Color is popping on this sping dress at Adelante Boutique.

Dresses to sit in, and stand in, and walk in;
Dresses to dance in, and flirt in, and talk in;
Dresses in which  to do nothing at all;
Dresses for Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall

                             From “Nothing to Wear”
                             by William Allen Butler

Not since Coco Chanel introduced the little black version have dresses been making such a fuss — and with good reason. After all, who can resist the seductive feel of the new spring sun on bare arms and legs? And is there any article of clothing that can make you feel sexy, demure, feminine and flirtatious all at the same time?

Perhaps that is why everyone in the fashion know agrees that if you have room for only one new item in your wardrobe this spring, you’d better make it a dress!

“I just cannot stress enough the importance of dresses this spring,” says Melissa Zuniga of Julian Gold. “They are huge!”

Dresses have made the official top 10 “must-have lists” for spring of both Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue and can be seen on virtually every page of the fashion bibles.

A white eyelet dress is demure next to a shorter tunic style. both available at Julian Gold.

“They’re either sophisticated and pretty, or out there and wild,” said Adelante Boutique owner Marla Ross of the dress trend.

Many of the dresses featured this spring are short, breezy trapeze-style numbers that scream of the 1960s. Maybe it is the popularity of trendsetter Sienna Miller’s wardrobe in the movie “Factory Girl” which depicts the life and style of party girl/socialite Edie Sedgwick.

Maybe it’s simply the fact that fashion is cyclical. Whatever the reason, many spring dresses are swingy and mod in bold colors and patterns. If you’ve got the gams, Ross suggests pairing this dress with some kickin’ go-go boots and strutting your stuff!

On the opposite end of the spectrum is what Galeana Younger, owner of Galeana Boutique calls the “LWD” or “little white dress.”

“This is a perfect easy and feminine dress to throw on with flip-flops during the day or with a key piece of jewelry for night,” she says.

In addition to white, Younger says that the black and white combo is still hot but there are also tons of bright colors out there in keeping with that retro look. “Sunny yellow, cobalt blue, cherry red and grassy green are the ones to sport.”

Floral prints, eyelet and lace are all over the dress landscape and hemlines are going in every direction.

“Hemlines are a blur,” describes Ross. “Is it a dress? Is it a tunic?”

Which brings up a most important point: How do you wear the spring look?

Ross says you must treat it differently depending on your age and personality. For example, a young girl might feel comfortable wearing a short dress with bare legs while an older woman might wear it as a tunic over jeans or leggings.

Younger advises wearing the strapless versions with a small cardigan for older gals while younger women can go bare shouldered. “It’s all about focusing on the right features,” she adds.

However you choose to wear it one thing is certain: You won’t be all dressed up with nowhere to go!