Frills, flounces and fluted hemlines: if that sounds like a good idea then look in on Regine. They have all that and a lot else besides.
At the presentation of their spring and summer range, Regine, an all-Irish fashion label, appeared to have gone slightly mad about colour, and this, combined with the feminine cut, makes this a wildly pretty season here.
Using strong sugar-almond colours in crisp cottons, linens, printed chiffons and ginghams, the range is made up of capsule collections, each little group containing trousers, skirts, jackets and tops and each item available in two or three styles.
This gives great scope for building up a personal style, and, obviously, the most likely way to wear the clothes is to mix the capsule numbers. Take the aquamarine group: there are two jackets (£180); a choice of one or four buttons; short or long sleeves; a bodice (£88); and the long slim skirt (£62); and there you have a classic suit (for £320). But it could all be dissected and put together differently. Regine's is that kind of range.
Unusual items included a striped linen jacket edged in crochet lace (£154), which would work well with dropped trousers (£89). There was also a tiny bolero, edged in braid, worn with a slim, short dress, very Chanel in style, in its boucle fabric and rose-pink or cream colour (£277).
Linen is big here, and can be casually handled as in a scarlet fringed waistcoat, very long, and one-shoulder slim dress. This looks very different in olive green or black. There are many feminine flowered chiffons with matching embroidered stoles for a garden party style, and these will probably be popular among wedding guests.
The collection is quite wide-ranging, from sporty chintzes and ginghams to formal twill coats and flimsy faconne lingerie-type dresses. But whatever the style it's the colour that will bowl you over. Apparently charming and frivolous, Regine is also useful and adaptable.