Grays and browns of winter may continue to dominate Natchez-area landscapes as March approaches, but spring colors are bursting out all over in ladies fashion outlets.

Bright colors dominate at shops such as Katie’s Ladies, 140 Liberty Road; designs are feminine and fluttery and fabrics, soft and silky, said proprietor Katie McCarstle.

&uot;There is a lot of femininity back in the market, and that’s a good thing for us,&uot; McCarstle said. &uot;Our ladies like to dress up, and we’re lucky to be able to find the kinds of clothes they like.&uot;

Natchez, with its rounds of cultural and social activities throughout the year, requires the fashion-conscious ladies to &uot;dress up,&uot; and this spring the dresses, suits, skirts and tops will feature ruffles and flowers, McCarstle said. &uot;You’re going to see a lot of ruffles, a lot of tweeds and a lot of flowers, as pins, brooches and as flower prints,&uot; she said, pulling out a colorful pair of cropped pants to show samples of the casual clothes in the store.

Pink is the dominant color for spring at Katie’s Ladies. &uot;But there is every color in the rainbow here,&uot; McCarstle said. &uot;In the markets, they’re saying, ‘be happy because brights are the new black.’&uot;

Shirtwaist dresses, flared skirts and jackets of all kinds are big for spring, he said. &uot;Jackets, jackets, jackets &045; and everything is embellished,&uot; she said. &uot;And jackets embellished with beads are for daywear now.&uot;

She pulled a short, frothy skirt from the rack. &uot;Flirty skirts are big for those who can wear them,&uot; she said. &uot;Of course, we try to please all our customers, including the more conservative ones who might not choose something like this.&uot;

Many of the same trends appear in the Juliana line shown privately by appointment by Mary Lessley and Stephanie Butts, who have held the clothing shows in their homes for the past few years each season.

&uot;You see bright, vibrant colors, and they all go well with the basic white, which is still important,&uot; Lessley said.

The company is known for keeping up with the latest styles, Butts said. &uot;Juliana is very fashion forward. There are many classic and conservative clothes, but there also are a lot of fun things.&uot;

Lessley said femininity permeates the spring line, featuring softer silhouettes and exquisite textures. &uot;The fabrics come from European mills and are wonderful,&uot; she said. &uot;And mixing the textures works well.&uot;

Jackets made of leather and feathered in a dying technique to make colors look as if they have been poured onto the fabric are one example of unique texture and color.

&uot;And all of her jackets have this wonderful little inside pocket,&uot; Butts said, showing the small pocket similar to those on men’s suits.

Necklines vary from piece to piece, and trims include ribbon, fringe, scallops, bows and ruffles, with many of the knit tops featuring cut-out designs at the neckline to add interest.

At McRae’s, spring colors dominate the departments where women, misses and junior fashions await area shoppers, said Phillip Watts, merchandising manager.

&uot;We see six big trends for spring,’ Watts said. &uot;One is the white tank top.&uot; The top is worn especially with the new cropped pants, another trend he sees.

&uot;We see the cropped pants in denim, the traditional color and the faded-out denim,&uot; Watts said.

Gauchos are popular for spring. &uot;They started showing up in juniors back in December but since then have gone mainstream in the spring lines,&uot; he said. Gauchos are similar to clam diggers, flared and hitting right below the knee. &uot;You wear these with hot pink tennis shoes and ankle socks.&uot;

Belts are big for spring, all the fashion authorities agreed. Watts said wide belts resting on the hips are important for spring in woven, metallic and embellished styles.

In jewelry, cameo brooches are popular in the spring collection, Watts said, showing up as pins but also on chains, on shoes and as earrings.

The return of the blouse is another big trend Watts sees. These are soft cotton blouses with button-down collars to wear with jeans or a skirt.

McCarstle sees the same trend to the soft, long-sleeved shirt in solids and stripes. &uot;These are no-iron, too,&uot; she said, pointing out the array of all-cotton blouses available at Katie’s.

Finally, Watts added metallic shoes and handbags as a spring trend, along with the belts in a metallic look.

Right in step with the latest fashion, Lessley showed off her own new purchase of strappy metallic dressy shoes and matching handbag.

&uot;Look how this picks up any color you wear,&uot; she said, holding the purse against a bright green suit.

Jewelry for spring includes the return of turquoise, McCarstle said.

&uot;Turquoise is big in the market again, but it’s chunky this time.&uot;

In addition, layering at the neck of turquoise, coral, crystals, pearls and colored stones also is a trend in jewelry fashion for spring, McCarstle said.