Shorts

Summer 2011 trends

Right so I’ve been talking a lot about spring in the last few articles and now that spring is here, as it is in the fashion world it’s time to start thinking about next season and preparing our wardrobes for it! So summer it is! The advent of the warm weather is the best excuse ever to revamp your wardrobe and add just a few more key pieces… in other words: a new season is always a great excuse for a shopping spree! Time to bundle away those woolly jumpers and black dresses, send that coat to the dry cleaner and hide away those big boots, once all that is done say hello to our new trends for this season!

Following in the footsteps of spring, anything 70s and block colour is a good bet. The surprise trend for this season is definitely chic sportswear, traditionally the niche domain of labels such as Lacoste and Sportmax, in the S/S 11 season the likes of Versace, Marni and Nicole Farhi are joining the party. To copy this look, think heels and lycra rather than trackies and trainers! Go for detail, hoods, zips, new fabrics, boy shorts and so on but keep it all very glamorous – try American Apparel for a great source of high street inspiration.

Ok so I know this is probably not the trend you are dying to wear at the moment, especially if you have been witnessing the British weather lately but, when the sun does shine, this is definitely what you will want to be seen because trust me this trend is hot! I mean really who can argue with Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent, Prada and actually pretty much every other designer worth their salt! The great news is there are lots of different interpretations of the shorts trend, with some going for short shorts, or even cycling short, to other more easy to wear styles if you aren’t a six foot tall size zero. Some catwalks such as the Hermès show this spring/summer even showed us a variety of styles in the same show. I love these knee length tailored ones which are very work friendly and can be dressed up for the evening. Vogue recommends wearing them with a tailored white shirt, high heel stilettos and a black blazer, I wonder where they got that idea from??? These are not hard to find on the high street try Next, Marks and Spencers and Oasis for some good examples.
The two other styles that I think are also quite wearable are the classic safari style, in the right length these can also be really work friendly and can be worn with flats or heels although heels are always a better option if you need to lengthen your legs a bit! I also like these really cute printed ones from Next ideal for a Saturday lunchtime date and quirky enough to get you noticed, these are really similar to printed styles seen this season at Mulberry and Marc Jacobs but at £25 they are only a fraction of the price. There’s plenty to choose from out there and I can guarantee that there is something for everyone with this trend so have fun finding your perfect pair!