If English poet William Cowper is correct and variety is indeed "the spice of life," then American designers, like couture chefs worth their salt, have depleted the cupboard in cooking up fashion feasts for the coming spring and summer.

While some overwhelmed souls might consider the profusion a source of confusion, its beauty is that designers are enjoying wide latitude to play to their strengths -- and those in a buying mood will have a much easier time finding looks that suit their fancy.

In this month's Vogue, writer Sally Singer aptly described the season's offerings for women as "the most alluring, strangely gentle season in some time." And that's because everything is essentially feminine, whether a designer aimed for sleek and spare or over-the-top extravagant.

In a swirling sea of style, there may be too many key looks to enumerate, from abstract retro patterns and museum-esque prints to borrowed-from-the-boys glamour and modern safari. Skirts are all shapes, gowns go goddess-y, paisleys emerge, and metallics resurge in everything from cosmetics and accessories to outerwear and eveningwear.

For men, the buzzwords are sleek, sexy and stylized. Casual peacefully coexists with formal while natural and synthetic fabrics harmonize in intriguing combinations. Plaids and checks are boldly reinterpreted, sheer elements jazz up shirts and jackets, white pants come back strong, pops of neon and other loud colors brighten the stylescape, and various shades of blue derive from aquatic inspiration.

Jitters about an economic recession notwithstanding, the color story for women is vibrant and daring, dominated by energizing red, cool waterborne blues and eco-friendly greens. Toss in other colors most popular among American designers this season -- golden olive, spring crocus, rococco red, pink mist, croissant, freesia, cantaloupe, daiquiri green, snorkel blue and silver gray, for starters -- and the palette "perfectly reflects the cheerfulness of the season," said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.

"Stabilizing neutrals combined with pops of brighter colors to create unique, distinctive looks are the basis for a great spring and summer wardrobe," she said.

Acid, neo-fluorescent and old-school colors from the '60s and '70s have returned in a big way, and many designers incorporated them in what they described as must-have pieces.

For starters, there's Carlos Miele's lime evening dress, Luca Luca's patchwork shift dress in seafoam and Michael Kors' flamingo pink silk jersey dress. Laura Poretzky at Abaete recommends a cocktail dress in ocean teal, James Coviello suggests a geometric-embroidered sundress in "citrus shock" and Waleed Khairzada for Cynthia Steffe offers up a long, pocketed skirt in riveting "sonic green."

Like the season's apparel, makeup goes in equally varied directions. The nude, barely-there look, inspired in part by the green movement, is seen in natural skin-tone hues in new cosmetics lines ranging from Clinique to MAC's N Collection.

On the other extreme, look for bright, offbeat, in-your-face colors applied in combinations such as deep fuchsia lipstick, silver-gray eye shadow and hot coral nail polish. Worn right, the looks are dramatically sophisticated and pack-a-chic punch.

"It's got to be something totally opposite to the collection," said international makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury.

"There's got to be a contrast between the feeling of the clothes and the face for the overall look to have a modern edge."