By Jessi McIntosh
Summer is here. For most, this means dreaded spring cleaning with the transition from sweaters and pants to tank tops and shorts. During this change figuring out which clothes follow the trends of a new year can be tricky.
Louisiana Tech fashion merchandising students Tobie Bimle and Hannah Donaldson can help make this transition as easy as possible with their insights on fashion trends coming this summer.
Bimle is a senior from Ruston, but in the summer of her junior and senior year of high school, she attended classes at a fashion college in New York City which grew her passion in fashion.
“I had the opportunity to intern at the Reeves and Company showroom at the Dallas Market Center,” Bimle said. “Since this summer I have worked all apparel markets with Reeves, and I hope to join their team full time after I graduate in November.
“At market, I show retailers the newest collections and I help buyers buy merchandise for their stores. I also get the opportunity to work directly with designers from brands like Queen Of Sparkles and Sedge.”
Donaldson is a senior from Bossier City who has had an eye for fashion since she was a little girl and by being a student in fashion merchandising, her love has grown.
“I enjoy sewing and making unique garments for myself and my friends,” Donaldson said. “I intern at Boutique Barr and I’m getting ready to start a new internship at WRLDINVSN. I also love styling my own outfits and outfits for my family and friends for special occasions or short vacations.”
Leading into new summer trends, Bimle and Donaldson said the main colors making a statement are lime green and pink. Other than those two main staple colors, bright colors such as orange and yellow are also highly anticipated. Primary staple pieces in the summer for women include mini skirts and maxi dresses. For men, a staple will be light and airy button ups.
There are trends that are resurfacing for the summertime such as chokers, funky and bright patterns, and headbands.
“Fashion is a constant cycle,” Donaldson said. “Decades and particular styles will always repeat themselves and certain things will resurface. A big thing to realize about the fashion industry is that there are fads and trends. Fads are when trends become popular quickly, but die down quickly. Regular trends tend to be more noteworthy and more likely to resurface.”
There are simple ways to be trendy this summer, she added, such as wearing jean or bright colored shorts along with short sleeved button ups. Mini skirts, bright colors, chunky sandals, bright jewelry and crop tops are in, along with fun sunglasses and ’70s inspired styles that can be worn by either gender.
This year may be pushing some people out of their comfort zone with bright colors and bold patterns but Lincoln Parish residents can bright this summer and step out of that zone.
