trend analysis: fall 2012 color palette

rainbow maxi dress :: heart/soul (love this ROYGBIV version) | cobalt blue kimono sweater :: maurice's (love this button up dress as a kimono-cardigan) | gold cuff :: charlotte russe | blue and gold beaded cuff :: pacsun | hot pink satchel :: nila anthony (lusting after this one) | taupe braided sandals :: forever 21 (sold out but similar here) | sunglasses :: charlotte russe

My boss told me today that I have quite the "eclectic wardrobe." Apparently, I dress "like a different city every day." Today, he said, was Portland, though I usually lean towards New York (meaning black and other dark colors). I've never put it in terms of cities, but I do enjoy exploring myself in a sartorial sense. My outfit defines my outlook for the day, and this dress allows me to pretend I'm at the beach when the humidity is so oppressive I feel as though I'm swimming through the air. I'm convinced there is no better way to survive the sweltering summer heat than in a maxi dress; add a light cardigan to ward off the office AC and some flat sandals, and you've got a look that can go from the office to the beach in the amount of time it takes for you to remove the aforementioned cardigan.

Portland apparently translates into an outfit that takes advantage of the remainder of summer by wearing as many bright, offensive colors at once as possible. Despite having railed against it since its inception, this summer has finally wormed its way into my heart and my closet, and I find myself oddly regretful to let it go. I realize that it's only mid-July, so it may seem a bit early yet to eulogize summer, but fall collections are already flooding the racks, and the beginning of school only a month away marks the unofficial beginning of autumn. The forthcoming onset of cooler weather promises to bring both a turn of the color wheel and a shift in the way we view fall hues in the years to come.

Traditional fall and winter palettes combine jewel tones with dark neutrals to create a panorama of deep colors, but as fashion progresses out from beneath the rules of yore, I think fashion lovers will be hard pressed to give up their brights so easily, at the mere whim of some archaic fashion law.

Instead, though the general hues of jewels will remain the fall/winter standard, the colors will lighten to more vibrant shades of amethyst, emerald and teal as opposed to traditionally deeper shades of each. We'll also see the muted influence of the neons and pastels from earlier in the year through an influx of not-so-basic primary colors like canary, cobalt and blood red alongside the fall classics of mustard, navy and brick. Be prepared for a continued mermaid influx in the form of gold flecks and deep sea blues, and pastels will remain evident, though with a slightly grayer hue (think lavender gray, dusty mauve and a stoney mint).

There also seemed to be an unspoken consensus among many of the designers - with one or two pops of bold neons making a statement in many of the collections, it appears that a dash of hot hues (generally covered in black brocade or crochet) is just the right amount of daring. Think of it not as coloring outside the lines, but as coloring your Santa hot pink instead of jolly red.

A few suggestions, via highfashionmagazine.com

You may notice a decisive lack of discussion regarding winter whites in this analysis of fall and winter 2012 color schematics; that is a conversation wholly its own and will be covered as such in an upcoming post as part of an ongoing series on trend analysis and prediction. What do you think so far? Am I spot on, or color blind? Leave your thoughts (and your own predictions) in the comments, and check out my Pinterest board, Fall 2012 Coloring Book, for inspiration straight from the runways and hot off the streets.

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a fashion nerd's survival guide: top ten spring trends

As a self professed winter style junkie, I have been trying really, really hard to surpress my growing excitement over some of spring's latest and coolest trends. I've been wrapping myself in chunky sweaters and dark colors in an effort to revive the winter chill, but the weather doesn't seem to want to cooperate. It was so nice out when I left for work that I forgot my coat at the office.

So I'm giving in... temporarily, at least. The official start of Spring is only a week away, so in celebration preparation, I've decided to put together a fashion nerd's Spring Style Survival Guide. The next week will be filled with posts on how to endure the warm weather in cool style, without giving in to the heady trendiness sweeping the fashion nation right now. It's all about maintaining and updating - not selling out or converting.

from the blog for beaders

Part of the excitement definitely stems from the 2012 Pantone Color Report (they guess which colors are going to be popular every year) - I'm pretty much in love with all of the colors and have decided to use them, along with a few other favorites (like cobalt blue) as the base palette for the wardrobe revamp I've been contemplating for years.

