Spring Thaw
By Suzanne Rian
HTF Columnist
Well, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. As much as I love the chance to rotate out my black wool winter coat with my sassy red trench, I really hate the beginning of spring. The muddy mess does not bode well for my long pant legs and spiky heels. So I am relegated to the rain boot, and though I do enjoy looking like the Morton Salt girl, there comes a point where I just want to hear the click clack of my heels on a nice clean dry sidewalk. Until that time comes, I wait, and I keep myself distracted with the piles of fashion magazines and trend reports.
Now, I’ve been aware of a lot of these spring delights since last August, due to the insane amount of line sheets and catalogs that have to be looked over in preparation for the spring season at the store—Love getting the sneak peeks, do not love feeling out of season all year long. When the crocuses are poking out of the ground, I am perusing red wool coats, and vice versa, looking at daintily embellished tanks in the middle of winter. Yikes. But now is the time I look back at all of my notes and order sheets and organize the store for the spring, trying to remember the things that I ordered, and which top coordinates with which pair of capris. The biggest challenge for me when ordering is how to translate these trends into something wearable on the Range.
Case in point, one of my favorite items was a pair of spring green sequined shorts that I came across. They were paired with a frothy white blouse and a beautiful pair of nude cork-bottomed strappy sandals. But how likely is that outfit going to sell in northern MN, a place where the summers are sometimes cold enough to wear pants, and the general activities are things like fishing and waterskiing, not lunching at a palace. Darn it all. Well, I can order that frothy white blouse. If necessary it can be tempered with a pair of darn denim jeans or a skirt. And the shorts? Well, the short parts and the sequins are not going to make the cut, but the color can. Spring green capris, here we come.
Each season brings a dozen or so new trends, and in a store where square footage is at a premium, I need to pick and choose which ones to highlight and which to skip. I take the most wearable and the most fun, and add a little Moxie sass, and voila! Spring Season 2010.
The first trend is a personal favorite: Alice in Wonderland. Fashion has always been influenced by movies and the actors and actresses that appear in them, but the last 20 years or so, it seems like the marketing of movies feeds the marketing of fashion and vice versa. An Alice in Wonderland- inspired dress is the equivalent of a movie toy in a kid’s happy meal. But even with the craze behind it, I just love what it has done to influence both couture and mainstream fashion. This trend brings with it pastels and ruffles, delicate embroidery, floral prints, and charm bracelets. If you are a girly girl, this is the trend for you.
Next up is an old favorite that resurfaces every few years: Nautical. This season it is reborn in pinstriped tunics, wide-legged palazzo pants and unstructured cardigans. If you are not careful, this may come off sloppy, which is why you need to keep proportions in mind. Light layers are best, and those wide pants need to be balanced by a tighter fitted top, and the loose tunics and cardigans are best set off by a fitted long Bermuda short or a legging. The traditional color palette includes some very sharp colors, but a new palette of faded red, navy, and light tan add a bit of deconstruction to this classic look.
The third trend to talk about is graphic brights. Always a fun trend in the spring/summer, this one you can wear from year to year if you shop smartly. This trend is very influenced by the 80’s (my least favorite era for fashion) and you can get caught in a stirrup pant/jelly bracelet whirlwind. Keep the brights anchored by white or black and keep the super trendy items to a minimum. And please, for the love, don’t attempt to recreate the
perm from your senior prom. No one wants to see that.
The best part about spring for me is the chance to share the fun in fashion shows. If you would like to join in, the Hibbing Chamber’s WIN group is sponsoring one on St Patrick’s Day at Zimmy’s. You can scope out the hottest trends, have dinner and drinks with your girlfriends, and stay for some sassy Irish tunes with your favorite history writer leading the band! Since seating for the fashion show is limited, reservations are required. Call 218-262-3895 to reserve your spot for dinner and the show and be ready to kick up those heels!
Suzanne Rian is a fashionista and the owner/operator of Moxie boutique in the Reed Building on First Avenue in Hibbing.
