Spring is here - and the word on the street is pink. At least it is among little girls. Pink, pink, pink. . . Again. It was pink last year, pink the year before and - among my daughters and their friends anyway - the year before that.

The colour just won't go away. Girls of a certain age can't get enough of it. And the season's fashions don't disappoint. With girlie dresses and cardigans, neat trousers and tops, today's girls are spoilt for choice.

We looked at a selection from spring collections.

Pink is thought by most little girls to be the prettiest colour in the world: that fact is helped no end by allthings Barbie. Her pink people carrier, her pink sports car, her pink open-topped carriage, and most of all her wardrobe - with dresses, trousers, swimsuits and, of course, ball gowns, in various shades of pink.

Then there's all the stuff in girlie shops like Claire's - a pink paradise, full of hair bands, shimmering sequin bags, shiny bracelets and sparkly tiaras, all in pink. It can be quite intimidating if you belong to the male gender.

Likewise, little girls' birthday parties are a flurry of pink - ten or more bodies tearing around the house in their best dresses.

To girls, pink is the colour of princesses, of romance, of everything they have ever dreamed about.

Pink is undeniably pretty. In spring, particularly it is hard for adults not to warm to its appeal, when blossom appears on the trees and pretty pink climbers like clematis montana, burst into flower.

And who would say no to a pink diamond - the world's most valuable type of diamond.

Pink is definitely a colour for this season - fresh and clean, it is the colour of sun rise and sunset, it is fruity and fabulous. And its popularity will never wane.

However, if you want to get away from the Barbie doll look but still fulfil your little girl's desire for bright colours, the word from the catwalks is to look back to the 1950s.

Linda McLean, from Junior Fashion magazine, says: "The key inspiration for the season at the Kid's Fashion show in Brussels last year was the 1950s. Retro prints on full skirts and lacy cardigans gave a sweet old-fashioned feel to many of the stands and reflected the current trends seen in womenswear for this summer."

"Colours were also reminiscent of the decade, with coral, emerald green, mustard and muddy browns some of the most popular combinations."

According to Linda, cotton seemed to be taking over from linen as the fabric of choice - the popularity of prints has seen a rise in cotton fabrics, ranging from a fine handkerchief weight to heavier ribbed finishes.

Logo and slogan T-shirts are still in, but with a vintage influence, taking inspiration from tin toys, food packaging or old children's book illustrations.

And if you're heading to the beach, then surf 's up once again. Linda says: "Sports styles remained linked to the ever-popular surf theme, though this season Day-Glo neons brightened things up."