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"  SMILE! THE COLORS ARE FRESH,  the prints are pretty, the shapes are easy, and the summer clothes are the most upbeat we have seen in years.  How typical of fashion that just when researchers are warning that global warming and melting ice caps mean there will be no more recognizable seasons, the climate change in your wardrobe is all about seeing the sunny side of spring. It starts with prints \u2014 lush, soft roses or tiny granny florals \u2014 with patterns spilling over the fabrics in sweet and succulent colors.  SEE LOOKBOOOK:  NEW SHAPES The switch from graceful beige linen to wild floral patterns on shiny surfaces may come as a culture shock. Yet it is a move that brightens rather than frightens. The looks may not always be suited to the office \u2014 although there is also a hint of a revival of masculine tailoring \u2014 but taken in small quantities, almost everything in the flower garden is lovely. If you aren&amp;#039;t into flowers, there are also graphic geometric prints that are a more sophisticated way of handling patterns. Or there are blocks of color, mixed with the precision of a kid&amp;#039;s play station or worn in light, translucent layers.  Ah \u2014 transparency! This is the season when designers, after years of experimentation with see-through clothes, have finally made things right. It must be at least a decade ago when we were last cajoled to show our underwear \u2014 although most women never went further than the pretty visible bra.  Now sheer effects have been layered to create an opaque surface, concealing the body but offering a gauzy, butterfly-wing lightness. Sound like a princess dress for a five-year-old? The effect is surprisingly chic, and it can be used for just a blouse or a skirt now that separates are once again competing with the all-powerful dress. The fashion message often contains an element of surprise, so the welcome return of pants includes jodhpurs and dhoti trousers, which sound weird but are less demanding than ultraskinny jeans. Naturally, Ralph Lauren has just the touch to turn a fresh white blouse and sleek riding pants into a sensual classic. So where has all the cool aid gone? It&amp;#039;s right there \u2014 at your feet. For all the softness and prettiness of clothes this summer, shoes have a hard, even scary edge. Hoisted onto high platforms, with heels decorated to look like metallic cages or rampant plant life, fetish footwear is the rogue element in a sweet season.  PATTERNS Let&amp;#039;s start with the compass point on the grown-up and graphic. From Fendi&amp;#039;s op-art to stripes set on a curve at Rick Owens, designers are working hard to create ultrasophisticated prints. There is also an upgrade of animal patterns, shown in techno rather than nature-knows-best colors. Oscar de la Renta brought tribal uptown, while John Galliano took it to the boudoir as silken leopard spots were melded with lingerie lace at Dior. Pucci remains the lodestar for graphic motifs in saturated color. Keyword: geometrics.  FLORALS In the name of the rose come magic-carpet effects, like the flower patterns that Nicolas Ghesqui\u00E8re sent out at Balenciaga, using bold, bright designs last seen when you flinched at your grandmother&amp;#039;s upholstery. Romancing the florals includes lush, natural effects at Rodarte; an artistic, paintbrushed version from Dolce &amp;amp;amp; Gabbana; classic My Fair Lady flowers at Ralph Lauren; and meadow-sweet florals from Stella McCartney, who toughened them up by cutting the fabric into baggy overalls. The alternatives: tiny flowers from Junya Watanabe and on light chiffon at Roberto Cavalli. Also, think abstract flowers \u2014 say, long-stemmed blooms stenciled on a white skirt, as at Dries Van Noten. Tropical prints exploded as South Sea island flowers from Diane von Furstenberg, while Missoni showed Gauguin-style hand-painted patterns. Spicing up the flower garden: Prada&amp;#039;s sinuous, sexual art-nouveau prints. Keynote: Rampant roses should be pruned into sleek, defined shapes, not worn as wilted flower-child silhouettes.  