When we first started collating the fashion trends of spring / summer 2011, the season was way off on the horizon. Now the very 2011 fashion trends that comprise the guide are in full swing, or at least much closer to hitting our wardrobes than they once were. Naturally, as 2011 rolls on, we’ll continue to update fashionisers with new information, and more importantly new inspiration, for spring 2011′s trends and how to wear them. So do check back often, and read on to find out what spring 2011 has in store.
Read on for inspiration for the Spring 2011 season and coming year.
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Women’s spring 2011 fashion trends: key looks
’70s glamour
Just as the ’50s and ’60s are back, so too are particular elements of the ’70s. There are two main aesthetics: ’70s bohemian, and ’70s sophisticated glamour. When it comes to the latter, think dresses that fall like shimmering water in the evening and high-waist pants with elegant blouses by day. Click to read about the sophisticated ’70s trend.
Biker clothing
As of spring 2011 the military fashion trend will have been with us for over a decade. And for that decade it’s been great, we’ve loved it, but 10 years later we have to admit: spring 2011 is the time to move on. The question is: what do we move on to? The answer: the trend that’s been living in its shadow, waiting for its moment of glory. And for spring / summer 2011 it’s going to get just that because here comes the biker trend.
Punk fashion
Another of the thematic trends for spring / summer 2011, punk carries on from last year to become less of a full blown trend and more one of influence – you’ll see its elements impact upon a number of other spring 2011 trends. Which can be a danger: punk fashion is one trend you can’t afford to get wrong. Read our guide to punk fashion for spring / summer 2011 to find out what it entails, what elements you should wear, and the looks you should avoid.
60s ladylike
The silhouettes of the 1950s and 1960s make a strong return, with shapes that accentuate curves and foster femininity. A hip-hugging sheath dress with a below-the-knee hem is the ultimate in hourglass dressing, while the full circle skirt and dress remain at the core of the trend. For Spring 2011 introduce fresh colours, prints and light summery fabrics. Click to read about the ’60s dress trend.
Women’s spring 2011 clothing trends
Plunging neckline
Turn up the heat for spring 2011 with the women’s plunging neckline, a neckline that has captured the imagination of designers from the likes of Gucci to your local artisan. Follow the link to see how this fashion is being designed and worn, and how to carry it over into spring next year.
Maxi dress goes sheer
Every season trends evolve, and every season two trends merge. In that regards, spring 2011 will be no different from what has come before it. What will be different, however, is the season’s take on a staple for many women’s summer wardrobe: the maxi dress. In spring 2011 it’ll merge with another trend favourite to give us the sheer maxi dress trend.
Lace clothing
No, it’s not new. But, like all trends that span multiple seasons, it has evolved. Lace influences for Spring 2011 are more to the classic side with quality antique-style fabrics the key to the trend. Less of the allover, stretch lace and more of the unique takes. Click to read more about the lace dress trend.
Sheer clothing
Who dares wins. Or so the saying goes, and yet sheer clothing needn’t be daring nor about winning in spring / summer 2011. What has this ever-green fashion trend evolved in to for the season then? Read our guide to sheer clothing for spring 2011 to find out whose designing it, how they’re doing it and, most importantly, how to wear the fashion trend.
Crochet & macrame
These are two fabric finishes that could had to return for 2011: the re-rise of 70s fashion, the popularity of nautical, and a love for lace guaranteed it. Find out what clothes and accessories are on trend and how to wear the two fabrics by reading our guide to the crochet and macrame spring 2011 trend.
Tassels
Sometimes a little detail is all it takes to change the feel of a garment. In Spring 2011 one of the most popular trimmings is one that signifies luxury or, at times, the exotic. Adorning everything from handbags to shoes to dresses and hats – click to read about the tassel trend.
Women’s tuxedo
Thanks to the likes of Tom Ford and the re-rise of 1970s fashion, the women’s tuxedo makes its comeback in spring / summer 2011 and carries on into next season. But given it was also on-trend as recently as 2008, this is one fashion trend you could definitely get wrong this season. Follow the link to read our guide on how to wear it this season and how to make sure you don’t make it look like something from a few years ago.
Pleats
Able to be worn softly or with an edge, they’re a style that might seem ever-green – but don’t let that fool you. Pleats are at the fore in spring / summer 2011, in fact, they’re dominating women’s fashion for the season. And they’ll continue to do so into next year. Follow the link to read our guide on this new wardrobe staple.
Bell bottoms
With skinny pants and jeans now so common that they no longer make a statement it was inevitable that a different style would emerge as a trend. It didn’t necessarily have to be this one, but with the come back of all things 1970s it was inevitable that fashion forward people would turn to bell bottoms / flared pants as their style of choice. Follow the link to find out more about this spring 2011 clothing trend including some key styling tips.
