Where does the time go?

I love Fashion Week as much as the next fashion and beauty blogger. The excitement, the drama, the... fall and winter fashions in the middle of February.

I'm sorry, maybe I'm just confused, but by the time February rolls around, I'm ready for spring. I'm really, really ready for spring. And so it's hard for me to think about "this is what you'll be wearing for next fall" when all I can think about is light silky dresses, bright colors, and feeling the sunshine.

I know, I know how it works. The fashion world is always thinking ahead for what's next, the buyers need time to think about what they want, and the whole thing is a business transaction, ultimately. Fashion is big (and serious!) business. They're already planning for next spring -- and by next spring, I mean 2009. I'm still waiting for spring 2008, and I'm in California, one of the places where "winter wear" doesn't mean snow pants, parkas, and shovels.

And so I get confused. Should I be rushing out and buying the next big thing now? My immediate reaction last February was to start looking for a vintage cloche hat as soon as the Marc Jacobs photos hit the web (seriously, one of my all-time favorite collections). And that was last year. Do I start incorporating this stuff now, in February, even though it's not due to be "in" until September? Or do I store it away in my head, thinking, "Okay, remember -- get the cloche. Cloches have always been awesome, but now they are super-awesome."

You know that I forgot about it between February and September, right? I didn't get my cloche. And now it's February again, and I've missed the boat on that Fall/Winter 2007-08 item, because now it's time to think about 08-09. And I'm not ready to do that yet.

So I'm looking back at Spring/Summer 08, because I'm... looking forward to it. You see how confusing this all is?

And yet my desire for juicy colors and things that make me think, "Ah, spring!", isn't really present in the forecast for Spring/Summer. Like I said in my steampunk post, a lot of the emphasis this spring and summer is on safari and military influence: the khaki, the white, sharp tailoring and brass hardware. Where are my brights from last year? The soft silhouettes?

I'm not really sure what I'm going to do. I'm looking back at the Rag & Bone (first two pictures) runways for inspiration, and that sherbert-ombre dress from Diane von Furstenberg satisfies my need for COLOR. But I'm still holding onto my summer tops from last year, because I love them, and they look good on me, and that's the important thing, right?

This whole year of fashion is going to be interesting, because it always is. I just need some sunshine, some time by the pool, and some spring before I can start thinking about coats again.

images from style.com