There are generally two kinds of fashion people-those who like the crisp weather of fall and those who like the warmth of spring. The fans of fall can’t wait to wrap up in layers of sweaters and fur at the earliest sign of a chill, and on the first balmy day of spring, fair-weather devotees sprint outdoors in light-as-air dresses. I have always considered myself a “fall girl,” but after several recent excursions-shooting in Puerto Rico for our feature Sheer Beauty (page 56), then hopping a plane for the holidays in steamy Key West and the Turks and Caicos Islands, I have become a “spring girl.”

EVERY DAY At those sunny destinations, I dressed thinking about the lovely spring and summer clothes that we had just photographed for this issue. The light layers of chiffon and cloudlike cottons were exactly what I wanted for the upcoming season. At the spring fashion shows, designers also sent out skirts, dresses, and shorts in up-to-there styles paired with tiny cropped jackets, as seen in Mini to the Max (page 70). If you prefer sexy with an edge, the futuristic designs shown on a number of the runways will have you looking forward to the selections in Altered States (page 80).

Though I ultimately had to return to Chicago and my cold-weather clothes, I now have a renewed appreciation of women who long to dress in sheer, weightless fabrics and leave their legs bare with nothing but the sun to keep them warm.