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Spring colors
Bright blocks of color, including colored denim, are hot, hot, hot this season. Nikki Jaskulka of Chicago models raspberry AG jeans with a Charlotte Tarantola double rainbow sweater and Splendid Lily wedge shoes. All at Alixandra Collections in Hinsdale.
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The unseasonably warm weather these past few months was a warning to wardrobes everywhere: This year is going to be hot.
Bright hues and bold jewelry are shaping up to be some of the summer’s hottest trends. And with that comes the resurrection of an old ’80s favorite: outrageous neon.
“Neon has made a comeback,” declared Kara Mason of Frill Accessories in La Grange.
Women — and men, too — of all ages are ditching their black wool coats and donning more colorfully confident clothing. But making the switch from a tried-and-true hue to one that clashes in a crowd isn’t always that easy.
“We normally aren’t all about colors. We’re more about the subtlety of muted tones,” admitted Christy Smith of Sweet William in Hinsdale. “But what are we going to do? It grows on you and is refreshing.”
Color blocking
Color blocking — piecing together a mélange of solid shades — is a simple yet sophisticated way to brighten up a wardrobe.
The current craze for colored denim makes this even easier. For example, coral-colored jeans and a preppy kelly-green sweater can be tied together with a complementing scarf, suggested Kate McMillan of Clever Girl in Western Springs.
She added that the “never-fail white pants” and nautical-navy of spring are here to stay well into the summer months.
Coral and floral
Coral- or toffee-toned corduroy is also a nice change for fabric, Smith said. And whispers of floral, especially in pants like skinny jeans, add further demure.
Alix Chesno said a preppy style is the leading look this season and that variety is the name of the game.
Her store, Alixandra Collections in Hinsdale, receives a weekly shipment of new colored pants.
Accessories
Statement jewelry also doesn’t shy away from being extra bold.
“I’ve never seen color look so good on inexpensive earrings,” Chesno said.
There’s no better way to celebrate all the fun-in-the-sun hues than with the return of gold.
“It was time to come back,” said McMillan. “People are ready and it looks great with a tan.”
Mason said adding pops of color — such as with a clutch purse — is fun but warned not to go over the top. Unless you’re a young pop diva like Nicki Minaj, head-to-toe hot pink is a no-no.
That being said, oversized bags are out.
“We’re sick of digging. Everything disappears into that big bag vortex,” McMillian said. “Stick with small.”
