Spring trends: anything goes—no, really

Fashion tends to move at breakneck speed. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with the latest trends, which is why shoppers often turn to the media for guidance, but sometimes we can be guilty of further confusing things. To wit, this spring trends guide from the New York Times.

Suzy Menkes details what’s hot, like this season’s silhouette, which should be linear and slim or oval and hourglass. Skirts should be long and slim or short and A-line, but women can also go with a blanket wrap or a full 1950s-style number. Colours, she says, are also in, especially camel, toffee, gray, pine green, purple, orange and black. Knitwear looks good plain and minimalist or oversized and fluffy. In hosiery, go for patterns or shiny leggings or thick and matte stockings.

Well, it’s good to know that virtually every shape, length and colour is in style now. So now when we parade around in our purple hourglass coat with the short orange A-line skirt and fluffy, oversized pine green sweater, we can tell people, “No, we’re not crazy. This is in fashion. Don’t you read the Times?”

• The trend chart [New York Times]