The official start of spring has come and gone. While we’re not quite ready for a return to… The official start of spring has come and gone. While we’re not quite ready for a return to T-shirts and short skirts, Pittsburgh is steadily getting warmer. There’s surely more unpleasant weather ahead, but the calendar says it’s spring and it’s time to talk big changes and new trends for 2007.

Spring collections are the first taste we have of what’s to come. The lines are always a designer’s first presentations for the new year, as there are usually no new winter items introduced since the first fall premier.

Even though many designers come out with a majority of their spring lines in January, they aren’t largely embraced until the weather is nice enough to actually wear the clothing. The end of March brings the opportunity to see which trends will be in and out.

My first course of action was to consult the world of retail and gather a few ideas about what this year might hold. Women’s fashion is seeing a lot of interesting and perhaps scary trends this year, with new styles that will definitely stand out from last year’s.

After reviewing select spring collections, it definitely seems that many tastefully tacky trends have arrived. This is especially welcome after last fall’s exercise in elegant, yet drab, and reserved brown. A few months ago, women’s fashion saw several dark, velvety trends.

This spring is the opposite. Take, for example, the sudden popularity of using clear plastic. Specifically, Lucite makes any item look retro and modern at the same time.

It’s easy to imagine that such a trend is a polarizing issue. Many will embrace it for being futuristically retro, while just as many will slam it for being tacky and cheap. However, clear materials are now used in some high-end Coach handbags, which shows that it can appeal to more expensive tastes.

Lucite is also showing up in big, chunky jewelry, which is also an important fashion trend for the spring. While such pieces might even seem obnoxious, they are being worn by models who are dressed by some of the most important figures and companies in fashion. Large pieces of jewelry can make a nice statement, but should always be used with restraint.

Since reservation and restraint were so important this fall, there’s an undeniable return to loud and bold flavors. That being the case, the important colors on women this spring are basic. After a winter full of brown, designers are exercising use of basic, primary colors, and it seems that there’s nothing in between. Red is scarlet, blue is sapphire and green is emerald. These colors are especially bright and a big break from fall.

All of the other important trends are just as daring. Sequins are going to be big this spring, showing up on more formal occasions. For every day, floral prints will start appearing in many stores after a considerable absence from fashion.

Also big this spring for women are bubbly, full-length skirts and dresses, which will carve a lush silhouette for warmer summer days. It’s a good example of how more formal wear is creeping into everyday life to create stylish looks for casual occasions.

All in all, style for women this spring is daring, and it will be interesting to see how many women are interested in showing off their bold flavors with some dividing design elements.