Chicago Parent

Tuesday February 28th, 2012

From the runway to your closet

By Meredith Sinclair

I love flipping through Vogue and keeping up with New York Fashion Week via Twitter. And I love the challenge of incorporating those runway trends into my everyday. Here is a collection of ways I think we can bring a little of the Spring 2012 catwalk right to our carpool lanes.

Hair and makeup trends

I asked Amy Abramite, creative director at Maxine Salon in Chicago and a stylist at Spring 2012 NYC Fashion Week, about this spring's "it" hair and beauty trend.

Here's her behind-the-scenes scoop:

High fashion is finally catching up to something us moms have always known: Ponytails rule. And lucky for us, they're all the rage this spring.

Amy says placement is everything when it comes to the perfect pony. She saw lots of tightly pulled back, "slick" ponytails that had fun crimping and full-body in the back

She suggests braiding your hair at night and in the morning undoing the braid and pulling it back high on the head.

Her favorite beauty trend was from the Jason Wu show. He showed a clean, lightly made-up eye and bright, bold lips. She thinks it's a really realistic look for moms.

She recommends investing in an orange-red lipstick this season. "With just a touch of mascara and a bold lip it makes you look like you did your entire face, it's refreshing and brings attention to your lips and not tired eyes."

Color blocking

Bold, bright colors in big chunks are the basis for this year's hot trend. Spring is the perfect time to incorporate some serious splashes of color to your style. Old Navy has lots of ways to inexpensively rock this trend.

Flirty dresses and fun prints

Many dresses gracing the spring 2012 runway harken back to the 1950s, where "ladylike" was all the rage. You can grab a little Doris Day chic for yourself right at your local Target, with the much anticipated Jason Wu for Target collection that launched Feb. 5. (Jason designed Michelle Obama's inaugural ball gown.) His pretty and playful designs are an easy way to add a touch of whimsy to your wardrobe.

Color du jour

Pantone's color of the year is "Tangerine Tango." That's "orange" in real mom language. It's a fun, happy shade. If tangerine isn't your hue, any shade of orange will do. The Gap is all about this yummy color right now. Here are a few of my favorites items: rain boots in neon orange, $49.95, neon patent belt, $24.95, neon city flats, $39.95. This go-to top from Ann Taylor combines this season's "it" color and the beauty of color blocking all in one. Color block shell, $78

This article appeared in the March 2012 edition of Chicago Parent.