As students celebrate the coming of a new year, they can also look forward to 365 days of fresh fashion. Designers are getting inspiration from rich colors, foreign places and years past in their creations. The eclectic showcase of Europe’s spring fashion shows seem to allow consumers to breathe easy because there is a way to be up-to-date and still have personal style.
Popular colors for this year range from jewel tones to naturals. Emerald greens and purple hues make for an elegant vintage look. Bright colors have been and will continue to be popular for both men and women. Intense corals such as teal and orange will surface, and for men, pairing a bold shirt and tie makes for a classic savvy statement. For a more subdued look, earth tones are being expressed in safari-inspired clothing and accessories.
Fashion followers usually admire “Sex and the City” character Carrie Bradshaw’s adventurous outfits, and they especially love her shoes. This year offers a variety of designs for footwear — more so than in years past. The shoes hitting stores are flat-soled and aimed at comfort. The ballet slipper shoe is casual and dressy and can be found fairly inexpensively at stores such as Old Navy. Moccasins, available at Nordstrom, are making a huge comeback for both men and women in non-traditional styles, such as heels, and with materials such as leather and suede. Another way to be comfortable but retain some height is to buy a round-toed pair of shoes. Lastly, to dress up an outfit in warmer weather, jeweled sandals or shoes can add a bit of glamour to any ensemble.

Completing an outfit often takes a little something extra. It might be funky, chunky or sparkly, but it’s clear that accessories are a welcome addition to many looks. This year, everything that shimmers is gold. With vintage being prominent, it makes sense that gold would complement the jewel tones and natural colors found in this season’s clothing.
Fashion magazines are calling watches “the new jewel.” Look for ceramic bands or jeweled watches. Another stylish way to dress up a wrist is by adding a charm bracelet.

Purses are a great accessory, and there are plenty of styles from which to choose. Designers are loving the idea of canvas bags with printed floral designs on them. While they probably won’t hit stores until February or March, they’ll be great to take to class or around town. Crocheted bags will also be stylish in 2005 for a homemade and hippie-chic look. For a new bag to take out on the town, dainty coin purses and clutches made from pearls and satin are a graceful way to dress up an outfit.
No matter whether the trends of 2005 will be a hit, it’s important to remember to retain personal and original style — which might help shape the hottest styles for 2006.

Jessica Worthington is a freelance reporter for the Daily Emerald