Frills, long bohemian skirts, big monogrammed bags and wedge shoes are all the rage this month. You'll look extra hot in trench coats, balloon skirts and sundresses. White is the in colour, but colourful flower prints should brighten anyone's day. As far as the hair goes, curls are ultra-sexy but so is long, straight, glistening hair. Make-up should be clean and natural, though red is a classic and peach is universally flattering. Confused yet?

The latest trend to take the style world by storm follows the mantra - "wear whatever makes you feel good and confident". Think of trendsetters like Mischa Barton, Kate Moss and Sienna Miller - all of whom have the face, the figure and, most importantly, the cash to allow for such expressive and expensive experimentation.

Flipping through fashion magazines or taking in the trends on TV might be the tried and tested route for most people, but times are changing and these days even those who dictate the trends - designers, make-up artists and hairstylists - are urging fashionistas to stop looking like they've stepped out of the latest catalogues. Instead, they recommend we use the trends as a loose guide to help us blend and perfect our own personal style, to come up with an entirely individual look.

Despite all this eclecticism, designers do seem to agree on one thing this season - that there's no universal answer to the fashion question. It's more about a mix-and-match approach, with a strong independent slant that displays an awareness of the trends, but isn't afraid to break rules.

 Thailand's leading hair-stylists also have contrasting ideas of what's in for tresses this season. L'Oreal's Saisuda Chuaviwat says that current trends are leaning towards curls, re-establishing the popularity of the perm. But Thailand's top hair fashion stylist Somporn "Kai" Thirin says the traditional nang-aek or Thai soap-opera actress' look with straight, silky hair is still popular.

Royston Blythe, a British hairdresser who visited Thailand recently for the L'Oreal Professional Colour Trophy Awards, also says it's all about experimentalism. "There's no trend, everyone wants to be different."

Jindarat Philiyapanyarporn, a hairdresser at the newly opened Sak's Salon, confirms that the rules are there to be broken. "Don't ask me about the trends, I never follow them. If a person wants to get a haircut with me I just look at their shape of their face, their hair and what suits them."

And the same goes for clothes. With the vast array of styles on offer, today's look is all about having the eclectic edge.

For instance, the latest offerings from Grey have a distinctly industrial look with colours inspired by metals and rough rustic hues, while Tube Gallery's collection injects some humour and Boudoir's latest line has all the bittersweet froth and sparkle of lemonade on a hot summer's day.

But despite the vibrant variety of local designer ware, the hottest trends this summer are relatively pared-down, with white playing a major role and comfortable fabrics, shorts and pretty skirts also prevalent. Although in line with the current theme of variety, there are plenty of exceptions to the rule here too.

"If you try to follow all the trends you're likely to go crazy!" warns Apiwat Yodpraphan, a personal stylist at The Emporium. "You need to find what items suit you best and then mix them up a bit."

Jill Lowe, a Singapore-based image consultant, satirised the slavish approach to fashion during her fashion workshop for Dove, where she had a model take to the stage in an excessive outfit of bright, mismatched colours, commenting, "You want to follow fashion, this is what you get."

Alejandro Munoz, the brand manager of Spanish designer house Massimo Dutti who was in Thailand recently to promote the brand's outlet in Siam Paragon, also says it's not all about sticking to trends. "Our clothes are trendy but we're not fashion victims."

Issue designer, Roj Singhakul, agrees that style isn't something you can necessarily buy. "It's good to know the trends, but you don't have to follow them."

 This common sense approach also comes to play in current make-up trends. Despite the funds cosmetic brands pump into creating new looks, the fact is, those looks are created for the flawless few and are more about marketing than making the most of the average every-woman.

French make-up artist Bouzouk, who was in Thailand for a Lancome product launch, says he strongly believes in the benefits of the natural look. "Women should go with their own instincts."

Despite the seductive nature of the latest looks, the fact remains that by the time you've mastered them, the next trend will be nipping at your heels, so if you're a style-slave, you're always at risk of looking outdated.

"I never look at what others are doing because it's limiting. Stop looking at what other people are doing and create your own style," says Anne Lise Kjaer, the trend forecaster for Kjaer Global who was recently in Thailand to give a talk on future trends at the Thailand Creative and Design Centre.

"In France, the moment a girl finds herself looking like another girl, she will quickly go looking for a style that makes her completely unique. No one there wants to look the same as everyone. If you carry the same bags or wear the same clothes, it's just not chic," adds Japanese hairdresser Edsuo Kurita of Eddy One salon.

Briton Rebecca Von Gyer, a textile designer who visited Thailand during the Bangkok Fashion Week, agrees, "I don't follow the trends. In fact these days clothes sold on the street or at thrift stores are very popular. Why? Besides they're cheap and there are lots of styles to choose from. In fact, many of the designers take inspiration from looks found on the streets, boosting them with quality fabrics and a high-brand image."

So it would seem that fashion's current approach sees through the marketing schemes created to stimulate sales and the dangling consumerist carrot that constantly helps launch new concepts and products. But if all the style setters are telling us that trends are redundant, where does that leave the fashion leaders we look to for inspiration? One thing's for sure, it's certainly not in creative limbo.

In fact, if the role of fashion designers, hairdressers and other trend innovators involves creating images with enough aesthetics to wow the fashion community and sell their products, the answer for today's style seekers is simple - develop the discernment to determine whose style best deserves your financial appreciation.

Lisnaree Vichitsorasatra

The Nation