Fall Leftovers and Springing Forward

By Deanne Nguyen     2/5/09 6:00pm

One of the reasons keeping up with fashion trends is so difficult is that the fashion fiscal year runs opposite to that of the real world's seasons. When autumn begins to fall, runways are showing spring things; when spring barely arrives, fall is already stepping out. Fortunately, designers are as clever as they are creative, and they often carry over some of the more notable fall trends into their spring collections. This not only helps ease their customers into the next season, but it also filters out the trendy from the tried and true. Here's the skinny on some concepts that have potential style staying power.Trends from 2008 to still "Fall" for:

Monochromatic: Nothing bolder than simplicity

Remember when the mixing patterns trend was declared THE thing to do to stand apart? Well, now that that's been dissected twice over and accepted as a somewhat fashionable norm, it's time for the opposite to restate its case. For all of you Vogue readers in the know, last season played up the idea of wearing only one color with skirt suiting - something highly unrealistic for girls our age to pick up. Now, the attention is diverted to straight-up everyday dressing: pants, skirts, sweaters, dress, the works. The message remains the same: A single saturated hue says unapologetically, "I'm wearing my favorite color and I just can't get enough." So if Goths are allowed to deck themselves out in all black, why can't everyone else strut their stuff in whatever shade delights them most?

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S&M: Tie-me-up pretty

The bold, fetish wear-inspired looks of chains, leather, PVC and bandage wrap are still very much on the minds of designers. Last season they were a bit slow on the uptake, and the trend was basically their way of acknowledging, "Why, yes, being hardcore does look rather cool." For spring '09, they're continuing to churn out variations, from subdued, ribbon-wrapped cocktail dresses to full-on bondage-esque, stud-infused heels. They seem to think we really enjoy being dominated by our clothes.

Metallic: Feed your raccoon instincts

Fall is the time when designers push for glittery baubles and gilded party dresses for winter, but why? Because they're fun to wear. Granted, their designated job is to liven up little black dresses or what-have-you, but just imagine how it would feel to sparkle up a bad morning with something that catches your eye. It could be a silver-sequined jacket, gold-streaked sneakers or, for the daring, pewter-dipped pants. Don't deny that seeing the sunlight jump up playfully from a sartorial surface perks you up inside. Shiny things just weren't meant to be restricted to the holidays.

Looks to love in spring 2009:

One shoulder bare: Showing a little skin there

The simple, single strap or sleeve style is like a flower blooming in the spring: It's just natural to start shedding those winter layers away, little by little. The one-shoulder focus is a subtle way to start the process, and we have the Greeks as well as celebrities to blame for it being synonymous with goddess-like elegance. Not only does it automatically make strapless more wearable for evenings, but it also can spruce up any casual outfit with an unexpected flourish of the collarbone.

Nude: The new naked

The idea of appearing naked - freshly delivered, with no worries of appearance-related issues - is an attractive prospect, and the only thing stopping us from doing so are societal and environmental restraints. Thus, we are forced to constantly reinvent the wheel, but we always end up with the same thing: clothes. With a flesh-tone-colored garment and strategic uses of layering, however, we are able to give off the impression of a youthful glow and a sense of effortlessness for which stylists strive. Remember Carrie from "Sex and the City"? A sundress as innocently colored as the skin you're in appears carefree and natural, and though it provides full cover, there's also an understated allure. Why strip when you can fake it?

Statement pieces: Wear it like you mean it

Technically I'm cheating here, since statement pieces were popular last season and even before then. But instead of just shoes and necklaces, this spring, everything is fair game. Literally every shoe, piece of jewelry, item of clothing, bag or purse - all of them can be used for impact. Recession-conscious or not, most designers are pushing for a bit of escapism and a whole lot of optimism; the point is that playing dress-up, regardless of the times, should still be fun. So, if you can indulge in a bit of decadence, even if it's just wearing those night-time-only shoes during the day or those earrings that are brighter than the Houston sun, go for it full-throttle. No half-assing allowed with this one!

This week, I dare you to try at least one of these trends. And if you provide the evidence for it, you could be featured here! See you next week!

Deanne Nguyen is a Will Rice College sophomore.

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