Swimwear and bikini trends
It’s up there as one of the most important fashion choices you can make for spring / summer 2011: choosing your key / statement swimwear. Read our guide on fashionable swimsuits and bikinis to find out the styles and elements that are in fashion, including which body shapes they best suit.
Wide leg pants
By now the general experiment with cuts of pants and jeans that aren’t skinny should be evident: women’s pant trends in spring 2011 are defined by this experimentation with everyone keen to see options for women that simply aren’t skinny. Hence alongside the flares are wide leg pants and jeans. What is the difference between the two, and how should they be styled in 2011? Follow the link to find out.
Capri pants
For every trend exists its opposite. So as spring / summer 2011′s fashion trends allow us to welcome flares back into our wardrobes, so too does it allow for an opposite style, in the form of capri pants, to make a showing. Click the link to find out about the styles of capris that are in in spring 2011, and what other trends to wear them with.
Tail hems: dresses longer at the back
They’ve been seen as an alternative to the summer mini skirt or maxi dress for sometime, and for spring / summer 2011 ‘tail hems’ continue their reign as the more interesting alternative to both. Click to read about tail hems including the different styles suited to spring 2011′s trends.
Stripes
Stripes are a dominant part of any spring / summer season, though usually, year on year, featuring a variation on the theme. Spring 2011 sees stripes with an unsurprising nautical dominance – but it’s a dominance inspired by other key Spring 2011 fashion trends. Click to read about stripes to find out what those other inspirations are.
Jumpsuits & playsuits
They’re something of a yoyo trend: one season they’re in, the next season they’re out. For spring / summer 2011 they’re back again, reinterpreted to fuse in many of the season’s other fashion trends. Read our jumpsuits & playsuits guide to find out what’s in and what’s out.
Crop tops
It was 2009 that we last focussed on this look as a trend, and back then it certainly wasn’t a trend for the whole year. This is very much a high-summer 2011 look, one great for the hottest of weather and party atmospheres, such as festivals. Find out how the crop top trend has changed since 2009 and how to wear it in 2011 by clicking the link.
Women’s spring 2011 beauty trends
Spring 2011 makeup trends
There are the clothes and the accessories for summer 2011, but it’s your make-up that’ll complete the look. Find out what beauty looks are in with our guide to spring 2011 makeup trends that looks at everything from lipstick to eye shadow. In it you’ll find the key shades and all the information you need on where to buy it and how to wear it.
Women’s spring 2011 accessory trends
Choker necklaces & cuff bracelets
If you’re looking to make a statement with your accessories this summer, then be sure to turn to the accessory that has captured our imagination this spring / summer and will easily carry over to next season. It’s the solid jewelry trend and it includes everything everything from cuffs to collars.
Cat eye sunglasses
With the warmer weather comes the need to update your sunglasses collection with a new and on-trend style. For Spring 2011 the best accompaniment to a vintage-inspired look is a shape that screams ’50s/’60s glamour. From the very subtle to the extreme, click to read about the cat eye glasses trend.
Belt purse
There are the years when a particular style of clutch is on trend, and then there’s 2011. It’s out with the clutch and in with a belted alternative. One of the year’s casual fashion trends, the belt purse is a statement piece of daytime wear that quickly went from the catwalks of Hermes and Pucci to the streets. Follow the link to find out more.
Leather harness accessory
By no means an accessory that has to have the softness normally associated with spring and summer, this is an accessory that works with so many of the seasons’ other fashions, and yet it remains a controversial accessory. That’s because its origins lie with the sexualisation of fashion. But it doesn’t have to be sexualised, and it needn’t be downplayed either. Read our guide on leather harness accessory for more on the accessory trend, including styling inspiration.
Spring 2011 footwear / shoe trends
Both of these shoe trends are included not because they’re new shoe trends for 2011, but because they’re shoe trends from 2010 whose elements will still have an impact in 2011. You’ll see elements from both remain popular in 2011, particularly in certain countries, as they remain a part of the overall tastes. Clogs, in particular, have peaked as a trend so we’re not recommending these two as big investment pieces, but pieces you can hold on to or whose elements shouldn’t be disregarded altogether.
Clogs
Clunky wooden shoes. It doesn’t sound like the most glamorous or practical of footwear trends, and yet the clog reached new heights in 2010 and will continue to have an impact on 2011′s footwear trends. Specifically the brass studding so prevalent will continue to be influential, while the clog’s overall popularity will wane. Click to read about the clogs trend.
Kitten heels
Kitten heels are making a somewhat controversial return, spurred on by the trend of ’50s and ’60s dressing. More comfortable yet less appealing than their higher counterparts, kitten heels can work particularly well when dainty, pointed, and either retro-inspired or minimalist. When it comes to this style in 2011 it’s all about the theming. For Spring, kitten heeled sandals are also an option. Click to read about the kitten heels shoe trend.
