Fringes and patchwork and tie-dye! Oh my!!

Hold onto your flares - the 70’s are back with a vengeance this summer and there are some

interesting (read awful) 80’s trends besides! It’s going to be an interesting season of style

ahead. The following is strictly a guide to these trends but remember - dress for your figure

and be true to your own style while interpreting the trends that suit you. There are

definitely some trends that will not suit so it’s okay to avoid these ones for yourself! It’s

better to be fabulous than fashionable!

Ok! First things first, jeans, I must start here because I know all you North Texan ladies have

a love affair with them! Think Farrah Fawcett style in that famous shot of her on the

skateboard - high-waisted with a flare!! This style is probably one of my favorites. It makes

EVERYONE’S legs look longer, and let’s face it ladies, who doesn’t want that?! The big

difference with flares this time around than the last time a few years ago is the high waist.

Every woman needs to try a high-waisted pair of jeans, they hit you on exactly the thinnest

part of your torso and there won’t be any muffin tops here - unlike low and mid-rise jeans.

If you are lucky enough to have naturally long legs, wear them with a sneaker or pretty

sandals. If, like me, your legs are not so long, then wear with a wedge or clogs…more on

these later!

To continue the trend of 70’s Californian style - tie-dye is back and looking kinda cool! It was

just starting to feature last spring summer but is going to be huge this year – nearly every

designer featured it on their catwalk for this season – from Miuccia Prada to Stella

MacCartney. Proenza Schouler did a great daytime wearable version. You could always get

in touch with your inner hippie and make yourself some!!!

Continuing on the 70’s theme – craftwork. The designers went totally retro for this season!

Remember those patchwork maxis everyone wore in the seventies? If you are not old

enough to remember, then get out some old family photo albums and get re-acquainted -

they really are quite fabulous!! Macramé and crochet are also making a return so get your

grandma to show you how to do it yourself for some extra fun! Look to Chloe and Oscar del

la Renta for inspiration.

Fringing – seriously, did you think this 70’s favorite would be left out?? Not a hope! Given

that we are in North Texas, fringing should not be a problem here. Think cowboy, cool

leather throw-on pieces. Chanel and Gucci had some fun with this trend. There is a fab new

store in Southlake - The Old Nocona Boot Factory - which has some amazing fringed bags

and boots - not to be missed.

Let’s not forget the influence on 70’s dressing that Studio 54 had. Some people credit the

80’s for this trend but just check out some photos from the dancers at studio 54 and you will

see that this is where the influence comes from this spring. This is clearly seen in the

“ruching” that some designers applied on their dresses this season – from Isabel Marant to

Veronica Beard. It is a fabulously glamorous trend but handle this with care as it can add

width to areas you may not want to.

The big colors this season are diverse – there is every shade of beige from taupe to sand.

This look, head to toe, can look either incredibly glam, think Jennifer Lopez, or really, really

dull! So, when using these colors just ensure your look is super polished so that it errs on

the side of upscale rather than boring! Sunshine shades are big this spring too – from fruity

lemon to juicy orange. Have fun with this one, north Texas light is perfect for these colors,

they will not fail to make you smile. For a seriously chic example of this check out how

Valentino fused several shades together with aplomb.

Bright prints are a big feature too, but they are every summer! The take this year is nearing

saturation point, by this I mean designers from Versace to Louis Vuitton layered prints with

prints with prints!!! This is an interesting look but can cause a headache if looked at too long

– practice this with a light touch, otherwise be prepared to be facing a lot of shaded eyes!!!

Shoes are fun this season – wedges and clogs are huge this season, I mean this both

metaphorically and literally. I wore clogs when I was a little girl and only recently re-

discovered them and seriously, I don’t think I’ll ever wear another pair of shoes again

(well…maybe!!). They are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn - bar none!! And

mine have a 3-inch heel!!! Check them out everywhere!! Mine are Kork’s and are

AMAZING!!!

For all you working women out there the suit is back in all its guises! THANK YOU 80’s for

this trend and the shoulders are growing a little larger on jackets, but not quite 80’s

proportions yet! Suits are great because once you purchase a great suit you will always feel

great wearing it. They will come in every color this summer, especially those bright colors

mentioned above. For a suit with longevity I would stick to the more sober colors of navy

and black and then you can put a dollop of color with them if you want to.

Now for the one trend I would tell everyone to avoid at ALL costs….cycling shorts. I lived

these their first time around in the 80’s and they weren’t good then either. I know Kanye

made these cool again but if they don’t look good on 6 feet tall, 100lb models there is no

hope for mere mortals like me. AVOID!!! If you need any proof on this just google cycling

shorts Spring/Summer 2019…I would be surprised if you disagreed!!!

Enjoy dressing for Spring/Summer 2019 and have fun with it!

Olive x