Spring, spring, wherefore art thou!?

Hello!? Are you there?!

Here in NYC, springtime has been taking its sweet ass time making an appearance and though it is reasonable to hope that our puffer jacket days are behind us (knock wood) we're still hovering around chilly temps and the skies have been mostly grey. WHERE ARE YOU SPRING!?

Encouraged by the influx of tulips and daffodils at my local bodega, I thought I'd spend today talking about a few trends I'm noticing for spring. If we will the weather to get there it has got to happen eventually right!?

* Shirt Dresses

Generally speaking, there hasn't been much in the spring store windows that's jumped out or really excited me, but the steady stream of shirt dresses I'm seeing does make me happy. Shirt dresses are the perfect way to dress up or down with one piece, since you can pop on anything from ballet flats and converse, to wedges and sassy lipstick to make the look whatever you want. 

Merry Meri Verdict: Buy one, or three! These dresses are super versatile and pretty timeless.

* Fringe

Mom told me that fringe was "hot this season" and since when do moms not know best!? Whether on accessories like a purse, or on jackets or the bottom of a long shirt or skirt, this trend can easily turn cowboy if you're not careful, but done right, it definitely says chic.

Merry Meri Verdict: Scoop up one or two inexpensive pieces that you can wear to rock this trend and then guiltlessly set aside when the fringe moment is over (or you're not headed to a music festival:)

* Culottes

Also known as the look many of us will attempt, but few of us will succeed with, culottes are wide leg pants usually cut somewhere above the ankle and below the knee. The look is especially tricky to pull off for those of us not blessed with model-esque stems (or quads with any sort of thickness) but I'm going to try on pair after pair hoping to find ones that work for me (though this look, along with the still popular midi skirt, just may not pan out!)

Merry Meri Verdict: Proceed with caution!

* Floral Prints

I absolutely love bold colors and prints so it should come as no surprise that I love the continuing presence of vibrant floral prints on the runways and in stores. This trend is a lot about personal taste since you can wear anything from a floral pop on one item of clothing (stretchy jeans or a sheer tank) to a full-body floral look, just be careful that you don't end up looking like you had a run-in with the local florist (or worse, your grandmother's curtains!)

Merry Meri Verdict: The perfect way to freshen up your look after a chilly winter hibernation!

*One-Shoulder Shirts/Dresses

The latest in "if you wait long enough, all things come back into style", the early 00's 1-shoulder look appears to be making a comeback. I always found this neckline particularly flattering for women's shoulders and collarbones (a very often forgotten but oh-so-sexy body part) and the singe strap avoids the dreaded "armpit fat" and constant tugging of something totally strapless.

Merry Meri Verdict: I wouldn't go crazy buying up this trend since it's such a "look", but if you see one or two items that look pretty, scoop them up for this spring/summer!