Lighter Touch: Flared-leg pants, platform shoes, minimalist outfits and lower hemlines

NEW YORK — "Elegant American sportswear." Those are the words that best sum up the recent spring 2011 runway shows in New York.

A new generation of designers has turned the page here, led by Alexander Wang, who has figured out what people want and how much they are willing to pay for it; first lady favorite Jason Wu; the ever-surprising Proenza Schouler; and the sisters behind the Rodarte label, which showed its most commercial collection yet. Here is a cheat sheet on the trends and styles that dominated the New York runways.

Now that Asia has become such a major player in the luxury market, designers are looking there for opportunities and inspiration.

Kimono-style wrap-front jackets and dresses worked their way into the minimalist collections of Narciso Rodriguez, Reed Krakoff and Francisco Costa at Calvin Klein. Vera Wang went in an edgier direction, using Quentin Tarantino's kung fu revenge flick "Kill Bill" as a creative springboard to come up with fierce-looking black twist-front pants tied with sumo rope belts, silk faille origami pleated coats and floral print "geisha dresses."

Carolina Herrera looked to Korea for her decadent collection of aikido pants, embroidered silk jackets and dresses with knotted cord belts, and silk faille gowns with Korean sashes. Proenza Schouler designers Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough turned their love of tie-dye into a love of Japanese shibori.

Oscar de la Renta dabbled in shibori too — shibori plaid.

But Ralph Rucci, long a student of Eastern philosophy and design, is the expert. You see Asian influences in all of his work, most notably this season in an ecru cotton jacquard coat with a pagoda design on the back.

The skinny jean's reign of terror may be drawing to a close. The spring season's 1940s-meets-1970s vibe has opened up a whole new world of pants possibilities, beginning with the flared leg.

High-waist flared jeans, khaki and linen pants — seen on the runway at Derek Lam, Marc Jacobs, Jason Wu, JC Obando, Chris Benz and others — are the perfect foil to spring's must-have wood platform sandals.

At Ralph Lauren, there were white linen boy pants with suspenders, pants with drawstrings at the ankles, flared pants, fringed pants and leather cavalry pants.

Alexander Wang showed cropped carpenter pants, in white or a doodle-print, worn loose with white leggings peeking out. And Carolina Herrera brought back the oh-so-forgiving palazzo pants.

Dig out your Jesus sandals and hacky sacks — fashion is in the throes of a back-to-nature moment.