PURE SPRING

Considerations of shape, color and length are obsolete as true barometers of style. This spring, the only real criteria of world-class fashion are dramatic simplicity and purity of line.

Simplicity, in fact, is the single unifying force of the season, sweeping across the Atlantic from Europe, spanning the continent from New York to Los Angeles. It is the design motif for everything from casual clothes to evening wear, the ultimate taste test for women wondering what to buy.

The definition of simple has nothing to do with whether skirts are long or short, slim or full. It has nothing to do with whether jackets are loose or fitted. In deference to the highly developed personal style of today’s women, all these variations coexist peacefully in many well-known designers’ lines.

For spring, simple simply means an absolute absence of frills, a spare and unembellished look. The emphasis is on the woman beneath the clothes rather than on the clothes themselves.

Suits, a traditional signal of spring, are more prominent now than in recent years. And finding the right one shouldn’t be difficult, even for women with problem figures or paltry bank accounts. Facsimiles of expensive designer suits in silk, rayon, linen or blends will appear in lower-price versions before the shopping season gets started.

Spring suit jackets are short or long, fitted, belted or loose. They’re paired with knee-length or mid-calf-length skirts. The shape of the suit counts less this year than the execution of it. The best of the new breed have a crisp, linear look that gives the wearer an aura of power.

Pants--including shorts--are important again, although the tight French bicycle shorts so prevalent at Paris showings probably will not appeal to most women past their 20s. But wider-leg shorts and trousers will be a spring staple, worn with everything from T-shirts and sweaters to tailored jackets appropriate for executive suites.

Evening pants are prevalent, too, especially in shimmery fabrics teamed with simple sweater sets. And perhaps the biggest trend of all is the spring sweater, for day or evening, knitted of cashmere, silk or linen blends. Evening cashmeres are collared and cuffed in satin, or in a fabric to match evening skirts or pants. Many daytime sweaters are sleeveless, with turtlenecks or round necklines.

The popularity of sweaters this season reflects an affection by many top designers for looks that are not merely simple, but soft. This affection extends to softly shaped rayon or silk daytime outfits that feature sleeveless, narrow bodices above long, bias-cut skirts. This style is a current favorite with New York designer Ralph Lauren, who always shows it with flats.

And that’s another important note. The right stuff for spring, as shown by designers around the world, means flat-heel shoes, especially with mid-calf-length skirts. And pumps, of course, with suits. (Karl Lagerfeld is trying to revive the wedgie shoe, but no one seems to care). In jewelry, less is more. Bare necklines, according to many designers, ought to remain bare. Just a perfect pair of earrings, a bangle bracelet now and then.

Hair styles, whether long or short, are as simple as the clothes. For a little twist of newness, some top models are sporting bangs.