Men’s spring 2011 fashion trends: key looks
2011 suit styles
They never actually go out of fashion, but they do evolve over the course of several years. So what suit styles are in fashion for spring / summer 2011? Fashionising.com has put together a thorough guide on the modern men’s suit that will take you through cuts and colours, and help you decide all the elements you’ll want in a good quality piece for spring / summer 2011. Follow the link to read more.
Men’s flared jeans
Men’s skinny jeans have had their day. That’s not to say they’re out of fashion, but they’ve peaked and as far as men’s fashion trends in spring / summer 2011 go they’ve been replaced by a style with quite a large difference. For the first warm season of 2011 men’s flared jeans are back. Follow the link to find out whose designing them, how to wear them and what to avoid.
Men’s motorcycle fashion
It’s a trend that’s in for women in spring 2011, and visual elements of the motorcycle look are also in for men. Spearheaded by a number of design houses, including Burberry, the main element of this men’s trend is obviously the motorcycle jacket. For more inspiration on the trend take a look at the men’s motorcycle fashion guide, which goes into some detail about the differences of what’s in for men versus women.
Army inspired clothing
Military fashion peaked in 2010, but that hasn’t prevented a revival of army-inspired fashion in summer 2011. In fact, for 2011′s warmer months military fashion comes full circle, returning to where the fashion trend began almost a whole decade ago. Find how how army clothing is being worn again.
Other Spring 2011 trends
Spring 2011 colours
Interested in what colours will figure into your spring 2011 wardrobe? Well our spring 2011 colour trends guide has all these answers. Collating the research of all the big power houses, these are the spring 2011 colour summaries that fashion designers world wide will be relying on when creating their spring 2011 offerings. Get the head start and figure them into your wardrobe today.
2011 hairstyles
The beginning of 2011 doesn’t just mean new clothes for your wardrobe, it means updating your style, it means evolving it. And of equal importance to having the right clothes and accessories for 2011 is keeping your hairstyle up to date.
To take a look at the 2011 hair trends that will be a part of spring / summer 2011, follow the link.
Spring / Summer 2011 themes
Interfiliere: Spring / Summer 2011 trend motifs
Interfiliere, a fashion industry body dedicated to lingerie and beachwear correctly peg Spring 2011′s fashion trends as an evolution of several recent fashion trends; key amongst them is the continued reinterpretation of classic styles along all heavily influenced by the ‘lingerie as outerwear’ trend that Fashionising.com has been touting for some time now.
Key look: loungerie
For the latter, they’ve coined a new term: loungerie. With the elements of lingerie, be it girly or overtly sexual, so prominent in street fashion, Interfiliere see Spring 2011′s key street wear trends as a mixture between lingerie, swimwear and streetwear (which they group as loungewear), and lingerie. Hence the portmanteau.
In their own words:
The new Loungerie takes a leaf out of, and gets the best of, lingerie for an alternative, parallel wardrobe; [one that is] light, intimate, and impossible to “classify.”
For more on the look see our lingerie as outerwear trend inspiration page.
Over-all themes
Lingerie as street wear aside, there are four themes that Interfiliere believe will be key to Spring / Summer 2011 fashion trends:
Tendresse (fondness)
An atmosphere heavily loaded with, memories but reinvented by using, technical innovations. To maintain the feeling of softness and a nostalgia of charm, there are sophisticated constructions, digital prints, placed jacquards, audacious accents, and subtle featherweight effects, silks, fine cottons, blends.
Then there are the refined, luxury lines of coordinates made to last: it’s the triumphant return of the camisole, bodices, teddies: all expressions of an eternal seduction.
Antidote
Happiness lies in non conformity. It’s not a question of being good or reasonable, but the passion colours evoke, the explosions of prints, geometrical accents, Indian flowers, folk music kitsch, cartoon influences and the naive primitives that all mix create a wild patchwork of fashion.
A liberated celebration of all that everyday life is about. Amusing creativity, beachwear influences, mixes of ethnic and otherworld, ardour and femininity, the whole trend being based on strong lines.
Oasis
Pleasure gorged on the sun and freshness you’ll want from Spring / Summer 2011.
On the one hand, the exotic: exuberant nature inspired by Gauguin, luxuriant foliage and cat-like beachwear motifs. On the other hand, the desert: a landscape of sand, primitive embroideries, Berber stripes, beautiful laces patinated by the years, ikats and metal accents.
For ample shapes such as caftans or djellabahs, dry knits, charming linens and cottons for the loungerie trend.
Sublime
The essence of a new luxury, ostentatious and astonishing with a hint of theatrical and urban roughness.
Haute couture meets high-tech. The scene is ostentatious, emphatically astonishing, and unique. In the corridors of this new theatricality surface effects, contrasts of opaque and transparency. Think transfer prints, graphics and bondage accents.
This is the essence of the new luxury, exceptional beauty ready to conquer the land of modernity.
