Early Spring/Summer 2011: Vibrant and subdued, playful and quiet, romantic and modern. What Spring/Summer 2011 is not is edgy. There are few hard lines, gloomy colors, angry slogans, and androgynous looks. Why? We've had a tough couple of years. Time to lighten up.

Of course there are nautical looks. When hasn't there been nautical looks for the warmer months? What makes the 2011 collections unique are the little twists on color and the playful use of stripes.

Navy still anchors the combinations, but it's mixed with electric blue and often a shot of yellow. The tone of yellow is often too sharp to wear as a solid but adds a needed jolt, like a blast of briny sea air, to the works.

From Jason Wu's resort collection 2011 comes this striped sweater and flirty skirt.

Tia Cibani employs stripes in her kicokids collection too, swapping navy for electric blue and white for pale gray. In doing so she creates a new way to do nautical. Her boys' group, taps into her modernist leanings by suggesting the look - the printed sailor bow, the essence of a flag in the blue/kiwi set - not reworking the same tired details.

Ah, romance! Love is in the air with vintage wallpaper florals, mini-florals, and ruffles edging everything from diaper covers to tunics. Western looks include corset details paired with flouncey skirts.

A lace-up back and mini floral print from Eliane et Lena blend two important trends for spring.

Mish Mish has a bouquet you'll want to catch!

If you like tulle you're in for a treat. Designers create dresses in candy colors and use the fabric in innovative, layered styling, some with a modernist twist that ends the tutu as costume once and for all.

Retailers packed Stella Industries' booth for these tulle confections. Can you see why?

Isobella & Chloe's fresh way with tulle.

Jersey sure. There's a love fest going on between designers and Jersey (the material not the state). Its drapeability makes it perfect for 80's inspired styles, for ruffles, and a new direction - gathering the material into ruches of pattern for a sculpted look.

Designers at Acne built shape with sensuous draping.

Don't let the name fool you. Red Wagon Baby sounds sweet, but their designs, like this draped tunic with tulle detailing and coordinating leggings, were some of the hippest at the show.

The lush melon color of this dress from Lemon Loves Lime, the flattering fit, that spiral of ruffles on the side and the way the long front ruffles will look in the breeze transcends fashion: It's art!

Boys' collections reference a chic Seventies and Eighties mood with touches such as tabs over rolled sleeves, narrow polo shirts with epaulets, slim pants with cargo details, and some of the hottest suits to hit the floor in many a season.

Kapital K pairs a tab-sleeved shirt in khaki with a funky bright T-shirt.

Narrow lines, neutrals and Agnes B's way with a fresh dash of color.

My favorite, right off the men's runway, outfit for boys at the show: this killer suit from Appaman. Dress it up or pair it the way the Husums did, with the perfect laid-back T-shirt and sneakers.

-Simple A-lines

-Minis with ruffles

-Dirndl skirts

-Halter styling

-Sculptural draped Jersey

-Short shorts

-Knicker-shaped shorts

Cupcakes & Pastries serves up charming ticking stripe knicker-style shorts and a fabulous vintage floral top.

-Narrow legged jeans

-High bodices

-One-piece rompers

Ses Petites Mains' funky denim halter-top one-piece. Just add roller skates.

-Sleeves: fluttered, tab-closed

Sail on, sailor. Combinations of navy, electric blue, red, yellow and a shot of leaf green.

Orange - with a twist. Some oranges are hot and some are not. Unlike the electric orange from seasons back, or the browned orange that sometimes teams up with summer spice tones, the newest shades are pure with a tincture of white. They're cool and fresh and look great with yellow and khakis.

Pineapple Kiss is back and as exciting as ever. Clean orange in a wearable not-too-bright shade works with lilac, hot yellow and khaki that keeps everything from going overboard.

Bright monochromatics. Blue and Kelly green. Orange and fuchsia. Pink and red.

Remember when pairing blue and green or pink and red was considered gauche? Not anymore. Designers teamed up cool with cool and warm with warm and it looked modern and exciting.

From Isaac Mizrahi's resort collection 2011. And from Bequita. Gauche? Give me a break.

Sand stones. Right off the women's and men's runways are neutral palettes, heavy on taupe and beigey taupe and soft gray accented with hot yellow, cocoa, navy, and, not seen at the kids' shows, mint green.

Beige and gray from Elie Tahari's resort collection.

Neige's neutrals. Timeless. Pure serenity.

Llum's stripes have impact when they're colored in quirky shades of taupe, cocoa and yellow.

-Seersucker

-Stretch denim, used for faux jeans and motorcycle jackets

No zippers to fuss with on Zutano's faux jeans.

-Fine-wale corduroy

-Tulle

-Lightweight washed cotton

-Cottons with a burnout technique

-Large, romantic florals

-Mini-florals. The tiny "ditzy" prints showed up in boys' shirting and girls' collections as well as swimwear.

Hartford freshens last season's shirt-dress style with a sweet mini-floral.

-Mixed prints with global references.

bcbg Max Azria mixes it up with his 2011 resort collection.

Newcomer Aioty makes the style work with this large-scale floral top and one-of-a-kind gypsy skirt.

-Plaids

-Stripes

-Ticking stripes on soft, washed woven cottons

-Tie-dyes

-Animal skins

Swimwear designers are feeling patriotic. There are plenty of navy, red and white suits for both sexes, many boldly striped and sporting anchors and team logos.

At Claesen's tomato red (not the usual cherry) blends with navy and white, and patterns such as gingham and dot mix happily.

-A dot happy summer at Submarine.

-Hearts are an important motif.

-Look for photorealism and faux embellishments, for instance this one-piece with a photo of a flower and a floral rosette from Kids Ink.

-Some shorter lengths for boys' swim trunks at Monster Republic, but nothing in Speedo territory.

-Tiny string bikinis as well as maillots with sexy cutouts

-Ruffles!

-Sequins and sequined bow shapes.

Whitlow & Hawkins shakes up classic sailor pieces with playful sequin bows.

-Vintage looking lace with metallic threads.