Jill Hennessy: Making the Most of Spring Fashion

Draped
A figure-flattering trend that hugs where you want it and gives where it matters most.

- Dress, $248, BCBG Max Azria Runway cotton dress, bcbg.com
- Necklace, $1,350, Marni coal, acrylic, horn and glass necklace, Bergdorf Goodman 800-558-1855
- Earrings, $145, Alexis Bittar Lucite earrings, alexisbittar.com

Polka Dots
Everyone needs a bit of girlish charm. Go for big (and bold) in this classic motif.

- Dress, $2,695, Michael Kors silk wool dress, Saks Fifth Avenue, 212-753-4000
- Belt, $295, Michael Kors patent leather belt, 310-777-8862
- Earrings, $290, Janis by Janis Savitt Swarovski crystal hoops, Bergdorf Goodman, 800-558-1855

Embellished
Look for ethereal fabrics adorned with beading, a great way to ground a floaty dress.

- Dress, $2,750, Vera Wang organza dress and slip skirt, verawang.com
- Belt, $1,250, Vera Wang crystal and leather belt, verawang.com

Belted
Anyone can wear this season’s big volume pieces, but the key to control is cinching them at the waist.

- Jacket, $2,165, Armani Collezioni linen and silk viscose blend jacket, 212-339-5950
- Pants, $295, Emporio Armani silk pants,emporioarmani.com.com
- Pin, $175, Emporio Armani crystal pin (on pants), emporioarmani.com.com
- Ring, $330, Stephen Dweck sterling silver and hematite ring,stephendweck.com.com
- Necklace, $735, Chanel metal necklace, select Chanel boutiques, 800-550-0005
- Clutch, $165, BR Monogram leather clutch, bananarepublic.com.com

Stripes
Choose classic colors, like black and navy, and keep lines vertical for a slimming effect.

- Blazer, $199, Lauren by Ralph Lauren cotton blazer Select Lord & Taylor stores, 800-223-7440
- Top, $425, Ralph Lauren Black Label viscose-blend top, ralphlauren.com
- Jeans, $80, Calvin Klein Jeans cotton-blend jeans, Macy’s, 800-423-6335
- Shoes, $865, Manolo Blahnik leather shoes, Barney’s, 212-826-8900
- Necklace, $500, Roxanne Assoulin for Lee Angel bead and crystal necklace, leeangel.com

Boyfriend Blazer
Replace your go-to cardigan with something structured. Best advice? Keep it bright and sexy underneath.

- Blazer, $495, Rag & Bone cotton-blend blazer, rag-bone.com
- Dress, $178, Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent silk dress, madisonlosangeles.com
- Bracelet, $1,850, Bottega Veneta sterling silver cuff, bottegaveneta.com
- Necklace, $500, Lori Leavitt sterling silver necklace, lorileavitt.com

Harem Pants
Finally, style meets comfort — a welcome relief from the skinny jeans trend of seasons past.

- Pants, $325, Nicole Miller Collection silk viscose pants, nicolemiller.com
- Top, $325, Nicole Miller Collection silk viscose top,nicolemiller.com
- Bracelet, $850, Miriam Haskell glass stone on brass-plated chain bracelet; miriamhaskell.com

Mixed Prints
New rule: It’s fresh to pair different prints—as long as the colors are compatible.

- Top, $375, Catherine Malandrino silk chiffon top, neimanmarcus.com
- Skirt, $325, Catherine Malandrino wool-blend skirt, Lucy’s, 203-438-1908
- Cuff, price upon request, Cartier 18k yellow gold cuff, cartier.com for stores
- Ring, $385, Alexis Bittar vermeil with rose quartz ring, alexisbittar.com

(More magazine)

The draped dress and necklace are true perfection! I also like the striped jacket with the boyfriend jeans.

"The Manly side" of Rag and Bone

Rag and Bones spring/summer 2010 collection is all at once, classy, casual and pulled together.

David Neville and Marcus Wainwright have been in major expansion mode, adding a Soho store to their New York City retail mix, launching sunglasses, growing their accessories collection, and, on top of it all, they both recently became fathers for the second time. Who has time to think about designing clothes? In fact, this season the duo decided against using any tricky themes or making some overwrought reference in favor of going back to their design roots—if a four-and-a-half-year-old label can have them, that is. "With the economy where it is right now, we're focused on what we're about as a company," said Wainwright after the show, "which is our English, military-school heritage mixed with a utilitarian, made-in-America ethos." Simple enough. And that was the strength of this collection: uncomplicated pieces like a cargo-green army parka layered on top of an easy, oversize tuxedo shirt and a little dagger-print skirt; or a gray silk cropped jacket thrown over a couple of drapey cutaway tanks and leather pants that somehow managed to be skinny and slouchy at the same time. You could complain that drop-crotch long johns are a little heavy for spring, but why bother when they look so right? Indeed, by the looks of Rag & Bone's backstage well-wishers—the top brass from Saks, Bergdorf, and Macy's—Neville and Wainwright are definitely onto something with this back-to-basics approach.

(Style.com)