The little black dress will forever remain a staple for every woman’s wardrobe, so don’t go throwing it out yet or lament your recent splurge on that black party dress. Think of the trend toward vibrant metallics and bold 60s prints as a breath of fresh air—or a welcome trip down Memory Lane.
You might not expect to see short colorful dresses mid-winter but surprise, surprise! It’s all about the pinks, reds, oranges, notice-me prints and daring precious metals. No sooner have you started thinking about shedding those eggnog, double chocolate fudge, pudding pie pounds than derierre skimming tunics and satin smocks start popping up on racks at your favorite boutiques and department stores.
But don’t panic and lock yourself in a steam room. You don’t need Twiggy’s figure to pull off this season’s hottest looks. There are flattering styles for every body type such as A line silhouettes with long sleeves like Matthew Williamson’s multicolored Poppy Sequined Tunic dress. This lovely piece has you covered in terms of trendiness, yet offers enough of an understated look. You can even pair it with jeans to get more mileage out of your investment. And if you want a little extra help looking awesome in your mod squad tunic or Hold-You-In Sculpted Pencil Dress, there’s Shape FX to the rescue. Through the magic of control-hold fabrics and designs, Shape FX will help you look as if you've already erased the winter pounds as you work to balance the scale.
In addition to this season’s warm color palette, trendsetters and Hollywood A-listers have been heating up premieres, parties and award shows with gold and silvery hues. Thandie Newton wore a vintage Calvin Klein dress to the film premiere of "The Pursuit of Happyness" in Beverly Hills, while Gayle King glitterized her cocktail dress at the "Dreamgirls" premiere with gold-toned stilettos. Cate Blanchett dazzled fans with a floor-length gold dress at the "Babel" premier. Ms. Blanchett stuck with her precious metals theme at the "Notes On A Scandal” premiere when she wore a mercury-colored suit and matching stilettos.
Singer JoJo isn't afraid to wear bright colors in the winter.
The great thing about a lot of these dresses is that you can wear them from now through the end of summer. Like the Chelsea Flower Wrapped Pearls Halter Dress from InterMix.com will make you the spice of every party or the hottest number on the boardwalk in June. Many of this season's dresses are extremely versatile. Glam them up for cocktail parties or a night at the Opera or throw on some tights and stacked platform shoes for a night out with the girls.
If you’re determined to remain loyal to black you’re still in the clear. Black is classic regardless of season and occasion. But given the playfulness of this season’s frocks, why not have a little fun with your dress noir? Punch up a sublime silk cocktail dress with this flirty brocade cocktail skirt by Vian Hunter?
Stay tuned for these exciting upcoming articles:
•Transitional dresses: Dresses that take you from Spring to Fall
•How to wear tights with dresses: do’s and don’ts from Michelle Antonelli, Design Director for Cable & Gauge
•What to wear to work
•Big Bag Theory! How to wear this season’s hottest hair trend
•Spring for shoes! What’s hot (and not) in Spring footwear
In the meantime, here are some great sites for hunting down the latest trends:
InterMixOnline.com
JulieHaus.com
ShopBop.com
~Amy N. Covington for The Divas Dreams
Did you expect anything less than flamboyant from SJP? There are feathers, flowers and a whole lotta pattern mismatching going on at the SATC set. 
her bag pictured here, which comes in two sizes with two different pricetags ($1,550 and $3,100). While we may not look to this film as a benchmark for what we should wear in our “normal” everyday lives, the SATC girls certainly give the rest of us a lot more rope when it comes to fashion dare-devilism. Although, I have to say I am not a fan of the enormous shoulder pads sported by Samantha. But, like many of you, I can't wait for the movie. I've missed having my neuroses justified on a weekly basis. 
