A spring in your step

Forget the dregs of the winter sales and inject your wardrobe with some of the biggest trends of the pre-collections, says Gemma Hayward

Whatever climate you are lucky or unlucky enough to live in, spring will be on your mind. That's not because it's got 10 degrees warmer and the rain has stopped; it's because the fashion calendar commands it. Gone are the bulky coats and oversized jumpers, the stores will be gradually filling up with the more summery pre-collections, preparing us for the full collections that hit the stores around March. The pre-collections used to be just a stopgap of watered-down trends, but they are developing a stronger voice for themselves and creating mini trends before the season truly sets in.

Feeding our ever-growing thirst for fresh fashion, sportswear is a trend which is popular this time round. Prada is leading the way with a collection of sporty separates which are far too good for the gym.

And if you're in the market for a new jacket, chuck your biker to the back of the wardrobe, as the bomber jacket is what you should be zipping up in, which fits in nicely with the sporty theme too. Whistles has a range of brilliant versions that have just hit the stores.

For print, animal effects feed nicely into summer, with leopard and snake working equally as well as each other. Digital prints are also proving popular, particularly with Warehouse on the high street. Floral should get a mention, too, but make sure these are not too pretty; abstract and dark colours are more on-trend.

The last thing you should know is colour, and if you imagine a spring sunrise/sunset you are spot-on. Oranges, reds and yellows will lead you into the new season perfectly.