A new season is definitely upon us (although the chili weather didn't realize, lol). The time has come to take stock of the forthcoming trends and start plotting our wardrobe for the coming season.

With uplifting, colorful, joyous clothes that take us off into another universe. Kaleidescopes of rainbow color, the yummy new sugared almond pastels, some pretty powerful 80's power dressing – and OTT texture and fringing galore.

Here we take a look at the spring/summer 2018 trends, with warm-weather must-haves, from polka dots and pastels to fringe and asymmetrical shapes.

# Crayola Colors

Designers raided the Pantone color chart for pulsating primary colors – tomato red made a strong showing, seen everywhere. There’s cobalt, emerald green and bright yellow. From head to toe take – canary yellow dresses, layered over a long-sleeved top in the same shade, and accessorized with matching sandals, for example.

Expect to see vibrant pinks, reds, yellows and more worn in either monochrome blocks or artfully spliced together - apparently not to be toned down with a neutral or two...

# Pastels

Delicate sugared almond shades have shaken off their connotations and turned themselves into a fashion statement. With one-shouldered dresses and draped shapes in delicate shades of palest pink and green. The big news: lilac is set for a major comeback.

Lovely, soft and totally in season.

# 80's

Princess Di and her late 80's heyday were a pervasive influence on some of the season’s key shows. Clearly the 20th anniversary of her death got noticed.

Puff sleeved jackets, high-waisted jeans, pristine white slouchy boots and big shouldered printed dresses.

Strong, squared blouses in Working Girl-worthy graphic prints and teamed with cowboy boots.

Call it a backlash to this year's omnipresent off-the-shoulder looks or just a calmer continuation of the 1980s trend, but big, big, big shoulders and sleeves are everywhere for spring. Most commonly, they're rendered in soft blouses and shirts so that we can easily counterbalance the dramatic proportions with a miniskirt, or feel just fine 'n' breezy wearing a billowing outfit head to toe.

# Checks

We think of checks as being strictly winter-only, but they’re making a convincing case for being spring’s It print. Folksy ginghams, sweet red and blue plaids, beautiful bright shopper-bag checks or any other show of them – even down to checked tights.

# Polka Dots

Floral might be our go-to spring print, but polka dots will be a close second come this year. The print was spotted everywhere, most notably as a monochrome colorway.

# Feathers

Fluffy marabou and ostrich fluttered across a whole host of SS18 – from feather-yeti ‘It’ boots to the twisted take on the trench – this season is all about a gold brocade version with white feathers flying from the shoulders. It’s not rain-friendly, but we’ve got the new haute take on the rain mac for that…see below.

"Raw" Fabrics, think linens and sawn-off edges, washed cotton drills and woven leathers, all in an earthy color palette of creams, oatmeals and off-whites. This is the new, more worn-in way to do minimalism.

# Fringing

Another iteration of the maximalist mood – major statement fringing, swishing across necklines, hemlines, bags…you name it. And these are no wishy-washy boho trims. The look isn’t so much haute-hippy as put-through-a-shredder.

# Rubber and Plastic

Wet-look, wipe-clean (oo-er), whatever we want to call it, the texture of the season is shiny. Vinyl dresses and jumpsuits with kinky Soho vibes, or the sporty waterproof lines, using plastic-coated nylon and drawstrings aplenty.

Climate change statement or practical fashion problem solving? Maybe both. Either way – we’re covered for spring showers. Transparent plastic macs, rain hats… including ‘It’ macs.

Crystals, clear PVC and silver sparkle skipped straight from the party season to this season's offering. From the understated to the downright dedicated...

# Floral Dresses

Summer wouldn’t be summer without a sea of florals and pretty dresses – and this season doesn’t disappoint. Prizes for the sweetest go to the Liberty prints and ditsy florals. There’s also a whole host of sheer loveliness to choose from when it comes to the perfect summer dress.

Also, there has been a resurgence on the runways of vintage-look, the kind of women would have once worn in the 40's and 50's.

# Trouser Suits

If there is something worth spending some money on, it's a perfectly tailored suit. These days we can find the style to match our personal taste because the concept is a now constant. Whether we want to make a statement or opt for something subtler, there are thousands of versions out there. and the best part is they won't date. There even are...short suits this season.

# Accessories

Give your outfit an instant SS18 refresh with some key accessories. These are the hottest trends to invest in…

1- Bumbags. There's a real gamut on bag trends for this season, but if one stands out it is the bumbag or belt bag. So many iterations exist, from the sporty pouches through to luxe leather options!

2- OTT Earrings. The more your earrings resemble those seen on Pat Butcher, the better. This is the jewelry trend that won’t die right now, and it’s going to be even bigger for summer.

3- Waist belts. It doesn't matter what kind of belt, just know that a waist belt is integral to the season's bigger shapes and volumes. Belt jackets, sling a chain belt over a slinky dress, fasten a man's shirt... anything counts.

4- XL Tote. The mini bag has dominated the last few seasons, but now the practical big bag is back with a vengeance…

At LO boutique we have a wide range of pretty, fashionable yet wearable styles for women and girls to be "in trend"