It does not matter if you are just beginning your foray into fashion, or if you have been in love with haute couture for decades, this season, everyone looks great in bold colors. By bold, we do not mean garish or gaudy. Rather, it is the deep, vibrant hues that count and not the color choice itself. Popular shades such as blood red, and deep midnight or royal blues have been making loud statements since the beginning of the spring season.



A beautiful Marc Jacobs? dress in an almost violet-hued midnight was recently seen, for example, on the likes of Courtney Cox, Anne Hathaway, and even Princess Beatrice. Both the young and the not-so-young generations are donning similar dresses this year avoiding the usual spring favorites, pastels, as much as possible. They are also donning bold accessories, such as extra-large colorful wooden beads for necklaces, earrings and bracelets alike.

Floral dresses that combine a number of vibrant colors as well as floral jewelry are yet again becoming popular this year, making a comeback from the 1970's. You can expect to see flowers aplenty this season in every color and shade imaginable. In the past, floral prints tended to appear mostly on floor or evening-length gowns. Otherwise, the dresses ran the risk of looking immature or too trendy for the real fashionista. This spring season, you will be able to find floral prints on miniskirts as well as lengthier gowns. Cascading organza or billowy light fabrics are not the only ones to hold the floral floor this year. Along with varying lengths, you will also find bold flowers on heavier fabrics and red-carpet-type material such as satin.

These bolder gowns and frocks are also the backdrop for subtle flowers. If the flowers themselves are not bold and beautiful, the underlying color of the dress is sure to be. The First Lady herself donned this look with a gorgeous Thakoon jacket and sheath overseas. The floral print was fairly subtle, but the fuchsia was not. Sometimes, fuchsia can be overpowering and too bright, but as with all other tones this season, the dress worn by First Lady Michelle Obama was perfectly combined by the right amount of depth of the color.

Incidentally, if you like the idea of deep colors but are not keen on flowers as fashion; you can rest assured that you will not be left out in the cold for spring 2009. There are plenty of dresses, tops and suits that are available without the floral print. Many solids have survived this trend, and also available are spring-like choices such as vines and leaves as prints.

As for the accessories making their way across the necks, wrists, and ears of women with these bold dresses, the trick is to let the bold prints and hues speak for themselves. You may find long, dangling earrings or long chains around the neck, but if you do, they will be slender. While it was fashionable some time ago to wear chunky rings of silver or gold around the neck, as well as large loops and hoops on the ears, it is not the case this season with these dresses. Understated is the way to go as far as metals and other adornments.

This includes hair accessories as well. A good look for the upcoming season is an upswept do held together with just the tiniest of clips. Some sparkle in the hair is always welcome, such as a set of small, crystal barrettes, so long as it is understated. Another popular look that is widely-accepted as fashionable for spring is the simple, low ponytail. Again, you can dress this up a bit with a bobby pin that has a gemstone flower or crystal flower on the end of it to match any floral prints that you may be wearing. Remember to try to keep the overall hairstyle simple.

Most of these deeply-dyed or floral dresses appear to be hitting the scene without belts. While this would obviously be true for the slinky sheath, it is also true this season in regard to the less obvious choices, such as the mini. The Marc Jacobs dress that was recently worn, and loved, by a few select (and might we add very lucky) women was actually inspired by the kimono. Marc Jacobs is not the only dress this season to have a less than traditional cut or style. Many ?robe?-type dresses are hitting the runway, which means they will be hitting a department store or boutique by you in the near future.

Luckily, shoes are in a class by themselves when it comes to fashion, and we need not make any drastic or different choices for our footwear based on the colors and patterns of the season's dresses. Whatever shoes you choose to finish off your look, remember to enjoy the deep colors and prints of the dresses along with hot new accessories, and let it put a little bounce in your step!