FIVE SPRING TRENDS FROM FOUR FASHION CAPITALS

No single must have look for spring-summer '09.

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By Samantha Critchell

Four fashion capitals and four weeks of runway previews didn't add up to a single must-have look for spring-summer '09.

That might be just fine with consumers who, considering the economic meltdown of recent days, probably are in no mood to start their shopping lists for next season.

Of course designers couldn't have predicted such a stark picture when they started crafting these collections months before their previews in New York, London, Paris and Milan. Still, there was a collective movement toward a looser shape compared to the buttoned-up style of fall.

The passing of Yves Saint Laurent in June, the time when many designers were putting together their spring collections, also seemed to have a strong influence, especially in safari and tribal touches.

Some things seemed made for runway drama--like the harem pants that were ubiquitous in New York and made encore appearances in Europe--but received a lukewarm, at best, reaction from retailers.

Designers typically offer a more toned-down version of the collection to store buyers in follow-up showroom appointments and those probably give a better sense of what's to come, says Candy Pratts Price, executive editor at Style.com. "This is what you saw, not what is being delivered."

Here's what editors, stylists and retailers came home to consider:

NUDES

Call it sand, skin or champagne: There was a steady parade of nude colors on the runways, although the models weren't necessarily showing a lot of skin. It didn't matter. The effect of flesh-colored clothes--whether they're flashy with sparkle or more sophisticated in an earth tone--is sexy.