The temptation to make a list is hard to resist at this time of year. But with attention spans considerably shortened by the aftermath of the holidays, we’ve decided to shorten it from the standard 10 to six – three trends and trendsetters of 2011 and three things to look for in 2012, some national, some local.

 Kate Middleton
  for proving that you don’t have to go all Gaga to make a style statement worth emulating. From your perfect wedding  Evening Gown to the way you wore affordable frocks from Reiss, it was refreshing to see a young woman so self-possessed and dare we say it, proper. You looked both gorgeous and appropriately dressed for everything from trips to the grocery store to royal visits to the U.S. and Canada. Please continue.

What’s in a name? Not as much as you might hope
The proliferation of celebrity fashion labels continued in 2011, and not with spectacular results. While JLopez and Marc Anthony made a better showing at Kohl’s with their respective women’s and men’s sportswear collections than they did of their marriage, we can’t say the same for the looks released by the Kardashian sisters for Sears or Sofia Vegara for Kmart. Consumers could shop for Karl Lagerfeld at Macy’s, lines by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen at both Neiman Marcus and JC Penney, and while people wanted to buy the Missoni collection at Target, huge demand shut down the retailer’s e-commerce site and caused a lot of ill will. Meanwhile, now that Vera Wang has announced a men’s tuxedo line — in addition to her collections of cocktail dresses, china and mattresses — what part of the wedding is there left to cover? Maybe the catering crew. Finally, given the bad reviews that Kanye West got for his spring 2012 collection, here’s hoping other celebrities will be less likely to supplement their day jobs with stints on the runway!

John Galliano’s firing from the house of Christian Dior early in the year for anti-Semitic rants and other unseemly behavior has caused endless speculation about who his successor will be – Marc Jacob was an early pick, but that name is now off the table, while talk of Raf Simons,Alexander Wang and others swirl. In London, Sarah Burton has been doing a good job at Alevander Mcqueen and we hope that will last. Stateside, the house of Halston may be finally at the end of its useful life. The latest effort to try to inject life into it – Sarah Jessica Parker – was short-lived. Sometimes it’s better to move on and let the new labels breathe life into the scene.

In 2012, we’re looking forward to:

All about Yves
The Denver Art Museum scored a coup in securing “Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective,” the only North American venue for the show. We predict big crowds for the March 25-July 7 exhibition of some 200 haute couture garments as well as photos, drawings and films spanning YSL’s 40-year career. And the gala should be amazing, so prepare your Le Smoking outfit now; details at denverartmuseum.org

Shopping list
Signs that the Colorado economy is improving were evident in retail expansion in 2011 and that will continue with the opening of a second area H&M in Cherry Creek Shopping Center in 2012. We’re also excited to see the further development of indie stores on Broadway — with Fancy Tiger and Buffalo Exchange anchoring new side-by-side digs opening soon, shopping continues to get more interesting in Denver.

Orange you happy?
The color tangerine – tasty, warm, energetic – should look good on store shelves, but will people embrace it? Like it or not, the vibrant reddish-orange Tangerine Tango is the color of the year. “Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, which named the shade 2012′s top pick. Designers such as Tommy Hilfiger and Elie Tahari have been using it in fashion, and it’s also appearing in everything from cosmetics to housewares. It’s not quite Broncos orange, but Denverites have been known to embrace such a vibrant shade.