We'll start out by covering the trends that I am actually excited about - the ones that I intend to adopt in to my ever-expanding family of clothes, shoes and accessories. Upcoming topics include shoe necessities, accessory essentials and required threads, among others.

a fashion nerd's spring style survival guide:

my top ten favorite spring trends

favorite spring trend #1: sherbet colors
This may come as a bit of a shock to anyone who has known me for any length of time, but the sherbet hues of this season are making a pretty serious impression on my fashion psyche. I've never really been into the typical spring palette of pastels, but their neonized cousins have found their way into my heart (and my closet).

image via joonbug.com

favorite spring trend #2: cupcake chic
As I just said, pastels have never really been my thing - but this season I'm loving the way baby colors look atop darker colored basics. I call it cupcake chic, because it reminds me of chocolate cupcakes with lightly colored frosting and sprinkles.

image via baabaacupcake.blogspot.com

favorite spring trend #3: neons
You may be noticing a trend among my, well, trends, but I can't seem to help myself here. I've had a thing for hot colors since I discovered the hot pink marker in kindergarten, but I've never really been able to find clothes in the colors I like that were also in the styles and silhouettes that I like. This season, it seems I'll be having the opposite problem. Tangerine and cobalt in particular seem to be leaping out of my closet, begging to be worn.

Fuschia Blazer, via Lulus.com

Disclaimer: Just so you don't worry - I'll never give up my black and gray duds (I'll probably die in black skinny jeans), but I've decided that it's no longer a sin to mix things up with light and bright hues.

favorite spring trend #4: colored denim
I have developed a pretty intense obsession with locating and purchasing skinny jeans and denim cutoffs in a myriad of colors, particularly pink, lavender, mustard, cobalt, coral and red. The pink I acquired last week (hooray!), but the rest are still on my list. I love the fun alternative they provide to regular black or blue skinnies - they're perfect for jazzing up my summer work wardrobe.

dusty rose coated skinny jeans, from joesjeans.com

favorite spring trend #5: leather & suede
I'm not really sure if this is a major trend across the fashion world, but I can't seem to get leather off of my mind - I'm even more obsessed with acquiring leather everything than I am with rainbow skinny jeans. I'll be sticking with cruelty-free faux, and I recently found the perfect pants and high-waisted shorts from H&M, but I'm still on the hunt for a black leather pleated skirt and nude suede jacket.

via Refinery29

favorite spring trend #6: goddess cuffs
These shiny gold cuffs have held my imagination captive since I glimpsed them on Liz of Late Afternoon a few months back. I've spent quite a bit of time imagining how lovely they would look with any number of sleeveless tops in the spring and summer, glinting in the sunlight as I run through fields or as the breeze moves the branches while I relax on a blanket at the park (you can probably tell I've put a lot of thought into it...). So when the chance came to snap up my own fun version of the cuff at a killer price ($5 at Charlotte Russe!), you can bet your ass I snagged me one - though now I'm wishing I'd gotten a matching set!

gold cuff: Charlotte Russe

favorite spring trend #7: printed & colored trousers
When I came across a pair of printed trousers in a recent issue of Glamour magazine, it sparked a mad obsession: to find a similar pair at a much more reasonable price. I am currently on the hunt for such a find, and I've added brightly colored trousers to the category. I'm thinking some cobalt blue palazzo pants and a pair of watermelon-hued wide legged trousers...

printed trousers from Zara

favorite spring trend #8: pleated skirts with asymmetrical hems
Pleated skirts tend to give off a school girl vibe (or grandma, depending on the length and style), but the funky hemline of this season's asymmetrical and fishtail skirts give them just enough spunk to avoid the pigtails and ribbons stigma.

Free People Moonbeam Skirt

favorite spring trend #9: boxy, structured bags
It's no secret that I have a thing for purses - and the more they can hold, the better (I call my bag my diaper bag, k) - so this season's boxy, structured purses and bags are perfect for me. They can hold a ton of stuff, but since they retain their shape they don't look enormous. The boxy shape gives them functionality while the structure gives them class - add some accents in fun colors or cool hardware, and you've got yourself one hell of a bag.

Keira Structured Color Block Bag, via MelieBianco.com

favorite spring trend #10: prints!
Those of you who knew me in high school and college understand just how long my road to fashion recovery has been. I've stuck mainly to solid pieces because they're easier to put together and have always seemed more subtle, classier, to me. Over the last year or two though, I've been working on overcoming this aversion to prints and it seems that the onset of warmer weather this year has been the cure - my closet is suddenly brimming with prints, from florals to polka dots to plaids and even leopard print! I've even started (tentatively) mixing prints (works which you will be seeing shortly) and I'm pretty proud of the results. I am, however, very selective about my printed pieces - overboard is just not my style.

image via ladyurban.com

So there you have it - my top ten warm weather hits. Tomorrow brings a new post full of springtimey goodness (are you excited yet?), but in the meantime, why don't you share your favorite things (fashion related or not) about post-30 degree weather with us in the comments?

P.S. Don't forget to check out the other posts in this series!

a fashion nerd's Spring Survival Guide

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