Spring & Summer 2022 Fashion Forecast – Part 2

Last week I shared five fashion trends we’ll be seeing this spring and summer, four I consider to be highly wearable (if you so choose)and one I’ll be sitting out. I’m going to continue this trend for the next few weeks as we slowly build anticipation for the warmer months ahead. (See what I did there???) So hang with me for four more wearable spring and summer trends for 2022 as well as one more trend that, while quite doable for many of my readers, I’ll be sitting out.

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Because these trends are taken from the catwalks of fashion week shows this past year, the clothing we’ll be talking about may not be available yet in much volume, if at all. So I’ll be sharing the photos I can find in my archives, on retailer websites and on a free data base that I have access to, and linking to what I can.

Finally, before I get started, let’s keep fashion fun. Trends are supposed to be fun options. No one should follow all of the trends. But I’m sharing a lot of trends over the next few weeks so that we can all pick a few…if we so wish…to participate in this spring and summer. I suggest looking for the ones that work best for your personal style essence, lifestyle, body type and coloring.

I’ll be sharing four that I think will work for some of us and one that I personally will opt out of. And I welcome your comments about the trends I share. But I do ask that we be gracious and remember that the very trend we may not care for, someone else may love and look great in. So I’d like for us to stay away from words like, “hate,” “ugly,” “ridiculous,” and so on. Trust me. I’m preaching to myself, too! Some of the trends I’ll be sharing are indeed pretty extreme. But let’s keep the conversation lighthearted and gracious.

Wearable Trends

Now you and I absolutely can wear whatever trends we like. There are no rules. But after blogging in this space for almost four years I have learned a thing or two about dressing our body shape and proportions, personal styling and lifestyle dressing. So I’m simply offering my two cents on the trends that I think may be most wearable for women over 50. Still, you’ll want to take into account your coloring, lifestyle, personal style aesthetic and body type.

Bold Stripes

Wait a minute. Haven’t we already been wearing stripes? Sure! Most wearable trends aren’t necessarily new things. They’re familiar style elements that are having a moment, you might say. So while stripes have been around forever and a fortnight, we’re going to see lots of them this spring and summer. And I for one am all for it!

I think I’ll go ahead a mention here that we’ll be seeing lots of bold, fun colors this spring and summer, too. Neutrals have had their moment, but color is back on the scene. That doesn’t mean you can’t wear your neutrals and look current. You absolutely can. But as the culture tries to climb out from under the heaviness of the past two years, we’re seeing a resurgence of cheerful, hopeful color.

And I think that’s one of the reasons stripes (among other prints) are trending. It’s just so fun to mix and present those bold colors in the format of stripes.

I hear from a lot of women, however, that they don’t feel they can wear stripes. Here’s the thing. You may not want to wear stripes at your broadest part of your body if that is an area you’d prefer to minimize. But remember, you can always add a cardigan or jacket over a striped top for a more slenderizing effect. And stripes worn strategically can actually help you creating the illusion of a great figure.

Where to start? If you’re interested in wearing stripes this spring and summer, begin by studying how others wear them strategically. I love having a couple of fun striped tees in my spring and summer wardrobe. They’re great for wearing under a slenderizing blazer, and they add more interest than a solid tee. But you can also look for striped accessories like shoes, handbags, scarves and even jewelry.

Denim Goes Dark

Actually the trend in denim is…anything goes! Truly. I think we can all put down our weapons and stop fighting over which silhouette of denim is best because we’re going to find every shape and length of jeans imaginable in the stores and on the streets.

That said, there is one style of denim that will look a little more dated this spring and summer: extremely tight and body forming skinny jeans. Yes, you can still wear skinny jeans. But if you want to look more up to date, opt for the newer skinnies, which are usually a little wider at the ankle, just grazing the leg there rather than encasing it, and have a higher rise.

So since anything goes, if you want to add something more current to your denim collection what should it be? You might want to go darker. While we’re still seeing light wash and mid wash denim abound, we’re going to see a resurgence of dark wash denim. I think that’s because there’s a renewed desire to “get dressed.” And dark wash jeans just feel and look a little more elevated, more dressed up.

And yes, we’re still seeing distressing, raw hemlines, embroidery, you name it! So there are plenty of options for us all to choose from. Below I’m sharing a shopping widget filled with denim in darker washes.

Where to start? If you’re interested in wearing up-to-date denim, consider how well yours are serving you presently. Does the rise work for your body proportions? High rise works best for so many women, unless you have a very short torse. So look for jeans that work best for your body type. Then consider adding a pair in a darker wash if you don’t have those. You’ll be able to create more polished looks with these jeans while still looking casual and chic.

Ruffles Big and Small

Another trend that we’ve been seeing and is sticking around is ruffles. And just when you think surely they’ll settle down a little, they just get bigger and fuller and more…more…well, just MORE!

I show all the looks above just to show the diversity and the extent of this trend. But I generally think for most of us less is more when it comes to ruffles. Unless ruffles and all things ultra feminine are your signature marks, I’d suggest wearing this trend in small, subtle, but significant strokes.

Make sure your ruffles are well placed. Remember, they’ll not only add flirty fun, but they also add volume and draw the eye. So if you are large in the bust, you probably don’t want ruffles smattered across the chest. And if your shoulders are already broad, then you may not want ruffly accents there either.

