Tricks and trends for spring fashion

Monday, March 8, 2010 - 1:30 AM

As spring and summer roll in, don’t fret about how keeping up with trends will affect your wallet. This season’s looks are really just an easy do-it-yourself project. To achieve styles in both men’s and women’s wear, simply follow a few steps to update what’s already in your closet.

Melissa Motley, a 23-year-old psychology major, and Evynn McFalls, an 18-year-old journalism major, model some of the biggest trends for the spring fashion season. For women, trends include acid-washed jeans, lace trim and combinations of feminine and masculine pieces. For men, trends include cuffed jeans, nautical striped shirts and bowler hats. Photo by Brian Bolton/Nevada Sagebrush.

New trends for women

This season in women’s fashion is like one giant blast from the fashion past. Retro nautical tops, ‘80s-inspired light washed jean apparel and early ‘90s-style florals top the list of spring and summer must-haves, Emma Taylor, the Impulse section specialist at Macy’s, said. Retro rompers, brightly colored and printed maxi dresses, military-inspired khaki and olive jackets and high-waisted cuffed shorts are also big this spring and summer, Taylor said.

“The shift from rocker chic and studs everywhere to something a little softer, more feminine is refreshing and, needless to say, makes for a nice change of pace,” Krystal Bick, creator of the critically acclaimed fashion blog, “This Time Tomorrow,” and community manager for an online social Web site for fashion bloggers, Weardrobe, said. “Other favorite trends (of mine) include denim/chambray tops, platform wedges, clogs and sheer tops in lace or tulle with a visible statement bra underneath.”

How to transform the old

One of the best ways to keep up with the trends on a budget is to either update basic pieces in your wardrobe or shop at thrift stores to find pieces that can easily be updated and altered, Bick a University of Nevada, Reno alumna, said.

“Shopping at thrift stores and consignment shops can be a bit daunting,” she said. “What I try to do before I start thrifting is actually make a mental list of different items that I’ve been looking for, whether that may be vintage leather shorts, a leopard faux-fur coat or just a pair of awesome cage heels. This way, you’ll approach your shopping with a bit more focus and purpose.”

Aside from thrifting wardrobe pieces, another way you can affordably make your style more trendy is by updating pieces you already own in your wardrobe. For example, one of the biggest trends that has translated from fall and winter into spring and summer fashion trends is vests. Instead of the dark-colored and oversized fitting vests that were popular last season, this season is all about white- and light-jean, short, fitted vests that are embossed with detailing like lace, fringe and silver studs, Taylor said. A plain vest can easily be altered and updated into a trendy piece by simply sewing lace detail or gluing studs to it. Another way to update wardrobe pieces is to alter the fit of a particular piece.

“To spice up some old favorites, playing around with the shape of certain items can instantly change everything about the feel of an outfit,” Bick said. “For women, belting basic items like trench coats and pea coats or a wrapped boyfriend-fit button down shirt looks effortlessly chic and put-together.”

New trends and DIY for men

Luckily for male shoppers, men’s wardrobe trends change at a snails pace, so very few updates and new trends have been incorporated in men’s fashion this season. The retro, nautical look is not only a big trend in women’s fashion this season; it is also a massive trend for mens’ wardrobes too, York said. Updating a simple and plain white polo shirt by pairing it with a thin-striped white or navy blue cardigan is an easy and affordable way to rock this sailor-inspired look. Vintage striped cardigans can be found in all styles and sizes at any local thrift store.

As always, dark washed denim is a big trend this season in men’s fashion, but instead of loose fitted or baggy styles, a straight-legged, fitted and cuffed style is in. Any pair of slim fitting jeans can be updated to spring and summer trends by simply cuffing the last two inches of the base of the jean, according to Bick. Pairing this cuffed jean look with a pair of colorful boat shoes or ‘60s nubuck shoes (both can be found at secondhand stores for a cheap price) really solidify this retro inspired look, York said.

Adding a few accessories or a statement piece to an outfit is another easy way to update a look, Bick said.

“For both men and women, I think hats are unfortunately underrated,” Bick said. “For just one item, a hat can be an excellent statement to any basic outfit. Skip the baseball caps, though, and stick more along the lines of panama hats and bowler caps — something with a classic brim.”

Do It Yourself

Splurging on new trends is not always necessary. Updating wardrobe basics can be as fun and simple as a DIY project. Light-, stone- and acid-washed jeans that are destroyed and ultra figure-hugging are back in all their 1980s glory. Nautical denim button-down shirts, ultra-fitted jeggings (a hybrid of leggings and jeans), and light-washed, cropped denim jackets are huge trends this season, according to Sharon York, manager of Macy’s By Appointment sales. Luckily, old denim jackets or jeans can easily be transformed and translated into this season’s denim wardrobe essentials.

DIY Instructions:

Required: A denim jacket or pair of skinny jeans, bleach, a cheese grater
Soak the denim jacket or pair of jeans in a solution composed of 2/3 bleach and 1/3 water for 20 minutes, or until the jean has lightened to the desired effect.
After the jeans or jacket have been washed and dried, use a cheese grater to create a ripped and destroyed effect on the knees and upper thigh area of the jeans, or on any desired part of the jean jacket.
How to wear: In order to look more sophisticated and stylish and not like an ‘80s mess, only wear one piece of denim at a time. Pair a fitted jean jacket with a floral or tribal-inspired printed maxi dress and a pair of skinny destroyed denim jeans with a soft and flowy floral top in order to balance out the masculine and feminine looks and not overdose on denim.