Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks are considered more high art than New York, with top designers rolling out their couture collections. But even with outfits appearing more “art” than wearable, these two early year events still set the stage for spring and summer trends. While we covered the men’s collections last week, women’s wear, both couture and ready-to-wear, was rolled out this week. Although plenty of styles were seen on the runway, nearly all collections scream “retro” in the following ways:

• Mad Men-Inspired. Yes, the cable television show is right on the cusp of its fifth season, and Banana Republic, just about a year ago, created an inspired line. Taking the trends a few steps up, designers from Dior to Gaultier to Chanel all hint at the ‘60s with their latest women’s wear. Pencil skirts are cinched at the waist, crinoline skirts fan out, and Chanel, apparently taking a cue from the recently canceled Pan-Am, previewed a collection of light blue and teal drop-waist dresses. Gaultier even appeared to use the late Amy Winehouse, who frequently alluded to the 1960s with her look and sound, as a muse.

• Barbarella-esque Jumpsuits. Call them rompers or jumpsuits, but, either way, these full-body outfits are no longer reminiscent of children’s clothing. Rather, skin tight and with an accented bustier, such a style is more grown up – but more futuristic than truly mature. A Barbarella remake has been kicked around in Hollywood for years, so perhaps this trend hints that the updated version of the Jane Fonda B-movie will finally hit the big screen. Then again, this trend could fall just as flat as the catsuits inspired by 1998 film The Avengers.

• Defined Shoulders. No, the shoulder pads of the 1980s have not returned. As a modified version of this trend, loose jackets with defined, broad shoulders were worn on top of tighter, shorter outfits or skirts, with Balenciaga draping each model with this combination. Appearing much like a men’s jacket, rather than the waist-accenting style for women, such a look may eventually be dubbed “the boyfriend jacket” – but don’t pair it with your boyfriend jeans from a few seasons ago.

• Bright Colors, Vivid Patterns. Pastels are so passé. Instead, spring and summer women’s wear leans toward vibrancy. Fully-colored yellow, lime, or gold outfits make a bold statement, while tropical-themed floral prints, which characterized the entire Dolce and Gabbana collection, catch the eye through bold shades and intricate composition.

It’s the tail end of Men’s Fashion Week, and we’ve caught several glimpses of the major collections, from Prada to Givenchy to John Galliano. Although these fall/winter 2012 men’s collections won’t surface until months down the line, now’s the perfect heads-up for what – and what not – to wear come September.

• The Dandy Look. Wilde-esque, the overall style for menswear in fall 2012 is fitted: close at the waist, slim down the legs and over the torso, and angular at the shoulders. Combined with the physique-flattering fit are bright colors – many of which we saw in the spring 2012 collections. Solid reds, purples, and orange, all paired with solid black, create an air of distinction and boldness.

• Bomber jackets. Yet another throw-over from past seasons, the bomber jacket is turning into a men’s style staple. With pants and shirts emphasizing a man’s waist, a bomber jacket compliments the outfit with a similar fit.

• Blue by any other Name. What man doesn’t have a few blue shirts or suit jackets in his wardrobe? But, by next year, your standard sky blue and navy aren’t going to cut it. Boldness is the look, and cobalt and teal are the shades to go with it. It’s distinction without going too far beyond boundaries, brightness within your comfort zone.

• Military Style. This isn’t your 1990s camouflage. Beyond subtle epaulets, the cut and color for jackets and pants suggests mid-20th century military style. It’s order and precision merged with overt masculinity. In modern terms, however, it’s more Inglorious Bastards than Saving Private Ryan. Think long jackets with angular shoulders, pea coats, single-breasted jackets, and pants that stay tight around the ankles and flare out at the knees, all in black, olive green, or gray.

• Color blocking. It’s still a necessity and a short-cut for incorporating brighter colors in smaller doses into your wardrobe.

• Patterns and Texture. Beyond the paisley shirt of a few years ago, patterns now cover an entire trench coat. Texture, on the other hand, gives solid-color garments a new dimension. Each trend needs to stand on its own, however. For a pattern, make sure all other garments are solid neutral shades. Texture, such as studs and other jewel-like embellishments, stands out better when not competing with a pattern.

While no stranger to eyewear, luxury women’s line Carven is introducing a line of sunglasses. A brand worn by fashion icons Alexa Chung and Emma Watson, Carven hasn’t included sunglasses in its line for nearly 30 years, but at the recent Paris Fashion Week, several models were seen wearing the new styles.

