Now that winter is firmly out of the way, and people are looking ahead to what they will be taking on holiday with them this summer, it's time to look at what the latest colours and designs are for this season. The most dominant colours this season are ultramarine, apricot, silver and gold, as well as neon tones such as blue, yellow and purple. Combination colours are also high on the agenda, with monochrome black and white prints dominating the trends, and dark navy accompanied by red.

This season's must-have accessory is the over-sized handbag. No longer will you have to squeeze your bare essentials into a tiny clutch bag, now you can take everything you need, including the kitchen sink! Summer 2007 will also see the dominance of the dress, be it jersey, floral, denim or linen, and all in a variety of different lengths; micro mini, tunic, on the knee or full length. The style of the dress is also very important with Empire line, halter necklines, puffball, tulle, belted and wrap dresses, all making an appearance on the scene. However, the most dominant styles of dress are those with a hemline just above the knee, worn either alone, or teamed with skinny trousers, leggings or coloured tights; and the big season hitter, the maxi dress. These dresses go all the way down to the floor, and have a full-skirted look. Flamenco ruffles, flounces, pleats and frills are used to accentuate many of these dresses, look out for what suits you best. Make sure though that you can wear this look without appearing swamped by fabric! For those who can carry it off, this is an extremely comfortable and attractive addition to your summer wardrobe. If you aren't someone who suits the maxi dress, another option is the popular feature of illusion hemlines. These are dresses which have false hem illusions created by mesh, lace or pastel flesh toned hems that are added to make the length of the dress look shorter.

Balloon sleeves are another key look, with elbow sleeves in puffed-up shapes a dominant look, bell, lantern, trumpet or kimono sleeves, are all making an entrance, and it's up to you to find out which suits you best. They can vary immensely from a slight puff, to a full out mass of material so you definitely have to know which you prefer. Smocks are another top look for this season, with a huge emphasis on the folklore look, as well as those with Slav inspired folk prints, plain solid colours and abstract unusual designs. As the season heads towards autumn, you will start to see the trends moving towards a theme that will be very big in the coming months, lace. This will appear both as trimming and as the main focus of garments both in the summer season and in the autumn. High-waisted trousers are another developing trend as the season heads towards autumn, with androgynous tailored looks being a dominant theme in autumn 2007.