Spring and Summer Fashion Trends
Southern Hemisphere 2009 /2010

This is my summary of the new spring and summer fashion trends for the southern hemisphere (mainly based on my observations of spring and summer fashions in Australia). I've also included some tips for which styles suit which body shape and personal colouring best.

Share your spring and summer fashion favourites for this fashion season by clicking here.

Click here to see fashion trend observations made by other visitors to this page.

Spring & Summer Fashion Trends: Main Style Elements

The key spring and summer fashion trends include dresses, blazers and gladiator-style sandals. 

The strongest design element is architecturally inspired structures such as pleats, drapes and tucks. In particular you'll see this structural detail in necklines and shoulders. Futuristic shoulder pads also create strong shoulders.

A dominant trend, within an outfit, is balance: feminine and masculine; soft and hard; day and night; a minimal look plus a statement (such as a necklace, a 'bling' design detail, or shoulders). 

A good way to update a dress is with a new or different accessory. For example, add a studded belt to a floaty dress; add a statement necklace to a minimal outfit.

There are many variations within the trends, so you should be able to find something to suit your body shape, lifestyle and personality.

Dresses

Spring and summer fashion trends in dress lengths are still knee length and above or ankle length and longer. Key style trends include sporty or floaty and feminine. Key shapes include hourglass and rectangle. Other trends include: 1 shoulder dresses; halter necks; draping fabrics; and stretch fabrics.

Notice where design elements fall on your body. Make sure that a band of color, a pattern, seam or other design feature is not highlighting a part of your body that you'd rather not bring attention to. 

Coats and Jackets 

There are a large variety of blazer styles around, including: slouchy boyfriend styles; strong shouldered styles; single breasted and double breasted. Lengths are mainly around hip length, but there are cropped styles around too. Try a longer length blazer with a shorter dress and wear with killer heels!

There are still a lot of trench coats and trench jackets around, in lighter colours and fabrics for the warmer months.

Tops

Look for structural neckline or shoulder details.

Layer a vest over a t-shirt or tanks.

Pants, Trousers and Shorts

Spring and summer fashion trends for pant styles are still...

• Straight legs -- from leggings to wider straights. This style suits the majority of body shapes. Simply pick the widths that are the most flattering for your body shape. For example, if you have an inverted triangle body shape then a wider leg will help balance your top half. Lengths are either full length or cropped

• Pleated at the waist with tapered legs. The extreme version of this is the harem-style pant. Lengths are either full length or cropped. Those with a triangle body should avoid this style. 

• All-in-one jump suits. Lengths are full length or knee length and above. This style does not suit many of us. It's best on those who are young and slim with hourglass, rectangle or inverted triangle horizontal body shapes
  

Shorts are still precisely that -- short! Great if you're young with nicely toned, slim legs. Not so good for the rest of us. Luckily there are still knee length and just above the knee styles available.

The usual warmer month trend of wearing white or light bottoms is also back. Often this means the top is darker than the bottom. Avoid this look if you have short legs, or want to look slimmer or taller. White and light colors draw attention to the areas they cover, add perceived weight and make you appear shorter. So, this look is best on tall, slim people.

Skirts

There is not much variety in skirts at the moment. The main styles are pencil and straight with lengths around knee length or higher in both work and casual styles. There are also a few shorter, tiered skirts around.

Accessories

• Belts -- these are still a strong trend and there are many styles and widths to choose from. Use a belt to add an edge to a floaty dress or wear over a blazer

• Shoes -- are still either very flat or have killer heels (I wish I could wear these!). Gladiator-inspired styles are still strong. Other styles include platforms and wedges. Toes are still softly pointed rather than blunt or square.
  
  To increase the apparent length of your leg the gladiator style is not good -- try minimising the cut-off effect of the gladiator style by choosing a lighter colour, and heels and combine with a shorter length skirt or dress. A lower vamp (the opening of the shoe) and pointed toes are best for increasing the apparent length of your legs, especially when combined with a heel and lighter coloured shoe.

Spring & Summer Fashion Trends: Main Style Themes

The wide variety of style themes catered for means that whatever your personality you'll be able to find clothes to suit. Below are some of the main themes and some of the elements that characterise and create the look...

• Nautical -- the usual summer fashion theme of red, white and blue colours, horizontal stripes, brass buttons. Stripes are uneven or irregular or fading from 1 colour to another

• Feminine -- a romantic look created with filmy, floaty fabrics and floral prints. This look can also be created with neckline and above the waist ruffles and skirts and dresses with fabric in horizontal layers.
  
  A stronger feminine look is created with 1-shoulder tops and dresses in draping fabrics.

• Safari and Jungle -- created with khaki neutrals, tunic tops, bright splashes of color, animal and block prints, safari suits or styling (such as pockets), wooden or bead accessories. This look is great for sport or natural types, especially those with autumn colouring. Quirky looks and prints will also work for springs

• Minimalist -- created with monochrome coloured outfits and block colours in classic clothing styles and good fabrics. The look is classical, elegant, feminine and understated

• Sporty -- created with easy to wear styles in stretch fabrics, cotton tanks, zip-up stretch tops, draw-string waists

• The natural bohemian/hippy/ethnic look -- created with peasant-inspired prints and styles in tops and dresses

Spring and Summer Fashion Trends: Fabric

Fabric Types

Spring and summer fashion trends in fabric include...

• Softly draping fabrics such as chiffon

• Sheer, transparent fabrics made for layering

• Cottons

• Linens

• Silks

Fabric Prints

Types of prints include...

• Animal-inspired prints especially leopard and zebra. Leopard is great for those whose primary season is autumn or spring. Zebra prints works best if your primary season is winter

• Abstract prints including geometrics (softer than the 80s) and exotic tribals

• Horizontal stripes -- if the stripes are fine they create a slimming, vertical design influence rather than a broadening effect.  Beware the trend of wide horizontal stripes of solid color in high or medium contrast if you want to look slimmer and taller as these prints will make you look wider and therefore heavier and shorter!

• Florals

• Checks -- there are still some tartans and checks around, but this trend is not likely to last much longer

Fabric Colour Trends

Key colours this spring and summer fashion season include...

• Black -- apparently black is back! (I didn't notice that it had gone away!)
  

• Clear and vibrant warm mid-tones such as oranges, purples, limes and yellows -- great for those whose primary colour season is spring

• Clear pinks, hues ranging from light to bright

• Some reds

• Blues -- clear and bright; navy; muted green-blues

• Medium to light neutrals especially khakis, stone colours and whites

Have A Current Fashion Trend You'd Like to Share?

If you've noticed a trend that I haven't mentioned feel free to share it here.

Or, if you'd like to talk about a current fashion that you love or hate (regardless of whether it's mentioned on this page already) this is the place to do it.

Tell us what it is about the item or outfit that you love or hate. For example...

• Do you love the way it flatters your body shape?


• Do you hate the way it looks on you, but love it when you see someone else wear the style?