Carven was reinvigorated by Givenchy designer Guillaume Henry, and sunglasses appear to be one change for the line. While the designs can be seen online, they won’t be available until spring 2012. Retro styles have been in for sunglasses over the past few years, and Carven’s new frames are no exception. Based on the glamour of Paris in the 1950s, Carven offers classic looks in tortoise, and more eye-catching styles in bold and bright colors are included. For the latter, the frame may be a solid or translucent plastic.

As far as the design is concerned, Carven’s new style – only one look seems to be available for now – mirrors the clubmaster frame offered by Ray Ban. There’s only one notable difference – a lack of angles. While Ray Ban clubmasters are a half-frame style with a plastic horn rim on top and rounded lenses, Carven’s eschews the angular look for a rounded top. For a specific touch, all sunglasses by Carven will have wood or metal accents, as well as a subtle “C” to note the brand.

Compared to Carven’s older sunglasses from the ‘50s to the ‘80s, the newer designs are far bolder. Older styles stuck with a classic pallet of black and tortoise with gradient lenses, no matter if the frame was a wayfarer, oversized, or cat eye. Although a fairly high price tag is attached ($165 to $235), Carven’s sunglasses are expected to be the “it” luxury look for next year.

Although the price tag can be a turnoff for some, would you wear a pair of sunglasses similar to Carven’s new styles? Or, would you stick with the retro and classic look of a pair of Ray Ban Clubmasters?

Menswear often takes a backseat to women’s fashion. With a limited range of cuts and colors typically, menswear ends up appearing too straightforward and predictable. Occasionally, a pattern, such as paisley or flower print, may be featured more prominently or the cut of a garment may change, but men’s fashion often stays on a straight and narrow path, while women’s clothing veers into new and unchartered territory each season.

For spring 2012, however, menswear has taken a slightly different turn. If you’re a guy who follows fashion and wants to be up with the latest trends, you’ll likely start seeing the following over the next few months:

• Brighter colors. A man has to get out of the blue, white, and black comfort zone and explore other shades. Designers seem to be revisiting the early ‘90s with shades that come dangerously close to neon. While Marc Jacobs in particular seems to be pushing the trend, many others had models walk out in pants the color of highlighter. If yellow’s too strong for your tastes, neon orange, lime green, aquamarine, red, purple, and cobalt are other options for practically every garment – even your good suit.

• Plaid. This isn’t your grunger’s pattern. Think more ‘80s preppy than ‘90s slacker. And, it’s on everything, from pants to blazers.

• The blazer. It’s the “it” apparel for men for this coming spring. Although both single- and double-breasted styles can be found, the former is ideal for casual wear. For every guy’s style, the blazer can be neutral (black or gray), a bright or bold shade, or patterned. Make sure, however, that the blazer isn’t the same color as your pants or shorts.

• The baseball jacket. Spring 2012 is the time to be the high school varsity player you never were. Expected to be a popular item, a baseball jacket can be difficult for an adult to pull off. Go too youthful with your attire, and you’ll end up embodying the mid- or quarter-life crisis.

That ‘80s purse style, the slouch purse, is back but don’t call it that. Instead, refer to it as a hobo bag. Why? I suppose being a hobo – and carrying every single belonging in one of these monstrosities – is better than using a term associated with smaller, tacky handbags from 20 years before. According to purse blog, Bag that Style, both Britney Spears and Reese Witherspoon have been spotted with hobo handbags this past month. As a slouch purse could come in any number of available colors, so can a hobo bag, with Britney’s bag resembling the color of bubble gum – a bubble gum handbag for a former bubble gum pop singer? – while Reese’s bag is more staid and, well, adult.

But, when looking at these large hobo bags, what is the difference between an obscenely large hand bag and simply carrying a duffle bag on your shoulder? Aside from the fact that a duffle bag really doesn’t have much style, unless you’re going to the gym, how much stuff do you need to carry around a hobo bag? Make up? A hair brush? iPod? A dog, a curling iron, and a day’s worth of food? 20 years ago, although the slouch purse had much of the same shapeless style, the handbag was smaller and was attached to a thinner strap. These new hobo bags now have more interior space and a smaller, thicker strap. In 2009, do we really have more junk to carry around than, say, in 1987? And, to think that makeup since the early ‘90s has supposedly been low key and natural.

