E-Mail This Article to a Friend The circle game Swing into spring with the new trend in skirts BY NINA SCHWARTZ

SCREW PUNXSUTAWNEY Phil and his doomsday attitude. Spring has definitely arrived. Just look around you! The birds are singing, the trees are budding — and the arctic wind whips about as a maelstrom of snow and freezing rain pummels your chilblained face. It just makes you want to throw on your favorite swingy skirt and your new platform pumps and skip outside for some fresh air. Right? Right? Damn you, rodent Nostradamus.

Okay, so we have to shiver out the last few weeks of winter. But not even a triplet of Nor’easters can stop the fashion seasons from turning. Designers and stores have been mercilessly dumping the sweaters and tweed and restocking the racks with new looks for spring. So instead of hiding behind your pashmina until April, spend the next month preparing for your seasonal debut. Where to start? It’s the circle skirt, girls.

The circle skirt is named for the shape it forms when spread flat. The effect is a full, flirty, and particularly flattering piece of clothing. It’s also quite varied in its interpretations.

For some, "circle" in this context is synonymous with "full." Think bobby socks, tight cardigans, and Pop Tate’s Chock’Lit Shoppe, and you’ll get the idea. Marc Jacobs puts this into practice with his floral tulle ruffled skirt in patterned pink ($1500), available on eluxury.com. Or check out Elie Tahari’s full "Lucia" skirt ($198) in black, red, and white at Nordstrom. For a more financially attainable version, there’s the Lux sequined rose circle skirt ($68) from Urban Outfitters.

If you like the idea of a girly skirt, but want to make your look a bit more contemporary, there are plenty of options. Lux offers another circle skirt in layered voile with a wide sash ($58), available only at UrbanOutfitters.com. It’s still feminine, but a little flatter. Banana Republic has its own version, a knee-length black silk ($98) that’ll make you want to swing your hips all the way to the dance hall. Liz Claiborne’s springy blue skirt ($59) is a relative steal, but you’ll still look like a million bucks.

Most important, the circle skirt goes hand-in-hand with its sister trend, the elaborate pattern. Sketches of giraffes on the plains adorn Anthropologie’s pink poplin knee-length ($88), and its brushstroke skirt by Odille ($88) is straight out of a Monet. Old heirloom quilts were the inspiration for Lafayette 148’s handmade number ($357.90), giving it an earthy, ethnic feel, on sale recently at Saks Fifth Avenue. And don’t miss Milly’s turquoise-and-gold-sequined peasant skirt ($280) at Neiman Marcus.

Tack on the cheap and simple fact that most of these skirts look fabulous with a plain tank top, and this trend could lead to an addiction. Which, be honest, would be a welcome relief from your current dependence on oversize flower brooches. Let it go, honey. Even whimsical accessories can’t make winter look good anymore. It’s high time we all moved on — and we’re leaving the groundhog behind us.

Where to find it:

• Anthropologie, 799 Boylston Street, Boston, (617) 262-0545; Atrium Mall, 300 Boylston Street, Chestnut Hill, (617) 559-9995; www.anthropologie.com

• Banana Republic, various locations; www.bananarepublic.com

• eLuxury, www.eluxury.com

• Liz Claiborne, various locations; www.lizclaiborne.com

• Neiman Marcus, 5 Copley Place, Boston, (617) 536-3660; www.neimanmarcus.com

• Nordstrom, various locations; www.nordstrom.com

• Saks Fifth Avenue, Prudential Center, Boston, (617) 262-8500; www.saksfifthavenue.com

• Urban Outfitters, 361 Newbury Street, Boston, (617) 236-0088; 11 JFK Street, Cambridge, (617) 864-0070; www.urbanoutfitters.com