Some trends sneak in under the radar and work their way into our lives in small, subtle ways while others arrive like bolts of lightening, jarring our fashion sense and declaring themselves loud and proud right from the start. Here are a few that have been making appearances lately.

*LOVE* Socks with high heels It’s a preppy, comfortable, and very girly look that designer Christian Dior deemed worthy of the spring/summer runway and Rihanna approved for the red carpet at the Teen Choice Awards.

(Image via stylespeaker.com)

*HATE* Blue nailpolish Coming from a background in nursing blue nails tend to look oxygen-deprived or dead to me but apparently trend-setters everywhere disagree. Nail polish is always available in crazy weird colors but blue, in all shades from pastel to royal to navy, has been on the celebrity scene more often than average lately.

(image via makeupandbeautyblog)

*HATE* Mixing prints Mixing animal prints together or even traditional patterns like stripes and florals is tricky business. It can look awesome but it’s so hard to get it right and so bad when you get it wrong that I don’t think it’s worth it. There’s plenty of easier (and just as awesome) looks to try instead.

*LOVE* Athletic wear Well-made and flattering athletic gear is becoming less functional and more fashionable. I’m not so fond of wearing sweatpants with high heels but can totally get behind a funky pair of jeans with a soft and flattering cotton jacket.

(image via fierst)