Spring fling
Watch as fashion flourishes this season.
WORDS NICKY ADAMS
CABELLO MIDI DRESS $289, FLOANDFRANKIE.COM
SWEETEN YOUR WARDROBE
Not many people can resist refreshing their wardrobes for spring. This doesn’t have to mean a fashion overhaul; it can be as simple as adding a few basics from a seasonal colour chart. In this case for 2025, you might be looking at welcoming in the warmer weather with some pastels. There’s buttery yellow, which has been dominating not just the catwalks but mood boards everywhere, powder pink, sky blue, seafoam and mint green. Keep your shades clean and clear rather than sickly sweet. Sometimes this can be by picking separates and styling your pastel with a plain white top or bottom; other times it can be by picking a simple style where the colour is the feature rather than an elaborate design.
PASTELS TO PRINTS
Plaid will be the pattern of the moment. Usually associated with cooler months, its throwback 90s feel has been reimagined with elegant results. With versatility being a bonus, used in lighter fabrics to fit with the season, it’s so multi-functional it’s hard to pass over. If office wear is an area you’re looking to jazz up, then pale shades make perfect tailored trans-seasonal pieces. Style wise, watch out for a boxy short jacket or a blazer, either of which can be paired with Bermuda shorts for a super on-trend aesthetic. Add a low kitten heel and ta-da! We can’t really talk about spring without touching on the craze for technical fabrics. Wet weather gear has hit high fashion, with light waterproof jackets appearing as the unlikely hero of the outfit.
1 & 2. H&H ESSENTIAL CARDIGAN $30; BIAS CUT SKIRT $30, THEWAREHOUSE.CO.NZ
3. SAMSUNG GALAXY RING $699, SAMSUNG.COM
4. NEW BALANCE 204L SHOES $220, NEWBALANCE.CO.NZ
5. KAREN WALKER RUNAWAY PARKA $275, WENDYSBOUTIQUE.CO.NZ
6. ISOBEL DRESS $299, RUBYNZ.COM
7. REPETTE JACKET $797, UNITY SHORTS $497, TAYLORBOUTIQUE.CO.NZ
8 & 9. TRIXIE HEEL $349, ELLIE BAG $329, KATHRYNWILSON.COM
Trending now
Most wanted this season.
WORDS NICKY ADAMS
SHOPAFROLIC DRESS $799, WENDYSBOUTIQUE.CO.NZ
SOFT AND STYLISH LOOKS
If you’re not feeling sorbets just yet, then a great follow-on from the burgundy of winter would be an earth tone. Add a lovely warm tan or copper to your outfit – you’ll find this will break down a sombre black monotone or mix up a pure cream aesthetic. Always understated, these tones fit in with the boho vibe and feel authentic and grounded. Lovers of animal print may want to change up the theme and swerve away from the usual suspects. If this is the case, then zebra is the perfect pattern. It feels like the most subtle offering from the animal kingdom, with its ability to be dressed up or down.
MAKE A STATEMENT
‘Simply stylish’ seems to be the direction designers are gravitating towards for spring and summer, with silhouettes that are all about keeping it easy but effective. The elements we have seen for previous seasons, such as cut outs, lace, asymmetrical cuts and puffball skirts are still all very much in play. But for this spring the ‘feature’ is often presented strategically. Frills, ruffles and lace are always welcome wardrobe additions, and if head to toe feels too 18th century, then look at pieces with small insets. A lace collar, or a blouse with trim; something that says timeless as much as trendy. Long, short and everything in-between, the pleat is the style of the season that comes in a variant to flatter everyone. Micro knife, big fat box or even gentle folds, soft drapes and swathes of fabric say spring like nothing else.
1. SOLSTICE EARRINGS $125, LINDIKINGI.COM
2. CAESAR SANDAL $239.90, MERCHANT1948.CO.NZ
3. EVELYN PLEAT SKIRT $699, JULIETTEHOGAN.COM
4. INDI & COLD BEA VEST $215, RUBYROSETEAWAMUTU.NZ
5. SOLSTICE NECKLACE $115, LINDIKINGI.COM
7 . YU MEI ANTONIA BAG $935, YUMEIBRAND.COM
7 & 8. SOLACE SCARF CAMI $149, RELAXED PANTS $209, AJEWORLD.CO.NZ
Material girl
Find your way around the fancy fabrics and texture trends of spring and summer.
WORDS NICKY ADAMS
Smocking
With clothes that are designed for warmer weather inevitably involving less fabric, there is more onus on clever design features, fabric or textures being put to play to make a statement. Nostalgia looms loud and proud in the trends we are seeing so it’s little surprise that traditional trimmings and techniques have been incorporated to bring drama to the daytime. So, what are the wondrous ways that are being repurposed by designers to elevate our spring and summertime essentials?
SMOCKING
A practice that has been around since the 13th century, smocking is a way of adding shape to a full garment, as well as providing elasticity. Essentially an embroidery technique that is used across an area of fabric, the material is gathered (often with thin elastic) and held in place. The effect is textured and appears almost like rouching. Smocked tops are often easy-wear bandeau style, while a smocked dress can be both incredibly comfortable and flattering, depending on where the gathers have been created. If the smocking is all the way from the top to the waist or just below, chances are it will suit most figure types. If it sits on the top across the bust (like a boob tube), there’s a danger the well-endowed could look like a Bavarian barmaid, so be mindful.
BRODERIE ANGLAISE
This is another traditional technique with a vintage/boho vibe which you’ll see used across everything from bikinis to blouses. Bringing with it understated elegance, it feels increasingly sophisticated. Essentially a close worked embroidery used around the edges of intricate cutwork, the look is fine and feminine, with the cutout often inspired by florals, petal shapes, or even circles. A Broderie Anglaise can either be overlaid across another fabric or will feature with the cutout unlined. So, depending on how it’s being used, the final feel can be super demure or rather risqué. A classic fabric, this can be picked and styled to suit any personality.
CROCHET
Most of us will be familiar with this; a process where threads or yarns are crafted to create textiles. It’s one that has been popular over the years, not just across multiple eras, but because it appears in many ways, shapes and forms. Memories of crocheted woollen squares being sewn together to make everything from Aunty Agatha’s blanket to ponchos to teapot covers can detract from the elegant ways it can be utilised to bring us high fashion pieces. It’s possible to crochet a variety of yarn from silk to cotton, and intricate and innovative patterns will ultimately produce the most beautiful and unique designs. Whilst the overarching mood of a crochet piece tends to be beachy and festival, if we look to high-end designers, it’s often used in the most elaborate and sophisticated ways: think Missoni, who has incorporated the crochet-knit style as its signature aesthetic.