Anyway, as far as the handbags are concerned, they can be spotted all over celebrities and come in various prints and sizes. Although the bags Reese and Britney are carrying are solid colored, some come in prints, while others are textured with python or crocodile skin. Regardless of how you prefer your handbag, the hobo style for this upcoming season has many options to fit your personal style preferences.

A promotional video on YouTube shows Marc Jacobs collaborating with Madonna for the handbag collection by Louis Vuitton for this past spring and summer:

Although Jacobs has used a few unconventional models for the handbag brand in the past, including Dakota Fanning and Chloe Sevigny, Madonna is slightly more conventional. While the video has her being photographed and choosing which fashions to use for the photo shoot, the video is essentially promotion for the latest line of handbags by Louis Vuitton. So, how do the handbags look for this season?

From watching the video, one aspect that stood out is how much more interesting Madonna’s clothing is than the handbags. Although the photos are supposed to include the pop star’s somewhat outlandish style choices juxtaposed with LV’s rather conservative handbags, in the case of promotion for a brand that is known for handbags, the handbags disappear into the photographs. Is it the lack of style? Is it the darker colors? Is it that they, frankly, look like large Coach handbags from a distance?

All are part of the reason why these handbags don’t really do anything. At one point, Louis Vuitton handbags were known for brighter colors, or at least brighter colored letters on a white field. Now, these handbags for this past spring and summer season are brown or copper colored. In terms of pairing it with typical summer clothes, the darker colors make the handbags stand out against a typical summer outfit which, in 2009, is probably a lightweight maxi dress. But, in these particular photos? Just on a visual level, the darker clothes Madonna’s in and the darker backgrounds just swallow up the handbags. If you’re considering one of these designs, picture it against lighter or neutral colors first before purchasing one.

Animal prints come and go, with snakeskin and leopard prints popping up at the end of every decade or so. So, with that pattern of fashion, it’s no surprise that snakeskin is back in, with Lipstick Jungle star Lindsey Price recently spotted with a python-print handbag. The picture of Price with the handbag can be seen on blog Celebrity Arm Candy.

As far as this bag is concerned, this pattern both permeates the designer, replica, and no-name handbag markets. Why is python, and all snakeskin patterns for that matter, popular at the moment? Aside from the cyclical nature of fashion, bright colors and patterns are in at the moment, with lines like Coach designing both adult and teen-geared collections with bright blues, pinks, and oranges or using a patent leather finish on the bags. Or, on the other hand, you have the Ed Hardy collection, with bright tattoo patterns, embellished with rhinestones, on either a dark field to stand out or on another brightly-colored field. In the case of the python print handbag from Best Handbag Wholesale, as seen on the left, the handbag itself isn’t even only python print but python print tinted with blue. Other options on the website include the same pattern fully tinted with lavender or partially with fuchsia or purple.

If you’re looking for a python handbag on a designer level, the handbag, or clutch will probably be made of real python skin while replica handbags and designer-inspired handbags will probably be made of leather or pleather and printed with a python pattern, such as the bag from Best Handbag Wholesale. Some bags, such as the ones seen in this picture – and the one seen on Lindsey Price – have a natural python skin pattern to them, while others – real or printed – use or mimic the pattern of the python’s scales and tint it partially or fully with a different – and brighter – shade.

With the current economy, it’s no surprise that Coach’s sales are down for handbags. But, the other half of that argument is, how long can you go with a design before everyone and their mother gets tired of it? Coach’s solution to that seems to be their new line, Poppy, with bright colors and patterns to appeal to a younger demographic. While the traditional brown-and-tan “C” pattern still seems to be popular with adults and college-age women, it’s irrelevant to high school girls by seeming too conservative and, frankly, too 2003. With the ‘80s styles coming back, such as skinny jeans, off-the-shoulder shirts, and bright colors and patterns, having a staid-colored handbag just doesn’t go with the outfit.

The line, according to an article on Forbes.com, was launched on June 26 but, after visiting Coach’s website and comparing this line with their handbags from fall 2008, the designs look too similar. Coach, aside from trying to appear to a younger audience by using bright colors and atypical textures, doesn’t seem to be straying much from designs used the past year. Out of the slideshow of the collection shown on Coach’s website, the design aspects of these new handbags include bright colors, including pinks, oranges, and blues, and patent leather surfaces. Other options, as seen in this brief peek, include sequined-covered handbags.

