Fearless fashion forecast for 2012

Manila Standard Today, Lifestyle | January 2, 2012

Amber may be the color of your energy, but color trend experts proclaim tangerine tango as the color of 2012.This shade of orange (Pantone 17-1463) will take over the duties of last year's honeysuckle pink as the most fashionable hue.

Hawaiian florals and prints, a ’50s-recalling style, are said to be making a splash this year, but in a restrained manner and not on beach shirts. They are expected to make an appearance as T-shirt designs. Modernized versions of the print have been seen walking the runways for Spring/Summer 2012 in the form of daring head-to-toe looks.

More throwback prints, particularly from the ’60s, are highly anticipated for their vintage appeal, which has been de rigueur for quite some time now. Our love affair with decades past continues this season with a renewed appreciation for the aesthetics of fashion icons such as Jackie O. We will also still be inspired by the hippie movement and the boho look, but in updated and streamlined elements. Frilly tops and quirky minis in wild prints (but muted colors) will be big all summer.

Sportswear takes a glamorized turn with the advent of “formal” sweatsuits. The traditionally slouchy look is updated—luxe fabrics, cropped sweatpants, metallic shades—to be suitable for uses other than a morning jog.

Come fall, we’ll be revisiting color-blocking and will opt for severe lines. Instead of fluid transitions that follow or conceal curves, the figure will be enhanced using boxy cuts and rigid shapes. However, silhouettes will be slim and proportions will be more natural. “Retro future,” as fashion forecasters call it, will see extreme tailoring from the ’50s, raised shoulder lines from the ’40s and demure evening flapper styles from the ’20s to create an homage-filled 2012 look.

The past infused into the present and future has been a favorite trend in 2011, but it's only this year that we'll see it in full effect because almost all new designs are and will be based on archival inspiration.

In terms of price points, affordable glam will reign due to economic conditions and the fashion industry's desire to be more accessible to the general public. High streets and fast-fashion stores will be recreating iconic designer looks for less and these very designers will be collaborating more with mass-market retailers, a continuation of 2011’s diffusion trend.

Pointed stilettos are a staple this year, allowing consumers to “recycle” their old pumps instead of having to buy new seasonal and trendy footwear. To accentuate and breathe new life into old clothes, belts of all sizes, shapes and colors will be a wardrobe must-have. The ’50s revival will also see a lot of peplum skirts, tunics and ballooning silhouettes—and belts will help create that desired hourglass shape.

Aside from the aforementioned tangerine, also look to similarly feminine shades to complete your 2012 look. Pale rose, peach and other shades in between orange and pink are uber-chic all year round.

The general feel for this year’s fashion is comfortable, but dressy, and classic, but updated. The keyword is romantic. Edgy styles are last year’s obsession. You’re in vogue and so 2012 if you’re in an ensemble that’s reminiscent of any era from the ’20s to the ‘60s.