I’ve tiptoed into this trend a bit in the past year. I loved the blouse above with its subtle, soft ruffle at the v-neck and the flounce at the waist. Those ruffles work for me because I’m small in the bust and don’t have a large waist. But the trick to wearing ruffles is to look for garments that have them placed strategically in a way that is best for you.

Where to start? If you’re interested in wearing ruffles this spring and summer, start noticing the placement of ruffles on various garments. Determine now where you do and do not want to wear ruffles on your body. Then stick with those guidelines…even when you find that darling blouse with the prettiest colors in the world…but with ruffles in all the wrong places. Ha! Also factor in your personal style essence. If you like to look more classic or elegant, you may prefer just a small row of ruffle down the front button placket or along the cuff of your sleeves. But if you love the feminine style essence, look for larger, flowy ruffles, but still well placed.

Illusion Prints

We might initially balk at the bold, loud prints that we’ll see more of this spring and summer. But some of these prints will be illusion prints, and they can serve a purpose when dressing in a way to optimize your assets. Illusion prints are those where the designs are carefully placed, creating an artistic effect. I’ve collected a few in the graphic below.

We’ll generally see this artistically and strategically placed prints in dresses and tops, but we might see some in pants, too. I’m not sure we’ll be the ones wearing those pants, but who knows! I think that we’ll see wearable brands such as Talbots and Chico’s, maybe even Loft and J.Jill with items in illusion prints. For instance, I got this dress from Chico’s several years ago.

And this dress came from Talbots last year.

But I also think this kimono qualifies as an illusion print. It doesn’t attempt to flatter the body the way a dress would, but the print is definitely placed in a way that tells a story and creates specific lines.

Prints are generally less dressy than solids, and that’s definitely the case with illusion prints, too. But the more artistic they are, the more they raise the bar. Generally, illusion prints may also be more expensive. Why? Simply because they require more fabric to create. The manufacturers have to either print the fabric accordingly or they have to line up various fabrics to create the artistic garments, therefore adding to the cost.

I think illusion prints can be an especially desirable trend for us over 50 women because, strategically done, they can help us minimize and accentuate accordingly.

Where to start? If you’re interested in wearing illusion prints this spring and summer, simply keep an eye out for them. Watch for them to pop up in dresses and tops, maybe even shorts or skirts. Know your body type! That’s going to be key as you choose a printed garment that best accentuates the positives and downplays the negatives. You may want an illusion print that creates the illusion of a defined waist, a larger bosom, wider shoulders or height. Choose carefully, but have fun with this trend, too.

The One I’m Sitting Out

I’m sharing five upcoming trends for spring and summer each week. The four above are trends I think will be very wearable. That simply means we can take the extremes we see on the runways and translate them easily into wearable streetwear that makes sense for our season in life, our lifestyles and our body types.

But I’m also sharing one upcoming trend that I’ll be sitting out. That doesn’t mean you have to, of course. But I will explain why I won’t be participating.

Low Rise Jeans and Pants Return

After all the hype around high rise jeans and pants, we’re seeing a resurgence of the low rise again. I love my high rise jeans and pants. They work best for my hour glass body shape and perfectly for my balanced proportions. They keep my tummy tucked in so that it doesn’t over flow into a muffin top, too. Ha! Plus, I think high waist jeans and pants create a long leg more effortlessly than even mid rise options.

But I’m hearing that we’re going to start seeing more low rise options again.

But really I don’t expect to see a lot of older women returning to low rise jeans. Now if you have a short torso, you may love your low rise jeans. But probably mid rise jeans serve you well, too. And I don’t think we’re going to see low rise jeans flood the market like they did back in the 90s. They’re probably going to be the jeans, like those above, that have a very hip, youthful vibe to them, too. So I’m not sure that’s the style most of us will gravitate to.

What this means for us. Because low rise jeans are returning to the market (maybe – so they say…) we’ll want to be even more vigilant about rise measurements when shopping for denim. Really we all need to know the rise that works best for our body type and shop by that measurement already. For instance, I really love a jean or pant with at least a 10 3/4″ rise and I’ll wear them with an 11″ plus rise. The rise is the measurement from the crotch seam to the top of the waistline on the pants. I suggest you get out your favorite pants and/or jeans and simply take this measurement. Then look for those measurements in the information box when you’re shopping online. The measurement is not always provided, but it’s definitely easier to find online than in the store.

Thanks for Stopping in for our Trend Forecast

Thank you for stopping in. I hope this post was fun for you. And maybe it warmed you up a bit, too! I’d love to hear your thoughts or field your questions. Let’s just keep the comments fun and lighthearted, shall we? Have a great winter day!

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Blessed for My Day

When we’re trying to exercise a little self control we have to lean into the Holy Spirit for help. Remember, self control is a part of the fruit of the Spirit in a believer’s life. He will help us say no to temptation, make wise choices, put up and maintain proper boundaries and do the hard things. But how does one “walk by the Spirit?”

Imagine that you are walking on a path today with the Holy Spirit. You are simply walking this trail together. But each time you come to a fork in the road – a decision, a choice, an opportunity – you defer to Him to lead you. Sure, you may look down one path and think it looks more appealing, less difficult, more enjoyable, less strenuous. But you choose to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit instead, trusting that He is leading you on the absolute best path. That’s how you walk by the Spirit. Are you in?

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ~ Galatians 5:16