SS11 trend recap: plisse pleats and sheer lace delight

It’s Friday, and we’re in love. Yes, we do happen to be listening to the Cure, but Robert Smith’s not the only romantic round here – where spring’s concerned, romance is rife.

To mark the last day in our SS11 trend recaps, we’re embracing next season’s ethereal edge and looking to pretty ballerina-inspired pleats and lashings of peek-a-boo lace to get us through the afternoon with sheer sweet delight.

Plisse pleats

L-R: Chloe, Lanvin, Richard Nicoll

From skater to box to plisse, pleats rule the roost this spring. The perfect lightweight finish to full, floaty skirts, look for flippy shapes that skim the knee, mid-lengths that swing at your calves, or long lines that sweep the floor for full-on romance . Take sartorial inspiration from Chloe‘s soft ballet-inspired skirts, Lanvin‘s billowing leg-flashers and Richard Nicoll‘s pretty pleated playsuits.

Sheer lace delight

L-R: Erdem, Dolce & Gabbana, Christopher Kane

If it’s worth seeing next spring, it’s worth seeing through. Lace is back for SS11, but its delight this time around is in its sheer diversity – quite literally. From frilly white shirt dresses at Erdem to stunning floor-sweeping wedding cast-offs at Dolce & Gabbana, lace embraces next season’s luxe romantic feel with an etheral edge. Looking to offset the girliness? Get your direction from Christopher Kane, who balanced feminine shapes with popping acid neons.

[Images: Style.com]