Put your best style forward in 2016 with these tips and trends

The sartorial spin cycle that is seasonal dressing seems to be operating at warp speed.

Rather than trickle down from the runway to the streets over the course of several months, trends and garments seem to make the journey from fashion show fodder to for sale around the world in what seems like mere days.

Who can keep up? And do we even have to?

Or are there a few key pieces to look for each season that can bring our wardrobes to the here and now without being tied to head-to-toe trends?

According to Vancouver-based personal stylist Michelle Addison, keeping up with the trends is often as easy as picking up (one or two!) new accessories.

"Feeling ‘dated’ and ‘not on trend’ often comes from wearing old shoes," she says.

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For 2016, Addison recommends opting for heels and flats with ankle ties for added interest, a striped handbag or clutch and statement-making earrings as easy updates that are available at virtually every price point.

But while you don’t have to spend a fortune to bring your accessories A-game into the new year, you might want to step outside of your style comfort zone.

"This is the year that things get a little crazy," Addison, who has been working as a personal stylist since 2009, says. "From large earrings to headpieces, this is certainly not the (year) to under-indulge."

And that look-at-me esthetic spotted in accessories is also seeping into clothing with a veritable rainbow of colours making the ‘it’ lists and a slew of patterns, prints — and stripes too.

"One of the most important new trends for spring are large, bold, bright-coloured multi-stripes. They showed up on runways everywhere (including) Chloe, Cedric Charlier and Missoni," Richard Simons, vice-president of merchandising at Simons, says.

The Canadian retailer, which opened last year in Vancouver at Park Royal shopping centre, has dubbed the striped trend "Country Club" with bright greens, reds, yellows and blues.

"It has a mix of a bit of a tropical flavour," Simons says. "Combined with nautical and collegiate-preppy style, if that makes any sense."

In addition to stripes, the style savvy are advising fashion fans keep their eyes out for pieces featuring tropical fruits such as lemons and pineapples, cacti and bunches of bold floral prints.

"We cannot forget about leaf or fern or botanical prints," Simons says. "They are simply everywhere, replacing romantic florals from past seasons."

By the sounds of it, the print-busy bounty of 2016 isn’t going to play well with wallflowers who favour all-black ensembles.

But for those who would prefer to play with colour rather than print, Addison recommends considering a piece in one of the Pantone colours of the year: Rose Quartz.

"Sometimes, it’s hard to avoid a trendy colour. There might be nothing else on the shelves," she says. "That being said, Rose Quartz will be a big hit.

"Pink is the colour of the moment."

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