Spring 2011 Trend Report: The 10 Trends of the Season

By Amina Akhtar 01/12/11 at 07:00 AM

Runways went retro with a look back to the seventies. From left, Thakoon, Marc Jacobs and Cynthia Steffe
Cue the jungle metaphors. Animal-print, from python to leopard to giraffe, covered the runways. As seen at Ruffian, Louis Vuitton and Altuzarra
Denim-on-denim is not only allowed come Spring, it's chic. As seen at Stella McCartney, Elie Tahari and Celine
She's got legs and they're pretty well hidden this season. Hemlines have dropped and now hit the shin. From left, Calvin Klein, Derek Lam and Prabal Gurung
One of the big colors was eye-opening: orange. As seen at Costume National, Carolina Herrera and BCBG Max Azria
Prints and patterns mixed with abandon. Don't worry about clashing, it's required. From left, Oscar de la Renta, Prada and Basso and Brooke
Sheer has stuck around for seasons, and judging by its ubiquity this time around, we'll be layering up for Spring and beyond. From left, Valentino, Richard Chai and Jason Wu
Stripes are here to stay for a season or two (especially since Prada's entire collection was wallpapered in them). Learn to love them. From left, Prada, Jil Sander and Aquilano.Rimondi
From bright, bold color to none at all: All-white (or mostly white) is the new uniform. From left, Calvin Klein, Valentino and Elie Tahari
Pants chill out with super wide legs. From left, Chris Benz, Malandrino, Dries Van Noten

The Spring runways are a foggy memory for many of us as we gleefully anticipate Fall 2011 Fashion Week. But January and February also bring retail seasonal changeover. Racks of new merchandise will roll into stores, so it’s time to reflect on the trends that will rule our lives for the next few months.

From New York to Milan to Paris, designers had like minds on everything from colors (white and, yes, orange) to decades ('70s). Skinny jeans’ reign of terror may finally be coming to an end, as wide legs ruled the runways, at times a hint to the ‘70s (Chris Benz), at others a refreshingly relaxed take on separates (Malandrino).

Florals took a backseat this spring; instead, a mix of prints and patterns paired together for a sometimes eye-catching effect. Stripes also mad a big showing, popping up in sequins (Aquilano.Rimondi), dresses (Jil Sander), and practically an entire collection (Prada).

Sheer, the trend that just will not die, continued on this season, with everything from dresses (Valentino) to tops (everywhere) to even pants. Needless to say, layering is key this spring.

Hemlines reached for the ground, hitting the shins (hello, Hemline Index!). They flared (Derek Lam), were feathered (Prabal Gurung), and were fitted enough to give shape without being pencil (Calvin Klein).

To counterbalance the lack of leg, animal print added necessary va-va-voom on catwalks, whether paired with all white (like at Altuzarra) or wide-leg pants (Ruffian). But the zoological looks weren’t limited to just leopard—python, giraffe, and the entire cat kingdom were represented.

Denim became a major fabric, holding court with linen and cotton. Think denim dresses, tops, blazers—not just jean pants. Céline, Stella McCartney, and Elie Tahari all offered up the once-taboo denim-on-denim look. This worked in well with the '70s vibe, which mixed in Studio 54 disco dollies (Marc Jacobs) with peasant dresses and denim vests (Thakoon).

Eclectic doesn’t begin to sum up our shopping season ahead, but the key thing about spring is that there are options galore. Check out all the runway trends and find out how to wear them now.

FashionEtc.com May 1st, 2024