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Once upon a time we read somewhere that "Hot pink is the navy blue of India." Well, it looks like, thanks to fashion houses including Jil Sander and Acne, hot pink is also the navy blue of Spring 2011. The modern way to wear pink: tailored, streamlined, minimalist, and intentionally simplistic and unembellished. Here are 11 of our top pink picks of the season.
1. Jil Sander stretch cotton slim-leg pants, $595 at Net-a-Porter.com: These Jil Sander trousers by Raf Simons are the anchor hot pink piece for the season. Done for both men's and women's collections, they scored the cover of Bergdorf Goodman's spring mailer. Think of it as a super-fashion take on the ever-perennial Nantucket Reds. Kind of. Okay, not really.
2. Red Valentino drop-waist crepe dress, $595 at Net-a-Porter.com: A simple sheath with a casual, softening drop-waist makes for the perfect summer party dress—queue this one for all those weddings you'll have to go to this season.
3. Adam silk-crepe shirt dress, $280 at Net-a-Porter.com: The classic shirt dress gets a hot pink overhaul courtesy of Adam—bright fuchsia is a saucy 90s-reminiscent way to wear a flattering and ever-chic silhouette.
4. Jil Sander full-length twill skirt, $960 at BrownsFashion.com: More Jil Sander hot pink—this time in a maxi skirt, which is, to be fair, not for all figures. The straight, long, lean look would probably work best on you if you're a super-tall supermodel.
5. Acne "Darling" dress, $320 at MatchesFashion.com: Nipped on the side in a flattering drop-waist, here's another candidate for your summer wedding wardrobe. We like how the softness of the details combined with the boldness of the color manage to stay just this side of overwhelming.
6. 3.1 Phillip Lim wide-leg wool blend pants, $395 at Net-a-Porter.com: Wide-leg trousers in hot pink scream too-cool-for-school. Take these on your next sojourn to a chi-chi-resort town. We're thinking Capri? St. Bart's? Or, hey, even brunch on a sunny summer Sunday. Pair with a silk tank or a loose white shirt for a louche look.
7. Diane Von Furstenberg "Trapp" stretch jersey dress, $355 at Net-a-Porter.com: A deeper pink in a structures stretch and substantial fabric makes this conservative cut suitable for less lounge-y endeavors. Like maybe casual Fridays. Or dinner with the parentals.
8. Lanvin sleeveless draped dress, $2,595 at KirnaZabete.com: Probably the sexiest piece on this page is this faux-wrap body-skimming draped Lanvin delicacy. Cocktail and red-carpet worthy, this photogenic frock is for femme fatales only.
9. Jil Sander stretch silk-georgette blouse, $845 at Net-a-Porter.com: It's pink, it's Jil Sander, and it stretches. Plus, a classically-cut hot pink shirt will add a dash of color to your wardrobe this season.
10. Kaschmir cashmere pullover, $360 at MyTheresa.com: We always keep a pink cashmere sweater—either a cardi or a pullover—readily accessible in our closets just in case we need a pick-me-up (we gave up coffee and Diet Coke two years ago, so we need all the help we can get in the mornings). This cashmere sweater perfectly fits the bill. Wear it with jeans or under a blazer (if you're feeling preppy).
11. Alexander McQueen fine-knit wool dress, $1,165 at Net-a-Porter.com: Slouchy, easy-to-wear, figure-forgiving, and luxurious, this McQueen fine-gauge wool knit dress will get you through three out of four seasons, easy peasy.
· All buy it now posts [Racked]