting with color, energy and femininity.  Spring starts NEXT MONTH, so let’s take a look at my biggest crushes…

 

Pretty Pink Polish & OPI Axxium Gel

I am swooning over candy-colored pink nail polish, like the shade Glamour picked for February’s color of the month.  I’m talking about the kind of nail polish that you kind of want to eat because it looks so delicious.  Better yet, get it done in OPI Axxium Gel – this stuff is flipping amazing (pictured above in Flamenco Pink) and can be done at your salon.  It is NOT acrylic or tips – it is a miracle polish that lasts TWO WEEKS, dries instantly, looks amazing and protects your nails from breaking.  You absolutely must ask your salon about it!  Healthy, gorgeous nails are always in style and this is the ultimate way to get them.

Pale Lips & Bright Eyes

I’m all about a pale pink gloss right now, like my personal favorite Dior Addict #257 Pearl.  I will even go out on a limb and say that I would rock nude-colored lipstick if the mood struck.  Just match it with a gorgeous, bright or glittery eye shadow and add a little bronzer to the cheek – like the superior Jane Iredale Moonbeam Bronzer – and voila! you are fresh and lovely.

80’s-Inspired Hair (Yes, I’m serious)

Laugh if you want, but messy bangs and waves are white-hot in my book.  Don’t believe me?  Check out the massive billboard-size Summer 2011 ad (pictured above) being featured in H&M stores as we speak.  If you are lucky enough to have wavy hair – shelf the straightener and let it those pretty locks shine!

Tassels and Fringe

 

Don’t you just love little details like these?  A fringe clutch, (that’s a super amazing Goldenbleu clutch pictured above) can totally make an outfit.  Or, little tassel-like bells on a gorgeous skirt gives the impression that the piece is the product of a little extra effort and thought.

Motochic

More specifically, zippers and leather.  Or zippers AND leather!  I’m not saying I will be dressing up like a biker Halloween-style.  But I love tough-girl elements; a fabulous zipper jacket, with either multiple zippers or a highlighted asymmetrical zipper (the jacket above is by Guess).  Then, there is the Botkier Howard Street satchel – a bag that I not only own, but am so obsessed with that I wouldn’t mind building a life-size version of and living in it (heck, it’s so big, you practically could live in it; to all the moms out there, this is your dream bag).

Its Reputation Precedes Itself: The Wide Leg Pant

  

It’s coming!  It’s coming!  The world is taken by storm by the already infamous wide leg pant, the flare, the bell bottoms – get them now or DIE!  Well, not really, but isn’t that kind of how it feels at this point?  The bottom line is this:  they look amazing, they are totally different from what we have embraced the past few years, and my goodness are they COMFY!  Go ahead and hop on board. because each time this trend emerges, it lasts about TEN YEARS.  I personally love the J Brand Hawkeyes (pictured above) – and I suggest making this one an investment piece (like, not from Target) because you are probably going to wear them quite a bit.

Earrings Speak Volumes

Big bold pieces have been in style for several years, but what I love more than anything right now is the statement earring.  A nice, big voluminous earring to balance out the wide leg pants we just gushed over ten seconds ago.  Big hoops?  Yes.  Big floral pieces?  Yes.  Big dangly craziness?  More yes.  Take a $20 bill, go to H&M and spend it on earrings – a cheap and easy way to update your style.

Bold, Beautiful Prints

  

More than ever I am swooning over beautiful prints.  So fresh and feminine, you can’t help but feel amazing when you wear them. The best thing about prints is that the rest of the outfit is a piece of cake, because your focal piece is clear and you simply base everything else around that. Look for lovely florals, gorgeous colors or big patterns.  Go nuts!

Girly Tops

   

The opposite of Motochic: feminine tops that are all about being a girly girl:  either with a pretty bow, lovely lace, cute eyelet detailing, a flowy silhouette or an empire waistline.  You can balance them with a fabulous pair of slacks or leggings.  This is such a great, simple way to look amazing and break out of the t-shirt-and-jeans-on-the-weekend routine (NOT that you do that ::wink::)

Hot Prep

  

I always love preppy clothes in some form – this year I am a big fan of matching a button-dowm with some rolled-cuff skinny jeans and a pair of heels or sandals.  Or, stripes!  Stripes are always in style – pair them with a nautical blue, or any color that makes them pop.  I also continue to love pleats and pleated skirts in particular.

Show-Stopping Trenches

  

I am, and always have been, kind of jacket-obsessed.  Over the past decade I have built an arsenal of beautiful, timeless coats.  If there is anything I have learned, it’s that every woman absolutely must own a gorgeous black trench – this is non-negotiable!  And nothing beats a fun, trendy trench in either a bold color or a great print.  Leopard is hot right now, but never goes away – it’s been around for so long that Diane von Furstenberg even calls it a neutral (which is awesome).

And finally, my top pick:  Stunning Skirts

 

Recently, a miraculous thing happened – I tried on one of these gorgeous skirts, and WOW – I was on board in a big way.  It’s so feminine and breezy – how rare that you put on something that instantly transforms how you feel.  I especially love these skirts in bold colors or patterns; it really highlights the movement of the skirt as you sashay into the room (and oh, you WILL sashay!)

 

I hope you enjoyed this look at a few of my favorite things! Now go be your fabulous, fashionable self and remember to discover and embrace YOUR personal style.

XO

Genevieve