Spring is here!

…or at least the clothes are

Allison Duchin, Staff Reporter

It may not feel like it, but spring arrived a while ago, even though Cleveland’s still getting the message.

The rest of the world however, is breaking out its closet to reveal this season’s trending styles, including hemlines that have gotten longer and colors that have gotten brighter.

Meanwhile, slits and patterns are remain prevalent.

While we are just shedding our winter coats, the rest of the world is looking brighter as spring begins. Analyzing what people are wearing on the streets in the rest of the world shows what trends have caught on. In Milan, people celebrated next season’s fashion week by showing off their current styles. Prevalent looks included a number of light-weight, bright colored leather garments as well as high-waisted skirts with expansive slits (as seen on Vogue.com). These looks were repeatedly seen on the streets of cities around the world, with high frequency in Paris, New York and Sydney, as seen on the online blog Street Peeper.

Some of the most repeated leather looks included jackets, pleated mini-skirts, shorts, and pants; the jackets and skirts are typically featured in lighter colors such as hues of red, yellow, and blue, while pants and shorts remain primarily black.

To match some of these looks at a lower budget look to the following retailers: leather shorts can be found at H&M and Topshop for $50 or less. At these stores, it’s possible to find even the high end denim brand Blank NYC in a variety of styles. If you want to brighten up your wardrobe with colorful leather jackets, Charlotte Russe and DailyLook.com provide jackets in a wide range of colors.

The key to reinventing these looks for summer is to pair them with a much lighter material to contrast the harshness of the leather. Don’t worry that when the season ends you won’t wear these purchases, leather is a classic material that will always be in style. The only way it changes in fashion is how people use it to accent other trends.

Another major trend that has been changing through the seasons is minimalist and monochromatic outfits; the evolution of this trend into spring has been to wear a single pattern throughout an outfit. This look is often achieved with clean and classic garments such as a suit jacket and slacks, a romper, or an oxford shirt and printed jeans. This trend has been captured around the world by StreetPeeper Sydney, Shanghai, New York, and Berlin.

This trend is difficult to pull off as an entire look, but each garment can be worn independently and either dressed up or down. Visit retailers like H&M, ASOS.com and Express for affordable pieces in a variety of prints that are appropriate for many seasons. Although the full printed suit may seem a bit “out there” or over-the-top, don’t be afraid to be different.

You will definitely be remembered when you wear it to your interview for the summer internship of your dreams.