Embrace the western spirit this summer

It’s bye-bye boho and hello ‘‘western spirit’’ this summer. Melissa Singer finds out how to get the look.

Every year, there is a trend that is hard to reduce to an elevator pitch. The latest is ‘‘western spirit’’, which is set to be the summer of 2018’s answer to boho. Whereas last summer, it was all about paisley, maxis and floaty fabrics, this summer, it will be all about clashing prints – think a melange of paisley, jungle, flora, fauna. It’s less ‘‘pretty’’ than boho, with more ‘‘energy’’, says David Jones’ head womenswear buyer Teneille Ferguson.

Colour-wise, the overall palette can be loosely described as ‘‘earthy’’ – ginger, sand, wasabi, mustard, olive and clay.

Another core pillar of western spirit is animal print, and they won’t come bigger than leopard this summer.

While the print is a classic that never really goes out of style, the seasonal variation will see ‘‘different colourways in the leopard, and more muted [tones]’’, Ferguson says.

For inspiration, Ferguson suggests looking to Dries Van Noten, whose aesthetic is the epitome of this trend, and Altuzarra – a brand Meghan Markle has sported occasionally.

So how does a minimalist like me buy into the trend?

‘‘There’s varying extents of the animal hide. You can get muted versions of them. It’s easier to buy a top or skirt and wear it with black or gold accessories,’’ Ferguson says.

In general, this spring is ‘‘more fun and colourful, particularly within the tailoring’’, she says.

The suit is still a key piece but after successive seasons of man-style checks and monochromes, there is more femininity, as seen recently in the sorbet-coloured pieces at Kim Jones’ first show for Dior.

But pausing there for a moment, how do buyers such as Ferguson even decide what’s ‘‘in’’?

Colour-wise, the overall palette can be loosely described as ‘‘earthy’’ – ginger, sand, wasabi, mustard, olive and clay.

‘‘Before we see the collections, we do market research. We look at trend forecasting websites, we look at other retailers and see what’s doing well for them,’’ Ferguson says.

‘‘We think about who the customer is and whether those trends are applicable to her.

‘‘Once we decide on the trends, we go to see the brands and look through that lens. We do the ‘edit’ based on translating and delivering the trends in a way the customer wants.’’

Here are three of Ferguson’s other picks for the top trends of the season:

❚ Tailored prep: ‘‘More of a feminine take on the tailoring trend, it’s more into sorbet-coloured suiting, in a more fitted and feminine silhouette.’’

❚ Femme sport: ‘‘It’s so relevant ... it really talks to that elevated sport luxe look. Think logo tees, sport stripes down wide-legged pants. Lots of poppy pinks and pretty reds to differentiate from seasons before.’’

❚ Colour curator: ‘‘It was our first colourful winter in a while, and [in] summer it carries on. Lots of bold primary colours, electric blues and yellow. Marigold is the colour of the season, as well as pale buttermilk shades.’’

– Sydney Morning Herald