Kimberly wears a navy blue dress that goes above the knee, and is attached with a black short sleeved crop jacket.
Spring 2008
- A Word From The Editor. Dawson Ko.
- Skip Into Spring. Gemma Campagna.
- Street Styles. Emma Fraser.
- Flower Power. Ly Huynh.
- Sunglasses Mean One Thing, Sunshine! Tracy Tam.
- Fashionable Eye Gallery.
- 10 Minutes With Michael Lo Sordo. Tina Nguyen.
- "Bring On Spring" Say The Experts. Joy Tsai.
- Leave The Lot - You'll Find A Shop. Nastasia Campenella.
- Fashion On Another Sensory Level. Dawson Ko.
- Smashing Ming Vases! (... And Other Wayward Hobbies Of Catfox! Designer, Julian Ngui.) Wenee Yap.
- STOP! This Is How Not To Dress Like A Man. Tomasz Forfa.
- End Credits.
Pamela is seated with Johanna, Pamela wears a black strapless top, Elwood shorts. While Johanna wears a red strappy singlet and denim skirt.
Skip Into Spring
Fashionable Eye's latest recruit Gemma Campagna, our fashion insider, will now lay it all out simple and clear and tell us what's hot for girls this Spring.
Did anyone else notice the shift in weather come the first day of Spring? It was as though winter well and truly got the message that it was over and made way for spring to come sauntering in with its balmy breeze and golden glow. Walking through Bondi you could well have mistaken it for summer as people took to the streets in all their summer wardrobe glory hoping to soak up all the rays they could get.
The sporadic change in weather gave anyone with post-winter wardrobe disorder a glimpse of what spring would bring and was enough to inspire a shift in dressing mentality. As is often the case with Spring trends, this spring has meant casting aside the blacks, greys and the muted palettes that have dominated our 2008 winter looks and moving towards colour, yes, COLOUR! Let's all sigh a collective sigh of relief.
While flirty, feminine, floral and flowy may not be commonplace fashion features in a winter wardrobe, this all changes come spring.
Jessica is wearing a black sleeveless dress which is buttoned up down the center.
Here are some spring looks your wardrobe shouldn't miss out on:
Tailored shorts: Otherwise known as 'cocktail shorts', these are spring's answer to tailored pants when all you want to do is feel a little less conservative and show off your legs. While Australian fashion is renowned for being more on the casual side, tailored shorts are here to push board shorts and denim shorts out of the picture. Tailored shorts are perfect for afternoon barbecues and can also be paired with heels for a more dressy, night time affair. It's a perfect combination of chic and comfortable.
The F words: While flirty, feminine, floral and flowy may not be common lace fashion features in a winter wardrobe, this all changes come spring. Floral prints are the fashion ode to spring - the two are practically inseparable. While wearing hibiscuses and smelling of flowery fragrances may not suit the look or feel of a colder climate, they are welcomed whole-heartedly come spring. Don't be afraid to get girly in spring. Think flowing maxi-dresses with floral prints; think flirty, feminine and confident. It's pretty amazing how feeling good on the outside can make you feel great on the inside. Don't be afraid to embrace the girly girl within!
The Blazer Trail: The blazer is back with a vengeance and it has never looked better. Forget fuddy duddy, ill-fitting blazers that remind you of your school days and all things less than fashionable. This spring, blazers are tailored for each body shape and purpose. Teamed with feminine dress, a well-cut blazer adds a discreet touch of masculinity to any outfit whilst still flattering all your best female features. It's the spring wardrobe essential that will have you chucking out all your worse for wear cardigans and never going near a hoodie ever again. Repeat after me - chic, chic, chic.
Sheer: Delicate, sheer, lingerie-inspired fabrics have been mainstays in the spring/summer collections on show this year. While the word "sheer" in relation to fashion can conjure up thoughts of all things less than savory, this doesn't have to be the case. Be careful not to mix up sheer with immodesty. Rather than think "sheer" is tantamount to see through, associate it with all fabrics floaty and ethereal. Skirts and dresses hemmed with sheer materials, sheer fabrics covering the d袯lletage and even sheer blouses all add a lovely aesthetic touch to an outfit, whilst hinting cheekily at sexuality. Sheer fabrics can be worn well while maintaining all womanly dignity. When it comes to sheer remember, less is more!
