Pleats in every form our a big trend for Spring and the shops are already hot on this.

A great way to add texture to your wardrobe. Feminine and floaty pleats are a big hit for Spring. Weather a dress, skirt or pleated trousers there is a style to suit everyone.

Below from left to right: Chloé, Lanvin, Akris, Dior are all showcasing the pleat on the catwalk.

Chloé without a doubt showed varied styles in pleats and used soft natural tones, great designs to be inspired by.

For more colour, designer Christian Siriano really had some show stopping designs and was rocking the colour blocking trend.

Which ever is your most loved style there are plenty of designs on the high street to choose from, This summer with so many trends to look at, I think the pleat is one of the most wearable ones. Below a gorgeous pleated dress from Oasis £65, this dress is fitted at the waist and will create a nice silhouette. Team with wedges for summer. Also a hit with our previous post on candy colours for Spring!

Another great item to follow this trend with is this pleated skirt from Topshop £49. Looks great with a skinny belt.

What do you think of the pleat for spring? Will you be wearing them ?

Tweet us your thoughts to @mslizzieedwards or share your pictures on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lizzieedwardsstyleconsultancy

Earlier we posted about another Ocean themed Spring Trend: Aquatic Blue,  however another key spring trend that has been influenced by the sea is the Mermaid trend.

This trend takes inspriation not only from colours, but from textures and styling. The trend is influenced by pleats, sequins and flowing lines.

Givency SS 12 – note the use of sequins and shape detailing around the hips

Paco Rabnne SS12 – flowing lines as part of the Mermaid trend

Giorgio Armani – aquatic colours and flowing detailing around the waist

Don’t be afraid of the Mermaid trend, as like with all our trend posts we will explain how you can wear this to suit your style, by attacking the trend head on, or by updating elements of your outfit to incorporate the trend.

Dresses and skirts are the easiest products to spot that have been influenced by the mermaid trend, for example, this Reiss skirt is a great, spoft approach ot the trend. The shaped hem is quite bold, but plain fabric makes it quite a safe bet, and you can always wear it with tights if you’re worried about exposing too much leg.

Reiss; £110

If you want to embrace the sequin element of the Mermaid trend, then why not try a dress like this TFNC one below. The sequin detail and pleated skirt make this a prime example of the mermaid trend. The neautral colours are also great for those of you who don’t want to make too much of an impression. You could pair this with statement heels or understated pumps for a more glam or casual look – depending on what you’re looking for.

TFNC, via ASOS; £45

Finally, if yoy want to play it really safe, look for mermaid inspired accessories. Metallic accessories are a great way to add the meramid trend to your look, without having to fully embrace sequins or flowing dresses. These shoes from Marc by Marc Jacobs are practical and on trend. The thin ankle strap is delicate and feminine, the silver metalic colour is fitting to the mermiad trend, making them a great option if you’re looking to break into the Mermaid trend easily!

Marc by Marc Jacobs via My Wardobe; £244

So, is the mermaid trend for you? Let us know your thoughts. Remember you can always post questions on our facebook page if you’re looking for styling advice, shopping tips or more!

Another popular trend on the catwalks for Spring / Summer 2012 was Geometric prints, this trend was displayed on a range of designer’s catwalks and was all presented with slightly different twists. Some designers combined this trend with the neon trend, creating very vibrant patterns, others added it to key shapes such as the 1920s straight cut dress.

Alexandra Wang adding neon elements to his Geometric Print

Lacoste Geometric Print dress

This is a very versatile trend and can be done big and boldly, or subtle and delicately, depending on what suits you most. The print can be subtle by only using a couple of colours, or even a black and white print could have a strong impact but without being too dominant. You could pair a geometric print top with a full length skirt to enhance the femininity of the look, or wear with a simple pair of jeans to create a more casual look.

Here are a couple of geometric print items currently available on the highstreet to give you some inspiration!

This a great spring dress from ASOS and at £28 a great budget buy, however if this a bit too bold for you try…

This print top from Topshop; £34. The colours in this item a a bit more mute and could be paired with black jeans for a smarter / dinner date look, or with blue denim jeans for a more casual look.

Or finally there is this dress from REISS, £139 which is a much softer approach to the geometric print trend, the use of only two colours gives the dress a more forgiving look, and the blurred lines in the pattern design makes the dress on trend without being too overpowering.

Have you tried the Geometric print trend already? Tweet us your pictures to @mslizzieedwards or share your stories on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lizzieedwardsstyleconsultancy