2012 Fashion Trends We Love & Hate

Towards the end of last year we had a frank discussion of the fashion trends that we loved- and hated- from last year. The majority agreed that the over abundance of glitter and the abuse of leggings as pants were things we hoped stayed in 2011, and we all agreed that infinity scarves and gorgeous jewel tones were just up our alley. Of course, with spring and summer fashions hitting the runways and stores, we have a whole new list of trends – and again, some of them we love and others have left us scratching our heads.

Image Courtesy of Lilly Pulitizer

Peplum Waists: Peplum waist dresses are pretty in theory, but they require such a specific body type to pull it off we can’t help but shudder that they are making the mainstream. The majority of women don’t want extra ruffles around their midsection, and while we applaud those who can rock them we have a feeling these will be like the puffed sleeves of the 80′s: something everyone cringes at when they see pictures of themselves five years down the road.

Colored Denim: This trend might be short lived but frankly, we are happy to see plain old blue jeans get a little bit of a fun, punchy makeover. Sure not everyone wants bright yellow pants but in this case, you can pick from the rainbow. Who doesn’t want a pair of sassy red pants to rock to the neighborhood barbecue?

Image Courtesy of Forever21

Asymmetrical Hemlines: This one has us confused. Yes, in theory a little asymmetrical hemline on a dress can be cute, but what we are seeing reminds us of a mullet in fashion form: short and sassy in the front and long and flowing in the back. There are exceptions to every rule, but for now, these hemlines are a big no.

Image Courtesy of GAP

Blouses: Blouses were all the rage in the Mad Men era and then fell out of fashion some time back. We are pleased to see them back in stores, both in crisp white styles and fun patterns. Some are slouchy, some are structured but they all look great with jeans, shorts or dress pants. Even blouses with (gasp) bows are coming back, and paired up with a pencil skirt they are downright saucy. Blouses are on our “love” list.

Maxi Skirts: Comfy, stylish, cool without showing too much skin (which is a trend most of us ditch after college) and easy to pair up….we put maxi skirts into the “love” category. Even better? You can find tons of affordable maxi skirts at places like the Gap and Old Navy. Win!

Image Courtesy of Macy’s

Sheer…Everything: Ahh the trend that comes back every five or six years. Sheer skirts, sheer tops, all requiring extra layers and lots of adjusting your undergarments – why do they put these on the racks? We think everyone should just say no to sheer.

Image Courtesy of Lands’ End

Tunics: Tunics are one of the few things that make leggings-as-pants work and they are a nice alternative to the crop tops popping up everywhere – stylish, comfortable and they look great paired up with ballet flats or towering heels.

Blousy Sleeves: An alternative to the capped sleeves we already decided we didn’t like, blousy sleeves are both feminine and cute. On both dresses and tops we like this trend. A+ fashion land!

Image Courtesy of 7 For All Mankind

Patterned Denim: As much as colored denim is fun and fresh, we have to draw the line somewhere. Animal and floral print denim? Consider the line drawn. These are not cute or flattering.

Image Courtesy of Lands’ End Canvas

Nautical Fun: Nautical-inspired fashion has shown up in everything from shoes to scarves and it is easy to incorporate without looking overdone. Who doesn’t love a little anchor motif or navy blue stripe? Anyone can wear this trend so we give it a thumbs up.

What’s on your love/hate trend list this season?

Daisy is a lawyer married to a lawyer (insert lawyer jokes here) living in a small condo in a big city with a new baby and beagle. She breaks up the legal-speak by blogging about life in Chicago, which is filled with escapades of urban living. In the summer she enjoys patio dining and in the winter wonders what she was thinking when she moved here. You can read more from Daisy on her blog, Just Daisy.