Ah, spring. My second favorite season next to “back to school” in the fall. Never mind the fact it has been quite some time since I’ve actually been back to school, I still embrace it. Both seasons present the opportunity to reinvent, refresh and provide a much needed jolt of somethin’ somethin’ to your look.

Just this weekend I completed my annual, typically two-day project of purging my closet. My motto is out with the old and in with the new!

But with limited time and a limited budget, a girl needs focus. Lucky for me I have an in with some local experts. I put the challenge to them: Give me your one favorite trend for spring. The real challenge was keeping them to just one.

Here are their picks:

Amy Roark – Writer, Strategist, Trend Master, Editorial Refiner

The Look: French Kindergarten Teacher

You remember her. That impossibly lovely, always colorful teacher from your past. Now imagine she’s French. Combining some of the best of the S/S 12 — the Duster coat, the shirt-dress, vibrant sherbet colors, lady-like accessories — into a personalizable, somewhat zany vintage vacation sure to make everyone again hot for teacher.

(Images: the Sartorialist)

OK, so the total effect is a bit much. But in moderation..Hot. I love the quirky + vintage vibe made modern by the color and print combinations.

Molly Roark – Creative Director, Editorial Conceiver, Award-Winning Stylist & Product Designer

Lips Don’t Lie: Chanel’s Rouge Allure – Kensington 

If you invest in one lipstick this season, make it Chanel’s Kensington. A strong lip made an important impression on the Runway, and in our opinion never goes out of style. Nothing brightens a mood, or a complexion, better than Pink. Mute with a dash of preemptive lip balm or go for maximum saturation — and see who smiles back. 

Amen. As my grandma Lux always says, throw on a little lipstick and you can rule the world.

(Image: Alipstickaday.blogspot.com)

And, so you boys don’t feel left out:

Mike Head – Men’s Wear Designer, Stylist, and Regional Visual Guru for H&M

The Look: The James Spader (Early Edition)

The relaxed bad boy. With just the right hint of smug. Spring brings a laid-back approach to classic men’s dressing.  Washed cotton, unlined and unstructured jackets in jersey and linen, loose trousers, shirt-jackets and netted knits. A sun-bleached color palette — ivory, bone, mint, soft blues/greys — or very bold and bright: electric blue, raspberry, parrot green, orange. No literal nods to eras past or Gilligan’s Island, just casual and cool contemporary design with attention to fabric, finish and plays on proportion and silhouette.

(Images: Spader IMBD, Blue – M Margiela, Style.com, Soft – Lanvin, Style.com)

Steff! OK, maybe he was an ass, but you must admit … he looked hot.

Thanks to Amy, Molly and Mike from INVISIBLE OUTFIT. IO is a fashion collective based in Minneapolis. A group of aesthetically aligned artists and creatives, they challenge and surprise audiences through production of vanguard editorial, elevated trend research, original design and other collaborative creative experiences.