You won't have to max
out your credit cards or take a second mortgage on your home to get the latest
looks this season.
From Old Navy and Gap to Target and H&M, stores
are brimming with fashion finds inspired by the runways at prices that won't
break the bank.
Kathy Bradley Riley,
merchandise manager of women's sportswear at The Doneger Group, a New York-based
fashion-trend consulting firm, says every look for spring can be achieved for
under $100, and you don't have to buy a whole new wardrobe to look updated.
"This season is really about color," Riley says. "Pink and white
especially."
To instantly wake up your wardrobe, Riley suggests a flirty
skirt; a classic cable-knit sweater; a lingerie-inspired top with lace trim; a
boucle tweed jacket; and a trench coat.
Louise Trotter, vice president of
product design for Gap women, says the important colors this spring are "ice
cream parlor-inspired, like milkshake pink and pistachio green. The clothes have
a clean, polished style reminiscent of the '50s." Gap's hot items for spring
include cropped pants, $39.50, and cropped jackets, $39.99 in peachy pink and
light blue.
Old Navy spokeswoman Alexandra Cohan says ribbed tanks in
fuchsia, bright yellow and bright green are an instant way to update a wardrobe.
The "perfect tank" sells for $8.50 and can be worn as a layering piece under a
blazer or cropped jacket. In summer, the tanks can be worn with capris, shorts
and skirts, she says.
At Target, the Isaac Mizrahi line touches on many
of the key trends, including a rose-print skirt for $21.99 and shirt for $17.99,
a cotton pleated skirt for $21 and a cardigan sweater in green and pink for
$19.99.
H&M spokeswoman Jennifer Uglialoro says the company looked to
the "happy-go-lucky" feel of the '50s for spring. The result is a mix of
feminine looks in bright colors and soft pastels. The must-have items include
capri pants in floral prints and gingham, for $29.90 and $14.90, full skirts in
pink, black and yellow for $24.99 and rain coats in red, light blue or yellow
for $69.90, she says.
Michelle Madhok, president and founder of
SheFinds.com, an online company that helps budget-conscious women find the
hottest looks for less via e-mail, agrees that color is important for spring and
adds that it is the easiest and perhaps the most economical way to look spring
ready.
"Having a colorful handbag and colorful chandelier earrings--they
are like spring flowers," Madhok says. "You can buy some colorful pieces and
pair them with your classics to brighten up the look."
For the best buys
this season, Madhok points to Urban Outfitters for 1950s-inspired full skirts
priced under $42; junior stores such as Arden B. for tops in flowing fabrics
such as a tiered lace cami for $59; and Web sites ShopConfusion.com and
Jenerations.com for brightly colored earrings priced from $16. "It's easy to
find fashion for less than $100. And with hot trends, you really don't want to
invest so much in them because you might be tired of them by next year," Madhok
says.
But, before you get swept away, she offers a word of caution: No
matter how much you love trends, wear only what looks good on
you.
Searching Chicagotribune.com archives back to 1985 is
cheaper and easier than ever. New prices for multiple articles can bring your
cost as low as 30 cents an article: http://www.chicagotribune.com/archives
