It may be only a matter of convenience, but for many students, the shops on Nassau Street will define their spring wardrobe. For women this seasib, retail hotspots will offer shine and subtlety, with many pieces combining bright metallics and soft feminine touches. For men, the standard fare of eye-popping polo-shirts will be available from stores such as Ralph Lauren or J.McLaughlin, while new options such as Zoë's men section are cropping up to bring urban couture to campus.
These are the "must-haves" of the season:
Zoë
At Zoë, spring styles for women are similar to those at Honey West: more metallics and softer colors than last spring. Many shirts have lace, sequins and other feminine touches. This season's look is more polished and not as mismatched as last year's. Even designers known for their funky, creative styles are opting for a more clean, feminine look this season.
Kelly Cerialo, who works at both Zoë and a showroom in New York, predicted that wedge shoes — especially metallic ones — will be the top seller this spring. She added that jeans, of course, would remain a bestseller. The two leading brands for this season are Sass and Bide and Foley. Cerialo said that almost every look on the runway is the same as what these designers are showing.
At Zoë, men's styles are rapidly changing as men become more and more fashion conscious.
"Men used to think $100 was ridiculously expensive for a pair of jeans; now they'll buy nice jeans with no hesitation," Cerialo said.
As a result, many women's clothing companies are seeing the new potential in this market and making clothes for men. Blazers and button-downs are still popular for men this season, but they are becoming more old-fashioned and polished.
Honey West
Honey West, a store that highlights West coast designers, says that metallics have been popular and will stay hot this spring. Clothing will also have a lot of embellishment and color, mostly mints, sea-foam green and salmon — soft but bright colors. Other projected hot sellers include wedge shoes, Bermuda shorts, Grecian inspired clothes and seersuckers, which have been popular in the past. Clothes this spring combine the feminine and the bohemian — tunic-like shirts and dresses, and flowing long skirts instead of last season's miniskirts. But unlike in past seasons, the bohemian look is more tailored and flattering for real bodies.
Honey West predicts that sweats, a staple for any Princeton student, will remain a top seller this spring, especially '70s-inspired activewear. Splatter-paint sweatshirts and jeans, are gaining popularity, and 2 be Free is replacing Juicy as the most popular activewear brand. Another popular new designer is Rachel Pally, whose fluid jersey knits have been seen on numerous celebrities — including Jessica Simpson and the Olsen twins — and can be dressed up or down.
Noticeably missing from this spring's collection are miniskirts, which are being replaced by longer, Bohemian-style skirts. Fitted capris are also disappearing, as capris become more wide-legged and similar to Bermuda shorts or Gaucho pants. And although polo-shirts will always be popular, Honey West predicts that this year's sales will fall below last year's peak.
Rouge
Not surprisingly, Rouge also predicts that metallics will be the hottest item this spring. This year's trends include tight cropped jackets, ballet flats and Italian and Scandinavian designers. Eastern-influenced Indian styles will also be popular. Clothes will be more feminine than in past years and ponchos are definitely out, although Rouge does still have some.
Dandelion
Jewelry trends seem to have remained pretty similar, but Dandelion manager Carol Mendelsohn did notice a few changes in this spring's collection. Turquoise, which has been popular for a while, has never been quite as popular as this year. Coral and vintage jewelry are among the bestselling items, and longer, thinner earrings are replacing last year's chandelier earrings in popularity.
Blue Mercury
The new fragrance from Fresh, SAKE, is already a bestseller at Blue Mercury. Debbie Kaszyc, the manager of Blue Mercury, describes SAKE as "warm, luscious and exotic." It has a peach base and the fragrance is designed to last longer than other perfumes.
Kaszyc says that eye coals are also a popular spring item, especially green eyeliner. Other hot choices include greens, blues and pale yellows for eyes and sheer, glossy hot pink for lips.
There will be more color on the lip and eye versus the cheek this spring — a brighter lip and a softer eye. Spring makeup trends don't make a great jump from season to season, Kaszyc said, and although this season emphasizes a feminine style, it's about as light and fresh as most seasons.
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