By Laurie Montoya

Tall and tan and young and lovely. No doubt about it, the girl from Ipanema had it going on.

Your height and youth may be out of your hands, but adding some trends from the 2008 resort collections of several big-name designers can give you a tropical touch of glamour well into spring and summer.

Resort clothing – also known as cruise wear – has evolved over the years. Gone are the days when this specialized category of clothing was exclusively for the lucky few who jetted off to Aruba or the Grenadines to escape winter’s chilly clutches. Today’s resort clothes are dressier, but you don’t need to be headed for Mustique with a rock star by your side to justify their purchase.

Year-round living in places like Palm Springs, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Miami has created a need for lightweight, comfortable clothing that is sophisticated and dressy – even in January. Resort wear is essentially upscale summer attire that hits the stores long before it gets hot outside. While you will still find plenty of bathing suits, caftans and sportswear in these cruise collections, resort lines have added chic little suits, evening gowns and demure, ladylike dresses.

Pulling the look together lies in selecting clothing that works best for your body type and lifestyle. As long as you keep in mind that the elements of style (age appropriateness, fit, quality) remain the same, regardless of season, you will dress with success whether you are Fiji bound or not. Here are some of the noteworthy trends from the 2008 resort collections:

Photos: Evans Caglage/Fashion at the Park at NorthPark Center/Fall 2007

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