Spring is usually all about color, but this year designers are taking that idea a step further.  Sweet, demure looks in easter-egg colors abound lately, both in the resort lines and in the more directional Spring/Summer collections.  Giles Deacon showed multiple looks in baby pink and pale lavender both at Daks and in his eponymous line’s London show.  The bulk of Alberta Ferretti’s collection featured barely-there colors from pale orange to lavender to soft grey, and cheery pinks and yellows showed up at many a show. 

The season’s most surprisingly hot color, though, is sea green, a hue that popped up on runways in all the fashion capitals.  The shade, rarely found on anything other than stuffed animals and Halloween costumes, made a shocking comeback, and - dare we say it - a refreshing one; making appearances at Ferretti, Jill Stuart, and John Galliano. 

Conspicuously absent though?  Baby blue - proving that this Spring’s pastels are far from the usual.

 Aqua looks most of-the-moment in clean-but-romantic shapes and light fabrics, as with this Robert Rodriguez dress.

Alexis Hudson’s pale yellow “Olympus” bag adds a soft springtime air to a daytime outfit, while Cesare Paciotti’s peach crystal heels are a subtle pastel touch for night.

Earlier this year, Vogue heralded the “return of the supermodel” with a foldout cover and near-endless photo spread.  Meanwhile, this month’s issue of Nylon touts “supermodel beauty” as the next big hair and makeup trend.  So it seems only logical that designers would want to get in on this wave of 80s-and-90s nostalgia - especially after last year’s Herve Leger revival.  This season, Proenza Schouler (above), Marchesa (below), Balmain, and countless others will have us all dressing like Naomi, Linda, Christy, and Cindy in short, tight, and sculpted minidresses that hark back to the glamour days of 1980s fashion.

Of course, it takes a certain figure to pull that look off - namely, a perfect one.  But if you’re not six feet tall, perfectly tanned and rail thin, fear not - there are other ways to go.  Not fond of minidresses?  Try a strapless bustier top with a pair of skinny leg pants.  Scared to go sleeveless?  Pair a skimpy mini with a distressed leather jacket for just the right dose of downtown cool.

 No one does supermodel-sexy like Dolce and Gabbana.

Make like Naomi in a form-fitting, leopard-print David Meister mini.

This English rose sure has blossomed since she got her start at just fifteen!  The model, who has graced the cover of Vogue UK numerous times and is a Vogue US favorite, is known for her baby face and flaming red hair but her fashion sense has garnered her quite a following as well.  Early on, Lily favored kooky, mix-and-matched, boho-chic ensembles.  Lately, though, she’s been looking much more polished and refined, in designers from Valentino to Erdem.  Her current favorites?  Lingerie-inspired slip dresses - usually by homegrown British designers - in pale colors like pink and silver to offset her fair complexion.

To riff on Lily’s style, lace, ruffles, and satins are a must.  Hair and makeup should be spare and soft, and black tights are the perfect accessory to ground this ethereal look.  And, even if you are blessed with Lily’s mile-long legs, don’t forget a pair of very-high heels.

These tights by Leg Avenue will keep you chic but warm this winter.

Why not wear a slip camisole out on the town?  This one is by Rebecca Taylor.

Forget the no-white-after-labor-day rule - if you want to wear the color typically associated with summer, and the weather permits the new Spring fashions, why not just go with your instinct?  White will be THE shade to wear this Spring, and it is officially okay to wear it in the winter now too.  Cavalli and Sonia Rykiel (below)showed flowing sheer white gowns, while Celine, Verrier, and Giambatista Valli (above) went for a crisp, fresh look that would be right at home in any posh country club.

Why white?  Because black’s been on everyone’s it-list for several seasons now, and although that perennial trend isn’t slowing down for Spring, its polar opposite is starting to look rather fresh and unique.  For day or evening, work or sport, this simple shade goes with just about everything.

A white dress like this one by Sweetees is appropriate for every season.

For easy basics, nothing beats a crisp white blouse from See by Chloe.

Add punch to a monochrome outfit with some bright pumps like these by Betsey Johnson.

Would you expect anything less than cute-but-controversial from the girl who dates Marilyn Manson?   Evan Rachel Wood is best known for her oddball film choices - Thirteen, Running With Scissors, Down in the Valley, The Upside of Anger - and her preternaturally mature attitude, but she has been becoming quite the fashionista too as of late.   

Evan sported bohemian long locks and flowing tops and dresses in last month’s Across the Universe, but she has since left the hippie look behind her.  Now, she prefers chic and sharp - dark, rich colors and jewel toned dresses, red lipstick, and shorter, impeccably styled hair.   She is old-Hollywood with a modern edge, borrowing from everything and everyone, from Japanese Harajuku fashion to Grace Kelly to - yes - Dita Von Teese.

To get Evan’s look, put on some sky-high mary janes and a pair of heart-shaped or cat-eye glasses.  Short dresses with quirky embellishments are a must.  Keep an ensemble both cute and polished with seamed stockings or some stylized socks.

A red David Meister dress with a pleated bodice looks wild but ladylike.  Accessorize with the obvious (by Candy Apple).