SPRING FASHION 2008
Part One â€" The Racing Season
It's time to drop the heavy winter coats and kick off the furry boots. Spring is here! In the fashion world, soon the darker hues of grey and navy will be replaced with splashes of bright colours and floral prints. The onset of spring marks the beginning of Melbourne's racing season, also known as the urban fashion parade. This year, forget cheap and tacky polyester and nylon-laden dresses. Look your hottest in a classy silk gown hand-made by a selection of fine local seamstresses and boycott the Chinese sweat shop products.

Spring fashion is traditionally known for its vivid colours and floral-based prints. For Spring 2008, experts are predicting that the main "ins" for the season are bright-on-dark floral designs, washed-out denims, and unique mixtures of pastels with bright colours. The Spring Racing season will be launched this year at the 2008 Melbourne Spring Fashion Week. For racing fashionistas who plan to work the upcoming Melbourne Cup and Spring Racing carnival circles, an extensive range of fashion wear awaits.

Major fashion labels already have their racing season clothing on display. However, for the fashion-smart girls who want to stand out and truly be unique at this year's Spring Racing Carnival, specially tailored dresses are the way to go.

The latest spring colours and designs have already caught up with d'Italia, a Melbourne exclusive designer fabric store which directly imports its fabric from Italy and France. It currently boasts a range of new Spring-based prints in silks, linens and French laces. In line with the anticipated trends for the season, bright geranium pinks, blue violets, dandelion yellows, Hermes oranges and tomato reds are plentiful. To create multiple effects, the available colours can be found in a silk burnout fabric. This unusual and clever mix of silk woven in a combination of sheer chiffon/georgette and solid satin creates a visually stunning designer's dream.

For the girls wanting more sleek than sedate, a range of metallics are also in store. The selection of crystal silvers, oyster/pewters, and glossy golds are a foreseeable upcoming trend, which will soon diversify the Spring collection for the year.

Go to d'Italia's store and get yourself a completely unique and perfectly fitted dress or suit that will simply stun the boys.