Awe and roaring applause greeted Miuccia Prada when she sent her troop of perfectly manicured models down the runway in candy colors, hot rod prints, and ladylike silhouettes last fall. Boxy silhouettes, dark colors, and an urban edge prevailed in the majority of fall collections. So, Miuccia’s nod to ‘40s and ‘50s glamour was revelatory for fashion purists, whose pencil skirts and peplum jackets had been gathering dust in the back of their closets. Marc Jacobs and Fendi followed her lead, and in spring of 2012, the couture giants in Paris (Christian Dior, Ellie Saab, Giambatista Valli) showed hyper-feminine designs in a palette very similar to Prada’s.

Prêt à Porter, too, is dominated by color and classic silhouettes this season. Designers like Allude, Schumacher, Joseph, and Max Mara imagined their spring collections with the same waxed nostalgia: Pinup cardigans, pencil skirts, accordion-pleats, tapered waists and swing dresses make up their collections, with modern updates like metallic traces and microblend fabrics. Familiarize yourself with a few of their offerings, below, and dig out your tea-length coats.