Pretty Makes a Comeback

Being feminine is back in style, and classic notions of prettiness are dictating the look for spring. Gone are the micro-minis and “Matrix”-inspired vamps. Instead we have elegant floral-print frocks and terrific dresses with big skirts, dip dyes and scads of chiffon in saturated Technicolor that recall an era when, for better or worse, glamour was a way of life.

“This is the prettiest season in years, but not the first by any means,” says Rose Apodaca Jones, West Coast bureau chief of Women’s Wear Daily. “Rising stars such as Tuleh, Zac Posen, Proenza Schouler and, locally, Louis Verdad are building businesses and reputations on their feminine collections. And Prada, Valentino, Emanuel Ungaro’s Giambattista Valli and Marc Jacobs have trotted out some of the loveliest lady looks in seasons.”

Looking at the soft lilacs, shimmery grays and pale pinks of Posen’s much-talked-about spring collection, it’s no surprise to hear that the designer’s inspiration was “the spirit of eternal femininity.”

Oscar de la Renta’s gamin collection--awash in voluminous skirts and colorful charmeuse silks--is another standout, flaunting an updated Audrey Hepburn chic that exemplifies the trend. But the real newsmakers are designers who depart from their usual aesthetic to create a softer sensibility.

Two years ago, Prada’s spring collection featured sweater vests and serious tailoring, Fendi showed leather and bondage, Chanel was pushing motorcycle chic and Dolce & Gabbana offered structured suits. But even these players are caught up in the current feminine zeitgeist, as seen in Prada’s new romantic, shirred-silk full skirts and Dolce’s dreamy, layered chiffon dresses in floral and paisley prints with rosebud stockings to match.

Designer Karl Lagerfeld has turned away from his recent fierce-vixen vibe and offers breezy chiffons in soft florals at Chanel and watercolor pastels at Fendi. Shifting from last season’s bold Mod look, Marc Jacobs shows pretty ruffled dresses and washed-linen jackets that he describes as having “a warm sensibility.” Balenciaga’s baby-doll silhouettes replace last year’s retro neoprene mini. Even Japanese designer Naoki Takizawa at Issey Miyake, known for its avant-garde edge, tries his hand at pink and powder-blue scarf dresses and sarongs.

Similarly, spring’s beauty trends are for sun-kissed faces with shimmery shadows and glosses, smoky eyes and loose tresses. “We’re seeing classic, pretty looks with longer hair and bangs that almost hide the eyes for a more demure look,” says Etienne Taenaka, salon director for Vidal Sassoon in Beverly Hills. “Using a flat iron is out--hair should look natural. Because clothes are more frilly and girlie, the hair is almost an accessory instead of the main event.”

Accessories also reflect the shift. Valentino has adorned a pair of stilettos with a bejeweled butterfly, while Chloe features the winged creature on a sparkly necklace. The typically sporty Tod’s offers a sweet little Candy bag with pinched ends, designed to look like a bonbon. Christian Louboutin’s Lucite stiletto with tiny yellow bows and John Galliano’s white high-heeled Victorian Mary Janes are other examples of feminine conceits that put a bit of frivolity and fun back into fashion.

“It’s as if designers and consumers have been increasingly bidding ta-ta to the minimalist, utilitarian ‘90s and the shoulder-padded alpha-female of the ‘80s,” Jones says. “They are perfectly giddy to be pretty again. And by no means is this a slap at feminism or some sign of political conservatism. If anything, it indicates that young women realize they can rock the world and have their frosted cake too. The numbers at the registers don’t lie.”