Spring clothes to fall in love with

(InStyle.com) -- Welcome to a season of wonderful--wonderful colors, breathtaking gowns, and hemlines for every figure and fantasy. Actress Melissa George, who stars in the new HBO drama "In Treatment," models the season's biggest trends.

The Trend: Brights

This season is about color with impact. Put it on, and others won't be able to take their eyes off you.

Why we love it

• Saturated color makes an entrance and turns every head. It isn't cute, it isn't girlie; it's not for the woman who blushes at every passing glance. Each hue proclaims, "I'm the one to watch," for anyone who has the bravado to wear it.

• The richness of the shades, from orange and royal blue to canary yellow and fuchsia, is so invigorating and intense that it awakens even the simplest of shapes and keeps any garment--and in turn, any outfit--from looking basic.

How to wear it

• Brights are a jump-in-the-deep-end endeavor. What should calm your fears: The colors are more flattering than you'd imagine.

•The spectrum available is so vast that you shouldn't dismiss any color based on past experience. You owe it to yourself to try on each one with a fresh perspective.

• Pairing with white will tone brights down; with black, the result can be cartoonish. Why not make things simple and commit to one bright color in a beautiful dress?

The Trend: Hemlines at all lengths

Every length you have ever considered is here for the taking, from minis so short they barely qualify as tunics to calf-grazing skirts shown flared or belled, pleated or straight.

Why we love the choices

• The first question every fashion editor used to be asked ad nauseam when forecasting trends was, "So, where are hemlines this season?" What a pleasure to be able to say, "Wherever you want them to be, honey!" Isn't it great that it really is up to you? And a bit scary?

• Designers are mad for skirts and dresses this spring, and offer any and every option to get you to wear one. Isn't that great? And a bit scary?

The Trend: Global

With more of the planet within reach, we discover beauty we want to possess in other cultures.

Why we love it

• Designers reached out to the world beyond their own borders and brought back shapes, patterns, adornments and embellishments unlike anything in your current wardrobe.

•What's remarkable is that these new pieces and embroideries manage to look fresh, not costumey, when carefully integrated with the clothes you already own.

How to wear it

• Just one piece goes a long way. Unless you have a personality to match, head-to-toe exoticism can overwhelm your outfit.

• Take a global perspective -- you can indulge in the trend without overdoing it--but keep your hair and makeup closer to home.

• Because many of these designs have African and Middle Eastern sources, sandals are a great complement. And one dramatic piece of jewelry that evokes a faraway place might be the perfect finishing touch.

The Trend: Sheer

It's less about the come-on and more about revealing new ideas of proportion and volume.

Why we love sheer

• It's only natural to link see-through to boudoir dressing, which energizes some women but makes many others nervous. Yet this season, the use of netting and voile won't spark flirting so much as offer new perspectives on sophisticated dressing.

• It's not often a grown-up can get away with being a tease, but these hazy layers can invoke intrigue without making you uneasy.

How to wear it

•The simplest way to make sheer work is the way Jil Sander does with a mysteriously filmy cover-up over a formfitting outfit.

• Surprisingly flattering, a translucent layer can play with volume in figure-enhancing ways, as in a belted coat (Anne Klein) or soft top (Falls).

• Use it to tone down sequins, metallics and lamé. Muting the sparkle with a curtain of chiffon results in a smokier, more moonlit mood. Remember, Salome used seven veils. Try one, at least. E-mail to a friend

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