THE NEWEST PALES ARE NEARLY NUDE

From the softest creams to lightest whites, the new neutrals couldn’t be fresher, breezier, and more eternally chic. The color du jour is sand dune in couture twins scored with abstract black stripes and a fully reversible topper—sashed, shirred, wrapped—dotted in black on one side and sand dune on the other. Impossibly trendy is a drawstring-collared, zip-front pleated poly jacket with a supple texture worked to look like leather. The cream of the crop by day is fringed skirt-suiting—the lines a modern take on classic French couture, the jacquard grounded in creamy pale shot with threads of black, green and light brown. Ultra-elegant after dark is a ‘50s-inspired clutch coat and belted sheath ensemble sculpted to perfection in stone/off-white floral fil coupé jacquard.

PRINTS ARE POPPING UP ALLOVER

Graphic, ikat, animal, tribal or trompe l’oeil—printed matter is major. Here in southwest shades of aqua and sedona brown. Find far-from-plain geometry on a cotton sateen sleeveless sheath in sedona-framed aqua on alabaster. Tap into the tribe vibe with a patterned silk/linen A-line skirt or ikat-printed trench jacket and belted sleeveless sheath. Indulge your wild side in safari twins, the pile-on of patterns a killer combo of crocodile, giraffe and leopard. Take a stylish trompe l’oeil turn in a pencil skirt patterned with buttery webs of leather and suede. Show your colors in a knitty, ribby, skinny-belted cardigan twinned with a stretchy sleeveless V. Toss, twist or wrap a sedona zebra-striped scarf around just about everything.

THE NEW ‘POWER SUIT’ IS A DRESS

An ultra-stylish sheath. Topped with a jacket that’s longer, leaner, luxer. In mocha and alabaster with shots of bright. The ultimate in ‘throwaway chic’ is a wrappy trench ‘to die’ over a wide-belted, zip-front snakeskin sheath. Do the white thing in a self-sashed, zip-slit alabaster silk matka jacket over a sporty stretch-techno croc-belted dress or yoked trouser skirt. Odes to bold are found in a dash of shimmering chartreuse, the skinny-belted fil coupé dot sheath coupled with a tailored twill topper; and a buttery red glove leather jacket you absolutely have-to-have. On days when you want your chic over-easy, pop a little mocha sweater set—tortoise-buttoned, tab-cuffed, ribbon trimmed—over a spectacular glass-and-wood- beaded geometric print A-line.

LOOKS ARE PARED DOWN TO PERFECTION

Minimalism took the runways by storm. Turning out icon-after-icon of modern style. Done in grey and white for a sexy masculin/feminin feeling; iris and willow for the stylishly cheeky. The jackets create a design dossier of fabulous fashion: the edge of haute a glazed grey-and-white jacquard that takes pinstripes in a whole new direction; the shot of color a shapely little willow silk matka basketweave; the glam slam a beaded, fringed, braided, metallic-zapped black/white/grey jacquard jewelneck. Infinitely interesting is the versatility of a steel grey jacket/skirt/dress with white piqué collars that snap on/off. Purple reigns in a darling sweaterdress—baby-soft, baby-cabled, cap-sleeved, chain-belted—topped with iris a tonal zip-front, sash-belted silk jacket, the stand collar tall enough to turn up to high. The perfectly cut white blouse is a sleeveless, skinny-belted cotton piqué vest.

LADYLIKE DRESSING IS A MAJOR TREND

Sophisticated, uncommonly beautiful, so refined. Something for every mood, every occasion, everyday. The latest incarnation of the trouser suit is pure and simple—a long, lean white-to-black reversible reefer over an ankle-cropped white pant. Dresses are what you need, what you want and what really work: you’ll want to live in the season’s zipped, pegged, knit-trimmed, elastic-cinched ‘little black’; see spot run in a black/white silk georgette two-piece, the flange-shouldered sleeveless blouse partnered with a flippy pleated skirt; and flaunt your fashion savvy in a lime/black/white floral patent-belted one-shoulder.

DAFFODIL AND MADRID RED ARE A MUST

Boldly go beyond neutrals. Surrender to shades of unbridled chic. Spark your blacks with colors that just won’t quit. Nothing says spring like the cleanest, sunniest, most beautiful yellow: slip on, over and into an easy rustic silk matka cropped jacket; stretchy spare ribs; sunny lemon slice blouse; sexy stretch denim jean; and breezy balloon-skirted dot dress. Pick-up a sequin-striped mesh blouse of many colors because it’s light, airy, super-bright and über-cool with your daffodil jean. The red-hot prints are mixed with black-and-white in a little zebra-striped silk twill blouse; and graphic cotton sateen sheath to top with a black faux patent balmacaan for a play on the new ‘power suit’. Cocktails call for a black-and-white swirl print sleeveless sheath, the wide grosgrain-ribboned waist finished with a bow as big as the Ritz.

NAUTICAL IS THE MAINSTAY OF SPRING

We call it ‘regatta chic’. A sophisticated re-think of classic red, white and blue. Less preppy, more trendy. Cool and crisp as ever. Shipshape silk matka jackets are found in madrid red zapped with zippers; and pacific blue all shaped, snapped and collar-overlapped. The dishiest striped sweater ever is a ribby navy/red knit, the extended bateau joined by little button chains. Sail into spring in a navy ottoman-ribbed shift; travel like a pro in navy twins; find your prints charming in navy/red/white silk jersey two-piece dressing collared-and-cuffed in crisp white piqué; put a feminine twist on nautical with a fringe-trimmed, ribbon-appliquéd navy/white jacket. For something completely different, try a light, airy navy/alabaster silk doupioni graphic-print tunic jacket—caught with a belt, chased with lime at the side slits, unbuttoned to there over a stretchy cami and skinny shantung ankle pant.