TRANSPARENCY Light and bright is the message, especially in the modernist layers of saturated color at Jil Sander, where Raf Simons toyed with textures, proportions, and fabrics. Mixing opaque and transparent, sometimes banded with color, was another way Marc Jacobs played with shape. Gauze may sound more like a hospital bandage than high fashion, but the essence of sheer is that it should be sculpted, not droopy. Traditional organza, destined for evenings only, was broken down in the wash by Alber Elbaz at Lanvin to give a modern take on a couture fabric. Hardcore play on matte and sheer came in panty-hose stretch, in nude tones spliced with black, at Martin Margiela. Sexiest transparencies: silk-polyamide, used by Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton to simulate the nurse paintings of contemporary artist Richard Prince. Don&amp;#039;t try this look from the surgical suppliers; it needs the luxury touch. Tip: Light layers should cover up. If you can see your underwear, it is yesterday&amp;#039;s trend.  SHORTS Forget the thigh-high mini. Hello to high-waisted shorts! Prepare to wear shorts 24/7, from anyone-for-tennis sportswear at Lacoste through trim, tan-leg revealing shapes at Michael Kors to Anna Sui&amp;#039;s sharply tailored city briefs. Then the ultimate: cocktail shorts as deluxe glamour from Carolina Herrera. Must-have: the legs, the cool factor, and platform shoes.  DRAPES Soft folds of jersey are the counter-current to pretty flowers and sculpted shapes. Always in solid colors \u2014 although often vivid shades \u2014 draping is a way of following the silhouette without squeezing it tight. Tucked in at the bodice, draped togalike over one shoulder, or as a wrap jersey dress, these folds are likely to oust \u2014 finally! \u2014 the strapless red-carpet sheath. Grecian draped evening gowns (with Alberta Ferretti as the shining star) look as fresh as when they were the height of fashion on Mount Olympus. Surprise hit: toga a-go-go!  DRESSES After being the focus of the new millennium, dresses may be retreating a little from fashion&amp;#039;s high ground. What&amp;#039;s out: pink, frilly, brief, body-hugging babydoll (ugh!) smocks. What&amp;#039;s hot: Miu Miu&amp;#039;s French-maid tutus, Donna Karan&amp;#039;s waist-cinched shirtdresses, Lanvin&amp;#039;s jersey wraps, Versace&amp;#039;s jersey drapes, and a whiff of 1970s midcalf retro from Christopher Kane. Tip: Belt it \u2014 the wider the better.  PANTS They&amp;#039;re back (but weird). Giddyap! It&amp;#039;s time to step into jodhpurs, which have always had an allure and are a good look with a snug blazer (thank you, Balenciaga!) or a tailored blouse. Jean Paul Gaultier (channeling India at Herm\u00E8s) and Ralph Lauren (thinking Kentucky Derby) caught the colonial cool. Drop the crotch and you have the dhoti and harem pants, both needing style and a fabulous figure to carry them off. Or you can try loose-fitting overalls, kiddie-corner follow-ups to last summer&amp;#039;s rompers. Will they really catch on? They were cute at Stella McCartney. They would be a great modern look if you were pregnant. Buy them in glam fabrics (Liberty flower prints, satin, silk jersey). Heads up: Fashion-forward opinion makers were spotted at the collections in classic, sharp-shouldered pantsuits. Sighs of relief all around!  JACKETS Watch the shoulders, at a peak at Margiela and sharp at Yves Saint Laurent. Shrunken blazers were everywhere. Bigger shapes prevailed at Versace. Tip: Buy a cardigan while you wait for the jacket revival to gain momentum. BAGS As clothes become more decorative and intriguing, the It bag is less the absolute key to your closet. But there is still a raft of creativity going into the smallest clutch (the must-have look for evening and for day with the I-left-my-tote-with-the-driver class). The envelope bag, the clutch&amp;#039;s (marginally) bigger sister, is folded under the arm or clenched between finger and thumb. Look for magical embellishment like hot-pink feathers at Roger Vivier or appliqu\u00E9d snakeskin clouds on Fendi&amp;#039;s new Baguettes. By contrast, day bags may be hot on hardware but are sportier and less precious looking. Think of Tod&amp;#039;s slouchy leather with a braided strap. Forecast: Small may soon be beautiful.  BELTS Big, bold, cummerbund-wide, but stiff and shiny. Gemstone-decorated buckles. Must-have: a willow waist.  SHOES Turning nasty: mighty platforms, fascinating fetish details, explosive creativity, and anything that&amp;#039;s tough to wear. (You will be taking your sneaker bag just to pop out for a coffee break.) Question: Are It shoes the new handbags? "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/trends/a256/new-shapes-spring-0308/>