Gemma Campagna.
Dash wears a white strappy singlet with a pair of ivory coloured shorts and white open toed heels. While her companion is adorned in a white collared thigh length dress, and is also wearing white open toed heels.
Street Styles
Set with the task of keeping her eyes open to everything that's fashion this spring, Emma Fraser reports back to Fashionable Eye, describing what she saw.
Where/when we travelled: Weekends in Glebe, Newtown and Broadway in central Sydney. Business hours in Sydney CBD and Sydney's Lower North Shore
What we saw: This season is all about, well, every other season. The main feature is a resurgence in classic styles of the past, with an emphasis on the elegant, deco styles of the 1920s and 30s in formal and business attire. There is also resurrection of casual wear notably from the 1960s bohemian trends (or the nineties revival), but with a noticeable 1950s nostalgia that can be found in pastel cardigans, square heels and the continuing dominance of the "ballet slipper" flat.
Most people have caught on pretty quickly that spring is very definitely here. While this hasn't meant much change to business wear (with the exception of rapidly appearing pencil skirts), we saw a lot of dresses (both long "maxi" dresses, and shorter baby-doll styles), slip on shoes, and bright T-shirts (on both guys and girls)
Floral print is huge this season - for girls, of course. No matter where you turn, there are long skirts, dresses and shirts in a range of wild designs. Nothing is too busy or too colourful. Hyper-colour is also making its presence felt, for both girls and guys (shorts and shirts in particular). Neutrals include ash grey and rose pink, while black and white are acceptably combined for a formal look (think noir).
Shoes: The staples on the street are predominantly Converse (not surprisingly) but we've also spied long boots, closed sandals and chunky heels with subtle toes - a complete turnaround from the low, pointed business shoes of recent years. Ballet-slipper styles seem to have taken on a low heel as well, and bright hues (especially reds) are noticeably more popular.
Model Craig wears a white coloured hoodie, with blue horizontal stripes over knee length shorts.
Accessories: With hot weather, spring carnivals and picnics all on the agenda in coming months, it's no wonder that many people are donning hats for outdoors. Sunglasses and bandanas are also part of the spring style, along with fun, colourful jewellery that compliments the airy season.
Stand-outs: If you are a guy, you had better grab a messenger bag, and quick! Maybe it's because we scouted around Sydney Uni and UTS, but the young academic look is in - brown or black satchel with light jacket, subtle shirt and darker pants in complimentary tones. We don't know what has sparked this sudden trend, but we think these guys might know what they are doing. Not only does it look great dressed up or down, but this style of wardrobe requires only select new articles every season to keep it looking up to date. It's also easy to personalise with you favourite colours, satirical or political shirts and retro or modern styles. A new T-shirt here and there, along with good-quality basic items (jeans, leather jacket, and of course, designer satchel) and you'll never have to worry if you look good when you throw on clothes and leave the house, because everything matches, and is uniquely YOU.
Summary: While Spring is the biggest and most decisive period in the fashion calendar, it is such an in-between time in terms of what you actually wear day-to-day. It can be warm one moment, freezing the next, and light showers might catch you unawares at any time. The general approach tends to be layers - not surprisingly, cardigans, light jackets and hoodies are out in force alongside summer staples including skirts and shorts. What's new this season is the resurgence of long skirts, while the battle between skinny jeans and bootlegs is one to watch, with most stores stocking an enticing range of both. Choice is what this season is about - you can get away with long or short sleeves, and you don't have to put away your winter wardrobe quite yet. It's a good chance to try some new styles, or renew some old favourites from last season by updating select items like shoes and accessories from the enormous range flooding the stores in preparation for summer.
Emma Fraser.
