resort 2011 highs and lows...

My personal favourite of the 2011 Resort Collections was certainly Jason Wu's. The sleek aesthetic and the sheer wearability of every single piece that came floating down the runway set it head and shoulders above the others. With a mix of bold strips, summery tweeds and two-toned daffodil prints there was plenty to get excited about. The shapes were spot on. Lady like a-line shifts, swishy floor skimming evening dresses, streamlined shorts and full trousers. The proportions were quirky. Borrowing a bit from menswear at times (army jackets, oversized blazers and big trousers) but always done with a very feminine edge. There were soft colours mixed with bright oranges, watery blues and khakis. Pussycat bows, boater hats, and two-toned heels were the details to watch out for. There wasn't a combination that walked down the runway that I wouldn't wear in full. In my books this show was a serious stunner. I'd pair that outfit on the left with some chunky ankle booties, little socks, some retro sunnies and be good to go...

Hailed as being 'perfectly suited to the modern woman' I took Rachel Roy's collection to be a bit of a mess. Maybe it was just the frazzled hair and striped sheer pieces that threw me... because there definitely are some stunning pieces. But overall the whole thing channeled a bit more a schizophrenic vibe than a Michelle Obama one (who is apparently meant to be a fan). I love the massively oversized trousers, the colours, and the tailored dresses. But it just looks a bit all over the place: one part wigged out 70s hippie and one part sleek upper east side sequined socialite. It just doesn't go together to create a directional collection... rather, it just looks confused.

While we're on the topic of being confused, seriously what was Michael Kors thinking? No doubt there are some beautiful pieces - the man can do classic crisp white perfectly and his cashmere knits are to die for. But, who ever styled this collection should be shot. The models range from being so dramatically over-layered that they look like yeti-wannabes to teetering on the edge of resembling an exabitionist. Surely there is no other reason that you would wear this heinous square python printed coat (presumably with nothing underneath), paired with a massive floppy hat (to shield your face when the police come to find you), bare legs, and sandals unless, of course, you were planning on flashing somebody... she looks like a total bald nutter. Not only is none of it wearable but it looks awful. One of my least favourite things of all time are long boots (especially of the python print variety, hello! can you get any tackier?) worn with short summery dresses and bare legs. It looks so hideously cheap and slutty. Michael, seriously! You are meant to represent American style as a beacon of class. You've seriously let your girl down on this one. To top off the plethora of disconcerting combinations, monstrous layering followed skimpy cut-away python print (yes, there really was a lot of it) swimwear. Really just a bizarre combination that leaves you wondering what time of year it is and just what kind of resort he was planning for? I'm all about mixing things that traditionally don't go together... but you've taken it one step too far this time Mr. Kors.

Obviously this isn't representative of the whole of resort 2011, there were plenty of shows that I haven't mentioned plus more designers still have to show. Check out more of the outfits that came down the runway along with all the other collections at Style.com.