Summer wardrobe refresh: Update last year’s trends for a brand new look

By Brittany Anas

Last summer we saw some fun new trends sneak in and test the fashion waters. Mullet hemlines on skirts and dresses — you know, short in the front and long and flowy in the back. Lil’ overskirts on peplum blouses accentuated our curves and made us feel super-feminine. And the last time we saw such an explosion of neon was a middle-school Silly String fight.

We’re always a bit cautious when buying the latest and greatest trends knowing that they likely have expiration dates — only to recycle themselves every now and again and shock us when we get deja-vu of high school when looking in our own daughters’ closets.

We’re pleasantly surprised this June to see that some of the Summer ’12 trends are coming back for round two. The same high-low skirts and peplum pieces that shyly arrived on racks in solid prints are all like “Oh, hey, you liked us? Now that we know each other, let’s get wild with some prints.”

Save some money buy re-wearing last year’s trends in a new way. Then, you’ll have more cash to invest in a couple of summer 2013 trendy pieces, like the wide statement stripes, elaborately beaded tribal accessories and minimalist dresses we’ve been spotting on the runways.

Peplum: Last summer, we embraced peplum with some conservative skepticism in the form of solid-colored neutrals. This year, we’re a pep squad cheering for more peplum, as it’s getting some more personality with preppy stripes and brighter colors. We love this blue-and-white striped peplum top from South Moon Under for $55.

If you’ve got a solid peplum shell in, say, black, navy, cream or red, try a little pattern play and wear it with a floral print skirt. Making peplum flatter your figure is a balancing act. The flounced cut plays well with pencil skirts or cigarette pants.

High-low dresses and skirts: These dresses have come out of their shells and we’re seeing lots of high-low pieces with florals, stripes and sometimes both, like this pretty maxi dress from Anthropologie for $88.

Re-imagine your existing maxi skirts by tucking in a bold floral blouse or loop a patterned scarf around your neck and pop a sleeveless denim jacket on top for a chic summer look. A white denim sleeveless vest from Old Navy can be remixed so many different ways between now and Labor Day.

Neon: Last summer we were color-blocking these almost glow-in-the-dark neon pieces. This year, we’ve figured out how to show up in the office without blinding our co-workers.

Give your neons a twist of sophistication by wearing them with neutrals. We’re thinking white pants or a trusty khaki pencil skirt. White cropped pants from Ann Taylor will slim your silhouette. For a fun all-in-one neutral and neon combo, try out a bright yelllow and canvas crossbody purse from Gap.

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