What about the “C” logo? Some of the bags still have it but sans serif and in brighter colors or as a patchwork-style handbag with the older material mixed up with other colorful pieces of material. Aside from these new exceptions, the only way anyone would know these were Coach handbags would be by the metal label. The bag designs, themselves, are standard handbags, with some slouch, or hobo, bag styles being used, but most of the bags in this collection, it seems, are a larger, square-shaped bag with a strap attached. For a better picture of what Coach is offering through Poppy, blog Nitrolicious has a few snapshots of the clothes and the handbags.

Coach is one of those borderline handbag brands – some consider it in the top echelon of designer bags, while others see it as the most basic of designer handbags with a style that seldom changes. Coach really hasn’t changed their style significantly over the past decade, with the most popular designs seen on women of all ages being the brown and tan or cream-colored “C” pattern. While something like this would’ve been popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s when brand names were plastered across all pieces of clothing, handbags included, it’s been out of style for a number of years, and Coach, although still keeping the famous “C” design, has switched up their styles and color choices. And, appropriate for the time, they’re also brought back the ‘80s slouch handbag to go with other ‘80s retro fashions like skinny jeans, large Day-Glo earring, and cropped jackets.

Coach’s handbag collection from earlier in 2009 brought the Resort Collection. The title and styles are more appropriate for a summer collection, with such styles introduced as python print with metallic coloring and pink tote styles for both large and small handbags. The “C” logo is still present on many bags in this collection, only the color combination focused on brighter shades, like pink, blues, and light yellow, and, as a result, the “C” logo pops out much better than any tan-on-brown handbags from five years ago. Some examples of these Coach bags include:

Coach’s collection for the upcoming summer, however, focuses less on the shades of pink and leather beach-bag style and, instead, opts for retro-inspired handbags as their strongest designs. These bags use the same old Coach colors, only this season, they’re in metallic shades. The slouch purse style popular in the ‘80s is now referred to as a hobo handbag – here called an “ali hobo” – because of its spaciousness. While many of these are solid colored, some are still printed with the “C” logo in serif and sans serif styles. Unfortunately, as Coach knock-off handbags often differentiate themselves with a sans serif font, the sans serif “C” logo Coach bags resemble knockoffs somewhat. Aside from this aspect, these slouch or hobo Coach handbags can come with a zipper top or a side flap and come in sizes from a clutch to a shoulder bag.

The only questionable handbags in Coach’s summer collection are the Tattoo Canvas Tote bags, all of which bear a strong resemblance to any handbag by Ed Hardy, only with a Coach label, no rhinestones, and washed out colors. If this is one way to compete with Ed Hardy’s styles, Ed Hardy bags still have the upper hand with this tattoo style.

For all Coach designs for this upcoming summer, check Coach’s website for the full product line.

Carlos Santana may be “Smooth” – but he designs handbags, too. A contest on Latina.com recently has put Carlos Santana handbags up online, although Santana’s clothing design experience mostly now exists with women’s footwear.

Although celebrities design or inspire merchandise, with Jessica Simpson and Gwen Stefani coming to mind for trendy clothes and purses, how do Santana’s bags size up against the competition? These particular bags in the Latina.com competition have a typical style for 2009 – spacious, bold-colored, and with a patent leather-like finish. These specific handbags, although keeping up with the trends of 2009, use western and bold earth-tone colors which, although a bit different from the lime greens and yellows or dark blues seen on many handbags in 2008 and 2009, don’t offer anything innovative. Although nothing particularly special, these bold, solid-colored handbags would match with a variety of outfits of subdued colors – skinny jeans and a solid colored or patterned shirt are probably your best bet for these bags – and surely stand out.

So, why the addition of fashion to music? Although, marketing-wise, attaching the name of a musician who was known best in the 1960s and ‘70s, with a comeback in 2000, to a clothing line geared toward teens and twentysomethings seems odd – does anyone these days under the age of 18 even remember “Smooth”? – the fact that the handbags and shoes are stylish and relevant to current fashion trends makes them relevant. Name aside, it’s still a designer handbag and, although it’s not on the same level as, say, Kate Spade or Gucci, but it is designer enough for many women to want one.