It may be over ambitious of me to suggest thinking about spring now when we just saw snow this week. However, the fashion industry is setting spring so on fire this year that it’s hard to hold back. As the look books for spring begin to pile up in my email, it’s a refreshing feeling to see the return of colour and a kind of chic feel to warm weather looks. Even casual has gone somewhat chic.

Companies such as Banana Republic and The Gap are now collaborating with new designers to keep shoppers on their toes. Designer Michelle Smith for Milly has joined the Banana Republic camp to amp up their Hampton Chic men and women summer clothing collection. The season’s collection will yield everything from clothing to jewelry and accessories. The price point for the collection will run between $24.50-$130.

The Gap has also brought Rebekkah Bay who was the creative director at H&M to strengthen the company’s visual approach. Expect to see classic hemlines and cuts that The Gap and Banana Republic offers with an addition of prints and stripes, which are on trend for summer. One of my favorite colours for summer is red. Floral prints are also a great option as the weather starts to warm up. For a casual look, try a denim button down top.

Maxi dresses will also be back for summer and spring. The perfect accompaniment to a maxi dress is a chic denim jacket. If you’re unsure about prints because they can be tricky to pull off, pay extra attention to your proportions. It looks like designers are springing for a nautical theme this summer meaning horizontal stripes will the print of choice, which is not always slimming to woman’s figure. To balance a tricky print like that out, try wearing a blazer or jean jacket over it.

Designers are really attempting to capture the fresh feeling of summer by creating a fresh, fun and light feel to dressing up or down. Get ahead of what spring fashion has to offer and get inspired by some of my favourite looks from this season’s look books.

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Amy Yew is a contributing columnist at Vancouver Courier. Tell us what you think and submit any questions you have to amyvancouvercourier@gmail.com. You can also tweet your thoughts on Twitter @AmyYew.