SUMMER 2016

There's something in the air for Summer 2016: it's the electricity of unspoken attraction, teasing at the imagination with coy, playful blushes of soft color close even flirtier than merely nude.

The vibe is take-charge confident in chiffon, like batting your long lashes or blowing a kiss just out of range. Think heat-lightning right before the strike. Ombred corals, melon and a flesh-perfect spectrum stay demure even in the neuro-rush of a date-night crush. Adding the structure and formal distance of a vintage uniform: deep teal and bright primary cobalt blue, elegantly elevating Summer's yum-yum factor of a honeyed summer palette that mimics flushed, dewy skin.

Fashion for Summer 2016 invites romance that keeps its cool, with ladylike silhouettes and body-conscious tailoring that simply wouldn't dream of letting it all hang out. Buoyant pussycat bows in sparkling taffetas accentuate a honed waist, and fabrics rustle with a sheen of high-voltage sparks. A bit of restraint makes body-heat sky-rocket.

The ultimate in feminine expression for centuries, lace takes on a coquettish perspective this season. This most delicate of textiles suggests a vintage trousseau, coaxing airy patterns from gossamer filaments which seem crafted from the breathless sighs of lovers. Lace, like love, is based on the cat-and-mouse game of what is almost seen, almost said, then gone like yesterday, disclosing nothing more than a perfect lipstick-print left on a champagne glass.

Decorative lace edging, especially open-stitch scalloped hems, suggest confectionary treats in honey and mango tones. Sweetheart details make the mouth water for delicately iced cakes which hold their featherweight filigree patterns even when Summer temperatures soar into the supernatural. Dainty things require a dainty touch, and so the Summer nail is a slim oval glazed with tender shades of apricot and lilac, blushed with the spark of deepening allure. Summer code: Show just enough. Promise the moon. Be exquisite. Leave no forwarding address.