Best Spring Fashions for the Chic: Time to Swap the Closet
As meteorological spring approaches with the pace of a retreating glacier (despite the equinox this week), those of us here in the North are fraught with frustration. The stores are filled with sweet dresses, delightful patent wedges and satin flats, pretty patterned trenches and shorts-with-jacket suits. The beauty sites hawk fresh blushes and kissable glosses, bright shades for eyes, and the latest in bronzing technology. But we step out the front door in bare legs, strappy sandals and an insulation-free coat at our peril—breezes from the Northwest still howl across parking lots, train platforms and city streets sending frigid air up our springy skirts and down the backs of our necks. Snow has mostly switched over to rain, but it’s still not warm enough to put away the boots and tights, or cashmere scarves and hats. We need ways to be creative with our new purchases (since if I wear those darned hound’s-tooth trousers one more day I’m going to lose it big time) so we can work the new season’s sassafras into the current weather patterns and still feel like our outfits are new and special when the wind stops howling. Fortunately, there are great ways to do that, provided you buy wisely and aren’t afraid to layer. So to those of you south of the Mason-Dixon Line, enjoy your magnolias and Easter egg hunts in your spring finery, sans thermal underwear. The rest of you, advice abounds below.
Work: One issue with dressing for the whole day is that it can be frigid, down-jacket wearing weather when we leave the house first thing in the morning, but sunny and mild mid-day when we get a few minutes of fresh air, then chilly again when we head for home. Layers, I repeat, layers, are the sanest choice. Now, wear your new neutral safari-style jacket with khaki-colored trousers, a dark turtleneck sweater, and your favorite dress boots; later, swap the turtleneck for a bright silk blouse and the boots for coordinating (not matching!) patent heels. And when the summer turns sultry, if your workplace is progressive enough, you can swap the trousers for polished, knee-length shorts and strappy, earth-toned sandals.
Now, you can top that sleek shift dress with a sweet cardigan (and hide a gorgeous little cami underneath for more insulation) and keep your (pasty winter) legs under cover for a few more weeks with tights, preferably black, navy, or grey, whichever one coordinates with your dress (please don’t get bright tights!). Wear those lush suede pumps with the sturdy heel, or your favorite ankle or knee boots (and remember, monochromatic matching with your tights will make your legs look looooooong). Or check out this great work-worthy option for the season's must-have gladiators. Use the v-neck of the sweater to show off a great pendant on a long chain. Later, the silhouette will look lovely with sandals and soft skin, no layers necessary.
The same narrow cropped pants you wear now with pumps, a business-y blouse and a blazer can work later with a bright silk patterned top and work-comfy flats, especially if you change your big dark winter bag for a bright patent or floral one. There are some great affordably-priced bags out there this spring—get a different one to coordinate with each look!
Play: We know that jeans work in all seasons, so you can justify the dynamite designer denims by wearing them year-round. Start now with a shiny tunic and heeled boots for an evening out with friends, layered with a great jacket, gloves and a clutch. Later, lose the jacket, and trade the boots for chunky heeled sandals or jeweled flats. And if you’re interested in branching out from standard blues, try a pair of white denims—they will stand out in the crowd, and show off the bright colors that are so hot this spring.
If you’re headed to a big celebratory dinner or the theater, try a dress, loose or cinched, in a reflective or metallic fabric that will sparkle in the low light. And aren’t we lucky that tights are so hot this year, even under a cocktail dress? Add a suede heel or peep-toe, or go funky in a slick little shoe-boot. Later, for the next big celebration, go bare-legged under the dress, add more accessories like a big cuff bracelet and swingy earrings, and show off your bright new pedicure in the evening sandal of your choice.
Weekend: Instead of always falling back on jeans, try something different. Wear a dapper pair of wide-leg cuffed chinos with a close-fitting little sweater and a cropped jacket, with sneakers to keep it casual. That way, you can walk through all the stores without having to stop and rest your piggies. When the weather changes, trade the sweater for a snug tee with interesting detail, and swap the sneaks for some flat gladiator sandals. And shove the day’s bargains in a bright tote with room for sunglasses, water, and more.
If you need to wear a skirt (brunch, bridal shower, dinner with people you need to impress), grab one of the hot spring trends: a full skirt in a sunny pattern or an ethnic print. Top it with your trusty jacket and a blouse or sweater for now, with the tights and flats, and later you can bare your legs with some platform wedges, and bare your arms in a feminine tank or close-fitting blouse. (Just remember with both of these looks: if you wear a fuller silhouette on the bottom, wear a snug top; you don’t want to look like the Michelin man!)
So we wait for the really warm weather to arrive here in the upper latitudes, but now we have something to occupy our time (shopping), and opportunities to get out the fun new looks before the last of the chill fades away. One last tip: while you’re out looking for sundresses, shorts and sandals, don’t forget to check out the sales for wardrobe staples for next fall, like turtlenecks, cashmere, a definitive little black dress and classic boots! Maybe you can get one last wearing out of them before the April showers start. |
