Stores like J.C. Penney, Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, Barny, and Saks Fifth Avenue report this season’s top selling items to be ponchos, white denim, tunics, flippy skirt, camisoles and floor-length skirts with ribbon appliqué.
Fashionistas around the country are hunting after African tribal prints, gypsy and tiered peasant skirts, and animal prints. Fashion designers such as Gaultier, Marni, Cavalli and Tahari did everything to satisfy the tastes of experienced shoppers and fashion lovers.
“We are having a very good spring season,” Kal Ruttenstein, senior vice president of fashion direction at Bloomingdale’s, told WWD. “White is the big color, but trends also include fuller skirts and skirts that are slightly ruffled and feminine-looking and always worn with flat shoes.” The store's top selling lines include Viktor & Rolf, Theory and Giorgio Armani black label.
According to Michael Fink, Saks Fifth Avenue’s senior fashion director, the best sellers this season are ruffled collar cotton Junya Watanabe blouse; Marc Jacobs’ full-pleated cropped pants, full skirt and cashmere cardigans; Moroccan-inspired styles from Blumarine, and embellished jackets from Dolce & Gabbana and Moschino. “Regardless of the price point, if there is a full skirt, we are selling it,” said Fink. “And it seems the more print, the more embellished the better for spring and summer.”
White denim capris, loose slacks in linen, T-shirts with “folkloric designs”, and skirts with a volume, metallics, and ornamentation are also the must-haves of the season. White and black, as well as bright colors, and ethnical motives are ruling these days.
Accessories and embellished shoes are in great favor. Handbags decorated with coral and crystals are being sold exceptionally well.
Overall the trendiest style that leads this spring and summer is bohemian. “The bohemian trend was enormously successful for us,” said Scott Tepper, Henri Bendel store’s fashion director and divisional merchandise manager for apparel, accessories and lingerie. “For our customer, the balance between a bohemian or an embellished top with denim on the bottom to complete the outfit is a very well received way of dressing.” The same idea was expressed by Nordstrom fashion communications director Pamela Perret, who said that the bohemian trend is still hot at its stores, and shows no signs of slowing down. “For us the bohemian trend is huge, in everything from tiered skirts to embellished camis, tunics and accessories like wood beads and bangles.”