Spring fashion is full of candy colors

NEW YORK -- It's the rainbow after the storm.

After too many months of black turtlenecks and gray polar fleece, spring is here and with it comes a wardrobe of bright colors and pretty silhouettes.

A cheery palette is the season's top trend, transcending price, age and individual style. Top looks range from Oscar de la Renta's pink paisley balloon dress with a feminine bow-tie waist and Ralph Lauren's green halter tennis dress, to Banana Republic's yellow-rose trench coat and the candy-colored button-front shirts from J. Crew.

"There was a tremendous amount of color all over the spring runways. You actually had to search for black, which is a little odd considering women have been trained and come to love black," says Cindi Leive, Glamour's editor in chief. "But women do really like color, and some colors are incredibly wearable."

People are drawn to colors because they are optimistic, observes Banana Republic's executive vice president of design, Deborah Lloyd. Also, real fashion followers are always looking for "what's new" -- and we haven't seen such bright shades for several seasons, she notes.

Pink is selling on a par with black, which is a sign that "something is in the air," says Lloyd, and green, normally popular only during the holidays, has continued to be another favorite.

The prominent shade of green in the collection evolves with the weather: The "cool summer" clothes, in stores now, feature a delicate, citrus green, while the "hot summer" looks for July and August have a richer green, often used in a big floral print with aqua blue.

It's no accident that pink and green are among the most popular hues.

Pink in particular works well with the retro styles that are reminiscent of flower-power combinations and original Lilly Pulitzers, says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.

Green is practically a "neutral" because it can be worn with almost any other color; it looks great with blue, yellow and pink, or black and white, Eiseman says.

The other "Easter bunny colors" are toned down -- and, therefore, more appropriate for work -- if you pair them with khaki pants or a tan V-neck sweater.

Teenagers and twentysomethings are more likely to defy traditional color combinations in favor of contrast.

"In younger age groups, you'll get less of a nostalgic look and more of a reinvented look. They'll say, 'Why can't you wear yellow shorts and a lavender top?' They consider it a compliment to hear, 'Wow, I never thought of putting those colors together before,"' says Eiseman, who wrote "The Color Answer Book."

It makes sense to introduce a wide swath of colors into stores in the early spring because people are ready to usher in a welcome change in weather.

"Clothing is instant gratification. You don't have to wait for a flower to come up, you can buy a bright flowered dress and your spirits are instantly lifted," Eiseman says.

Glamour's Leive agrees: "The average American woman is time-crunched and stressed, dressing in a younger, more girlish way is a way to lighten her load."

For those who want to perk up their wardrobe but don't know where to start, Leive suggests pink or pale yellow. They both lend themselves to flirty dresses and trench coats, two other spring trends.

"Women don't tend to have these in their closet, but most women will find them easy to wear," she says.