By the time you've got over the shock of taking your sun-deprived, bare legs out in public for the first time in many months, there's lots of exciting, new season pieces adorning the racks of the shops.

Hitting the stores are some new trends, as well as a few that have been lingering for multiple seasons, from pastels, metallics and whites, to art pop, tropical and preppy.

While many grown-ups tend to leave pastels to younger people, the soft colours are everywhere at the moment, and Canberra Centre stylist Colleen Cuneo says not to discount them.

"Basically, everything that's dusty or powdery is really coming in, and that's really been inspired by a lot of the runway looks coming out of Europe, so we're going to see a lot of retailers doing it," she says.

And if you think pastels are purely for ladies, you'd be mistaken.

"I think men are pretty comfortable with baby pinks now. One upon a time boys would never wear baby pinks, so it shows that pastels can win you over eventually," says Cuneo.

The "Oxford look" is all about embracing a preppy, masculine, tailored look, which Westfield stylist Fiona Keary affectionately refers to as, "suited and booted".

Women can give it a feminine touch with a, "shirt dress, or for something more casual a pale blue or pale pink shirt teamed with some jeans or slouchy pants".

Team the look with a pair of sandals or brogues.

"Even though brogues are more winter, you can see coming through a more summer version where they're sort of more of a sandal with closed toe," she says.

Metallics are still making an appearance, and Keary says they're no longer just for after hours.

"We've seen metallic throughout the season, but this time it's more about pieces you can wear for the day.

Colour blocking is also back, with white on white an emerging trend, although Cuneo says to be realistic about when you wear it.

"I don't think you realistically want to be wearing head to toe white and be out on a busy day – it's going to get dirty. It's just the reality. I think save it for special occasions."

If the idea of white on white scares you, try adding some textured white.

"I think white on its own can be quite block, whereas the texture starts to create another dimension to it – it's almost like putting a print into it without putting a print into it," Cuneo she says.

It goes without saying that if you're incorporating any white into your outfit, choosing the right underwear is crucial.

"You need to wear underwear that has very limited ridges or lace, and keep it as close to your skin colour as you can. Never wear white – it has to be nude," says Cuneo. "There's a couple of different variations of nude these days, depending on your skin colour."

With the new season fashion, it's not just the styles, but also the shapes that are changing. Hemlines have been heading south for the past couple of seasons, and now the pants are getting wider.

"Culottes are back – both in the knee length so they look like skirts, and in full-length. Skinny is probably on the way out," says Keary.

While you may have unpleasant flashbacks to primary school days, when it comes to making the wide leg work, it's all about choosing your width.

"If you go straight, everyone suits straight. And then if you are taller, the wider you can go. All you need to do to make it work is wear a pair of heels," she says.

One of the rules it seems is crying out to be broken is when it comes to playing it safe with prints. Prints are everywhere, from florals to digital graphics and tribal prints – and they're every bit bold.

"If you don't feel really confident with it remember to just make one piece stand out and then pare it all back by choosing a colour in that print that's a little bit darker to take it back to where it needs to be," she says.

Also expect to see prints make a strong appearance at the spring racing carnivals.

"We have heavy petal, so there's no dainty florals as part of this - it's all really bold and vibrant, with some abstract florals coming through as well," says Cuneo.

Whether you're more into pastels, prints or preppy, Cuneo says to have fun with trends, but remember that they should only make up 20 per cent of your wardrobe.

"With any of the trends, I would be inclined to start with a little top and wear it with a jean, and integrate it slowly into your existing wardrobe," she says.