We've had seasons of extreme ruffles and pattern-on-pattern, so designers did a 360-degree turnaround, placing streamlined nautical styles and preppy looks in the forefront of Spring 2007's strongest trends at the August Children's Club. Yes, it's red, white and blue time this season. Which doesn't mean retailers with funkier tastes should run for the hills. There's still plenty of tie-dye and batik around, denim is important and animal prints roar onto the scene. White eyelet, often thought of as too prairie sweet, proves to be the most versatile fabric of the season, mixing effortlessly with every new look.

Sure, it's a cleaner, leaner season, but no less fun.

TRENDS

GIRLS:

Boating beauties. Nautical themes made a splash at the show. Sailor stripes showed up on everything from T-shirts to bathing suits. Seafarer jackets with brass buttons and sailor style pants update the yacht-like looks and add a classic note when mixed with funkier items.

Pint-size sailors from IKKS.

Whitlow & Hawkins mix seagoing charm with innocent eyelet for a fresh take on the nautical look.

Jane of the jungle. Jungle themed prints as well as animal skins, sometimes mixed with flowers, add an exotic note to sportswear.

Peasant chic. Tops reference the peasant look with a simple drawstring tie at the neck. Tiered skirts and flounced dresses are a holdover from 2006, but they're less embellished and wildly patterned than in previous seasons.

Retro times two. Are there two eras less alike than the repressed Fifties and the sexually liberated Seventies? Nope. But designers purged both decades for inspiration. Look for full skirts falling from snug belted waists, and draped, Jersey tops and dresses, often worn with Eighties' style leggings.

Miss clean jeans. Jeans are still important, but they have less embellishment than last spring's heavily decorated offerings. Look for overalls, too.

BOYS:

Hey sailor. Nautical themes wash up in boys' wear. Stamped anchors and other boating motifs appear on shirts and T-shirts. Bold stripes on tees and plenty of navy and white combinations are an alternative to grungier styles.

He's got drive. NASCAR inspired designers to print cars on T-shirts, narrow the silhouette on jackets and add a tab collar for a sexy Steve McQueen vibe.

Preppy dude. Lots of plaids, stripes and slimmed down cargo pants. What gives this look fresh appeal is the intentionally wrinkled fabrications and offbeat color combinations.

What a softy. Boys' active wear is being manufactured in lightweight, super soft cottons, sometimes with unfinished seams. The new fabrications make the gear suitable for sports as well as off-the-court casual wear.

COLORS:

Got the blues. Blue and white combinations, or nautical themed colorings are the strongest trend. Navy is sometimes paired with royal or swapped for royal.

Silver blues. Silver blue and silvery grays are a natural partner to white and look fresh after so many seasons of warmer neutrals.

Fresh as an ocean breeze at Jean Bourget.

Sky high. Sky blue or aqua sparkle when teamed with white.

Peaches. A rich but washed down peach appeared in solids and mixed in prints, and was even used as an accent in boys' wear.

Opposites attract at E-Land Kids.

Flower shop. Rose with an orangey cast, lilac and soft rosy pinks warm up taupe, khakis and grays and are especially appealing when teamed with celery tones.

Seeing red. Where there's nauticals, there's red.

Jade east. A washed down shade of the color is important in boys' wear teamed with peach or a bright orange.

Market fresh. Dusty lime, leaf green, celery and mustard are employed as solids and accents. They look especially elegant paired with navy or gray.

Down on brown. Cocoa was the "it" color for several seasons. For spring, designers took the heat out of the hue by mixing it with a jigger of gray and a spoonful of cream.

The new brown…Is taupe, gray, silver or khaki.

It's black and white. When used in stripes or nautical prints, the classic combination takes on an urban edge.

TEXTILES:

-Eyelet

-Pique

-Washed cotton T-shirt fabric

-Sheer cotton lawn

-Swiss dots

-Intentionally wrinkled cotton and denim

-Cotton and cotton Jersey with a sprinkling of metallic threads

-Lingerie-like pointelle knits

-Soft lace

-Tulle underskirts

-Jersey

-Washed denim

-Woven straw used for belts and bags

PATTERNS:

A sea change. Seagoing themes, anchors and other boating motifs put a classic spin on sportswear, swimwear - everything!

Stripes have the edge. Where would sailor styling be without striped tees? Stripes show up everywhere in ticking weaves, pinstripes, thick, thin, bright, subdued - every which way.

Tie one on. Tie-dyed T-shirts are still strong for casual wear. Batik used to create simple geometric designs - not overall, splashy, hippie styles - spins the look into something edgier, more urban.

Tocca puts an elegant spin on batik.

It's a zoo. Animal skins, some mixed with bright flowers (think 1980's Versace) glamorize sports and swimwear.

On the sweet side. Tiny dots, big polka dots and Swiss dotted cotton are natural choices for Fifties styled dresses and skirts.

In gear. NASCAR influenced motifs for boys' T-shirts.

So sew. Embroidery still has a handcrafted feeling but it's less folksy and more refined.

SWIMWEAR:

White wear. The white gauze or white eyelet sundress appears as the number one cover-up for beach going girls.

Casting the net. Sea themes in traditional navy and white combinations appeared in infant through junior collections. Gingham, stripes, polka dots and simple flowers take to the look with aplomb.

Grandma groove. Crocheted afghan squares and flowers knit in bright tones combine the mod Sixties with the important handcrafted feeling.

Call of the sea. Greens with a yellow cast - mustard, leaf, a saturated olive and khaki - go it alone, in combinations, or mixed with cleaner blue shades - for all age groups.

You want trends? Here's three from Aguaclara: yellow-cast greens, subtle beading and a tie belt.

Sparkle-less. Sequins and beading show up judiciously - a few sprinkled on a bikini top or around the neckline of a maillot - for instance.

Belt it out. Bikini bottoms are often belted or adorned with a ribbon that ties on the side.

Male call. Nautical stripes and patriotic red, white and blue combinations are an alternative to the still popular tropical prints found in boys' swimwear collections.

TRIM:

-Crocheted lace

-Laser cut trim that mimics eyelet and lace

-Tulle skirts