Image courtesy of Coutorture.com

“THESE PRODUCTS ARE NO LONGER BEING SOLD”

What: Betsey Johnson Runway Show, Tent at Bryant Park, New York City Fashion Week Spring 09.

The Lowdown: You don’t go to a Betsey Johnson show expecting to see something you could wear to the grocery store—it’s kind of as fantasy/costume/dress up as ready-to-wear gets. Part pirate, part punk princess, part little girl playing dress up, it’s all about taking traditional feminine sensibility and turning it on it’s wild-haired blond head. This year didn’t disappoint; Betsey’s signature bright colors and floral prints made their appearance, put together in tiered, full skirted dresses, but we also saw the black, white and red that seem to keep recurring across the Spring runways this year—along with ruffles, horizontal stripes, and corset/lingerie detailing. Unlike many of the other collections we’ve seen, belts were non-existent, as were other accessories on the whole (but with Betsey Johnson’s ensembles, who needs accessories anyway?). Every look, however, came with a hat—mostly in the form of straw bowler styles, with wide grosgrain bands . . .

Budget Solution: Full-on florals are always very Betsey, and this Spring is no different—check out Forever21, Target, Victoria’s Secret for full-skirted, small-print florals—or take a look at this floral strapless dress on sale now at Newport News (layer it with a short floral jacket in complementary colors for a real BJ look). And the great thing about Betsey Johnson is you can actually buy a real live Betsey Johnson dress without spending a fortune. This striped number, for example, at Label Spree is on sale now for $102, and with its black and white stripes will be totally on-trend in the Spring.