The colors of spring came out in force last week at two local charity fashion shows, echoing what's been happening in the pages of national fashion magazines and in international collections.
The March 14 show, Swing into Spring, featured women and children in classic styles in pastels and saturated colors from Lady C in Sylvania and Kids Klothesline in Perrysburg.
The next day, fashions from Sophia Lustig, furs from Roth Furs, and jewelry from Sterling Diamonds delighted a Garden Club Forum crowd of nearly 600 at Scintilla 2001 in the Stranahan Great Hall.
Women's styles at the Swing into Spring show included little black party dresses, suits (both casual and dressy), sundresses, and casual, often preppy separates. The hot colors include shades of pink, orange, blue, and green. A few faves:
The children's clothes were even more classic. Young boys wore rugby shirts, an argyle sweater vest with a short-sleeved polo shirt and dark trousers - the usual suspects in boys' clothing. The real charmer was a lad in fishing togs carrying a fishing rod and wearing a hat. The entire room let out a simultaneous “aawww.”
Girls appeared in dark denim (very trendy right now), and floral print and/or frilly dresses.
Before lunch at the Swing into Spring show, the women's room at the Sylvania Country Club teemed with girls in party and Easter dresses and their harried mothers trying to get their girls' hair to look just right and prevent them from wrinkling their dresses.
It was not always clear which generation prevailed - although the girls all managed to look darling on the platform. (Of course, it's difficult for a child not to look darling in a taffeta party dress.)
The Swing into Spring show was held by the Academy of Medicine of Toledo and Lucas County Alliance and the Toledo Dental Alliance.
It raised about $2,000 for Face Forward, a program that connects dentists and surgeons who do reconstructive surgery and dentistry with women who have suffered disfiguring injuries from abusive partners.
Clothes for sports, home, the office, and evening were modeled by local business and professional women. Ohio Supreme Court Justice Alice Robie Resnick took to the runway first, accompanied by her greyhound, Sengenna, which wore a yellow coat. The judge had on casual black capri pants, a gingham top, and a poppy-print jacket. The combination of woman and dog brought smiles and applause from the audience, setting a pleasant tone for the rest of the show, which raised some $24,000 for civic projects such as the Toledo Botanical Garden and City of Toledo plantings.
A few other crowd-pleasers:
“This is all about what makes you smile,” Sophia Lustig owner Paula Fall told the crowd.
Predictably, the audience gave the elegant evening clothes - many featuring bare backs, arms, and shoulders - an enthusiastic response.
After all, who doesn't enjoy a little fantasy on a brisk March day?