Sun’s out, wacky, experimental fashion purchases out. (That’s how the saying goes, right?) Spring’s here. Your outfit-muffling coats and snow-ready shoes are packed away. The world of fashion is your oyster. It’s time to have fun, test the limits of your sartorial daring. It’s time to give attention-grabby runway trends like chain mail, exposed underwear and 7-inch platforms a whirl. Remember: No look is too out-there, so long as you wear it with confidence. Click through the gallery above for 5 trends to play with now that it’s finally nice out.
Balenciaga's Spring 2017 spandex boot-pant hybrids (formally known as the "Knife Over-the-Knee Boots") are a new celebrity favorite. Kendall Jenner owns a pair. Lily Aldridge and Salma Hayek rocked 'em on the Met Gala red carpet. They're not exactly wearable and yet they're being worn. Pair yours with spring's essential threadbare slip? A rock ’n’ roll vintage tee and semi-redundant jeans? An unwavering sense of adventure?
The Spring 2017 catwalks of Balmain (pictured here), Versace and Gucci shone with glitzy, glamorous chain-mail numbers. Michelle Obama and Kendall Jenner were early supporters of the trend. The former wore a custom rose gold Atelier Versace gown to her final state dinner as first lady, the latter rang in her 21st birthday in a silvery, Paris Hilton-reminiscent number. How do we, of the nonceleb caste, wear metal clothing in public? "You can start with a chain-mail top, it doesn’t have to be a full dress," says Bella Hadid's stylist Elizabeth Sulcer. "Either way, I think it’s all about feeling good and being confident. You’re wearing the dress, it’s not wearing you."
For Fall 2017, Christelle Kocher of Koché, Raf Simons of Calvin Klein and Miuccia Prada of Prada (duh) flocked together. Simons embellished eveningwear dresses with wispy ostrich feathers. Kocher made a multicolored jacket out of the stuff. (Alicia Keys later styled said jacket with leather pants — bold, to say the least.) And we wouldn't be surprised if Prada's marabou feather hoods became the new fluffy Gucci loafer. Play with texture. Embrace your inner showgirl. Let your imagination — and wardrobe — soar, birdlike, to new heights.
The statement earring trend is forever, but for Spring 2017, designers like Delpozo and Simone Rocha took it up a notch. Ready to experiment with neon danglers that fall well past your clavicle? Excellent. Bonus points if you only wear one.
By now, we don't have to tell you that 80s-style dressing is a thing. Designers like Emanuel Ungaro and Saint Laurent are all about flashy, seriously voluminous shoulders, as is Marni Senofonte, the stylist behind Kendall Jenner's recent head-turning, floor-sweeping, clavicle-baring Cannes looks. Get in on this trend now, before jacket weather returns.