Citrus Hue Take Two

InStyle

After yesterday's refreshing citrus spritzer, I sensed heightened interest in the orange hues for spring but much hesitation as well. Wearing orange can be intimidating, but there are so many sunny shades, there has to be one right for each of us, right?

February's InStyle features an article on Michael Kors where the above shot of Kate Mara appears. Kors dressed her in a daring shade of mango, which surprisingly works on the redhead. As a redhead myself (who has never DREAMED of wearing an orange shade), I love how the bright dress contrasts with her long auburn locks. Mara explains that she doesn't usually gravitate toward blacks and neutrals but that finding the right color for her skintone and hair can be difficult. "It's hard to find bold color that lets you feel like yourself- Michael always finds the most flattering shades," she said of the designer's color choice.

Fendi Spring 2011 via Style.com

Upon further tangerine review, several more notable designers used the color in their Spring collection and/or consistently use the color throughout the year. Fendi featured a great orange for brunettes with a peach maxi skirt. I love those two tones together.

Lela Rose has been using citrus tones for several seasons now. She presented the tangerine cocktail dress and lightweight knit top in her Spring 2010 line and revisited the shade once again for Spring 2011 with a heathered orange skirt.

Lela Rose Spring 2010 via Style.com

Lela Rose Spring 2010 via Style.com

Lela Rose Spring 2011 via Style.com

Of course, if wearing orange still scares you, there are other ways of joining in the trend. Make-up artists have worked coral lips into spring palettes a la Leighton Meester on the cover of Allure. Here, the starlette wears Givenchy's Rouge Interdit Satin Lipstick in Fruity Orange. Or work orange into your home decor with bright upholstery to contrast with pretty pales. Palmer Weiss decorated this adorable room which is equal parts playful and sophisticated. Either way, the look is healthy, vibrant and youthful.

Lonny Magazine

I don't know about you, but I may have found more use for my pesky orange chair now and a little more of a nudge into the land of mango apparel. If Michael Kors and Lela Rose are suggesting it, I think we'd better grab a slice!