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Haute Alpine Couture: Update your season style with prints and patterns

Jennifer Geisman
Haute Alpine Couture
Krimson Klover Dream Catcher Skirt in cornflower ($89; Off Piste Sports).
Special to the Daily |

The spring season is heating up, and we don’t just mean the higher temperatures outside. There’s nothing more exciting than a new fashion season, especially one that doesn’t need to hibernate behind a bulky winter coat. It’s time to add a little spring to your step with prints and patterns that update your wardrobe from winter-weary to daisy-fresh.

Pretty, feminine patterns were one of the biggest trends coming from the spring 2016 catwalks. This season, you will see abstract prints, floral, watercolor-inspired hues and stripes popping up in dresses, tops and skirts.

Colorful collections



Boulder brand Krimson Klover brings designer and owner Rhonda Swenson’s passion and inspirations to its spring collection. The artistic brush strokes in the Dream Catcher Skirt ($89; Off Piste Sports) makes it a one-of-a-kind statement piece, much like the Tomorrow Never Dies Tunic ($120; Off Piste Sports) and the lavender-mint Peplum Whisperer Cardigan ($196; http://www.krimson klover.com). Take the chill out of the springtime crispness and pair the Dream Catcher Skirt with the Spiders Web Poncho ($88; Off Piste Sports), which gives you just the right amount of peek-a-boo to show off newly sun-kissed arms.

The Krimson Klover Jane Porter Hand Painted Dress ($120; Off Piste Sports) features a hand-painted design and flattering swing for twirling in the spring sun. Inspired by literary figure Jane Porter (aka Jane Clayton, Lady Greystoke) from Edgar Rice Burroughs’ series of Tarzan novels, the patterned sketch and scoop neck will give you a carefree attitude at your first garden party of the season.

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Don’t fear April snow showers. Embrace the blooming Krimson Klover Carmine Hand Painted Floral T-Shirt Dress ($109, Off Piste Sports). This hand-painted, tee-dress will collect super-cute kudos, especially when you fashion hack the Gigi Hadid-inspired white Superga sneaks.

When it comes to stripes, less is more. The subtle stripes on the Aventura Brielyn Striped Dress ($75; Ptarmigan Sports) in spiced coral crisscross lightweight cotton that is cool and comfortable. The contrasting solid seams across the front of the dress will compliment your figure with a soft and feminine silhouette. A more textured stripe pattern is featured in the brand’s Finley Hoodie ($75, Ptarmigan Sports) and Finley Jacket ($85; Ptarmigan Sports), both perfect for cooler mornings tooling around town.

The ground might be a bit muddy, but we heart the hiking graphic on the bold Bergans Tur Wool Tee ($79, Christy Sports, Bridge Street Haus). Perfect for offseason adventures and made of 100 percent Merino wool, the Tur Wool Tee feels soft and comfortable against your skin and is itch-free and odor resistant (phew!).

Eye-popping accessories

Compliment your garden-fresh wardrobe with accessories that will protect your skin and eyes, keep you hydrated and give you a dash of color.

Give back to the earth and protect your peepers with Zeal Optics biodegradable sunglasses. Zeal Optics uses plant-based materials in its sunglass frames and lenses, and each pair of sunnies has polarized lenses to battle glare and block ultraviolet A, B and C rays. Choose from colorfully stylish frames including The Memphis ($169; Eye Pieces of Vail, Craneologie, Kenny’s Double Diamond), The Dakota ($169; Eye Pieces of Vail, Craneologie, Kenny’s Double Diamond) and The Fleetwood ($169; Eye Pieces of Vail, Craneologie, Kenny’s Double Diamond).

Out here in the West, you can’t go wrong with a super-stylin’ cowboy hat. Sporting a spring-fresh shade of ocean blue, the Wallaroo Catalina Cowboy Hat ($52; Vail Sports) features an artsy mix of leather and colored string and beads. This 10-gallon topper will be perfect for shading your face on late afternoons or kicking up your Lucchese boots at 4 Eagle Ranch’s First Thursday Country Western dancing. Held on the first Thursday of every month, cowboys and cowgirls can learn line-dancing moves from 6 to 7 p.m. and then dance the night away until 10:30 p.m.

Give your spring look some eye-popping color with Merle Norman’s spring Eyecolor Duos, which feature bouquets of flirty and sophisticated shades. Ditch your winter smoky, Goth eye and bring out the sparkle in your peepers with a more vibrant color palette. The Fresh Cut duo ($20, Merle Norman Edwards) takes cues from the spring runways by pairing a deep neutral (Afternoon Tint) with a violet shadow (Pretty Lily) to create an ultramodern look that will give new meaning to your wink.

If you can’t quite wrap your head around purple eyeshadow, the Best Buds duo is a more subtle color combo for you. Featuring a deep hunter green (Lively) with a luminous golden hue (Atta Pearl), this shade merger will give you something to bat your eyes about.

Finishing touches

50 Strong, a manufacturer of American-made water bottles, is about to change the way you hydrate. The launch of the brand’s Simply Better Bottles will give your visit to the gym or next bike ride a boost in the style department.

Do a little day drinking and sip your hydrating nutrients from the Simply Better Bottles Gym Bottle ($11.99; Walmart), which is specially designed with a gym pocket to conveniently and securely hold a credit card, cash or key. The Simply Better Bottles Insulated ($9.99, Walmart) is easy to squeeze and keeps drinks cold all day long. A bonus is that it fits perfectly into a bike cage and features a bite-friendly, pull-top drinking spout.

With an eye for uncovering the most sought-after trends, Jennifer Geisman fuses her expertise in public relations and the beauty and fashion worlds to deliver quintessentially modern hot spots, styles and trends quarterly in Haute Alpine Couture. Send comments about this article to kdriscoll@vaildaily.com.


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