Spring Style # 1 - How do you want to feel when you get dressed this spring?
Exploring the Spring (and a bit of summer!) 2024 Vibe
In Today’s Newsletter, we are coving:
Some of the things I do as soon as the weather warms up to lean into new dressing needs of the season
My thoughts on trends vs. vibes as I think about the season ahead
A deep dive into the vibes (and some trends) that are inspiring me this season - in visuals, and in a list, broken down with tons of styling ideas (many of which require nothing new!)
If you ever ask me what my favorite season is, I’ll tell you fall, one hundred times over. But man, then, every year, after winter, when the days get longer and there are those first few warm, sunny days. That first early evening trip to the playground that isn’t in the dark, or when you realize it’s still light outside even though you put your kids to bed (if you don’t have kids, that you already ate dinner but it doesn’t feel like midnight!) It reminds me how magical this time of year is. How good it feels. Like a weight has been lifted. Our batteries are getting fully charged!!
And then of course, spring slaps you on the wrist and says, “you crazy fool” or, in my preferred lexicon, “it’s still winter b!tch!” and second (or third) winter rolls around. I wrote a little more about this last week - it’s enough to really dull that early spark of inspiration you get when there is a little spring “sneak peek.”
Early spring in New England is fickle and hard. You see spring and even early summer styles, but you are still wearing (many) all of your winter layers. It’s often not quite warm enough to wear the “spring” jackets that you are seeing in stores.
As soon as I humanly can, I expose my ankles, or wear spring shoes (in my subscriber chat, we’ve coined this #bringbacktheankle). Even though I’m glad we’ve leaned into socks as not being the nerdy things my mom FORCED me to wear to cover my ankles in winter, it feels like it’s time to expose my ankles. I love those few weeks where I can wear a sandal and pants and sweaters. I went away for a girls trip last weekend and packed open-toed mules to wear with my wide-leg jeans and sweater for a night out. Ugh. So nice.
The next thing I do, to celebrate the new season, is rotate my seasonal clothes. Beyond getting my winter clothes out of my face right before I am so tempted to take a torch to all of them because I can’t handle another day of layering for actual warmth, the joy of unpacking things that I haven’t worn for 6 months is THE BEST. The things I forgot about, the things I’m excited to wear again. The pieces I pull out and think about the last time I wore them. It just feels fun and good and exciting to have so many outfits to think about!
And then of course I love to think about what I am most inspired by for the season ahead. For the past few seasons (fall here, winter here), I’ve done a bit of a deep dive into the season’s trends, my take on them, how I would wear them, and also created lots of different outfit ideas. As we enter this new season, I want to do the same, but I have been struggling with my feelings about trends and talking about what’s “in style.”
On the one hand, I love style, fashion, getting dressed, and browsing, and because of that, I am interested in trends; I notice and want to understand how trends are evolving and what’s popular. A huge part of seeking inspiration and getting excited about getting dressed is looking at what other people are wearing and leveraging their ideas to dress myself. Naturally, trends play into that. On the other hand, a trend expert, I am not. I also don’t want to be a person on the internet who tells you that you need to chase a trend or a specific piece this spring, only to tell you about another new specific need in summer, and so on throughout the seasons.
I am currently most inspired by overall looks, vibes, or feelings. About how I’m going to feel when I wear a whole outfit, and how it’s going to contribute to how I present myself and how I show up in the world.
I have been feeling a shift (largely driven by what I see and hear and chat about with so many of you on Instagram, but also by what I am consuming, and talking about with friends in real life) - that what’s the most useful in terms of making getting dressed easier and more fun is having ideas of how to put FULL outfits together for all the different reasons that we get dressed. Lots of ways for the various pieces in your closet to come together.
How you feel in your clothes, is the most important thing of all - whether or not it’s made up of pieces you bought last month or 10 years ago. It’s the feeling - with all the things put together, that gives you the full-body yes, that can change your day around, make it possible to do whatever you need or want to do on a given day. We can all shop for the individual pieces, and yes, that piece might make ONE outfit, but we get dressed everyday, so my goal is to make getting dressed easier and more fun everyday not just for one day. (PS: this is nothing against specific pieces. I have specific pieces on my wishlist. I lust over things just like anyone else. But I am also trying really hard to make sure I want that piece because I’m going to wear it and love it and feel great in it, and not because I’m just hyperfixated on something.)
So, for this season, I’m focused mostly on how I want to feel when I get dressed this spring (and into summer) - the outfits and things that I am the most inspired by for this season. It does include some trends, but they are less about a specific piece, and more about an idea!
The thing about a vibe, that’s different than a trend, is that it is less about a single piece (or pieces) and much more about a cohesive look. It’s about how you might channel a feeling, or an essence through your outfit. It’s also different because you can achieve an overall vibe or look with pieces you already have (or sure, with a little seasonal refresh) versus fixating on needing a specific piece or item. It’s about how everything is put together vs. the specific pieces that are trending right now.
In this letter, part one, I will dive into what I’m influenced and inspired by, and the vibes I’m most excited about (with some inspo and examples around the what of the vibe), and then in part two (and maybe 3), I plan to dive more into outfit ideas, recipes to follow, tips to make it possible to practically do at home, and pieces that might be good for a little refresh for the season ahead.
Let’s Start with the Visuals - Shall We?
I am a pinterest girl forever and ever. If I’m being honest, I’m a mood board girl - I love a good collage and have loved making them since I was a kid, especially paper ones, but these days the digital vibe is what I have the most time for. I started dreaming about spring/summer right around middle of January, and have been saving (and then editing) the images that have resonated the most with me every since.
How would I sum this up? Well, I’m going to also give you a list, because, I’m just like that. But, when I look at all these images, some of the quick things that I think about are - more color, incorporated in a “pop,” (but still staying true to blues, greens, yellows, pinks — which are all colors I know I will actually wear & reach for) interesting and contrasting silhouettes, pants that aren’t jeans, lots of pants (barely a dress in sight!!), woven/textural bags, and a healthy dose of a desire to bring a little Portugal Girl Aesthetic into my wardrobe as the weather warms up.
My Notes App is Describing it Like This:
Let’s break this down:
Feminine but Practical with Skirts!!! (And separates in general). I have noticed way more skirts (especially long skirts!) in the market than in years past, and I’m excited about it. As much as I love dresses (I am sure I will add some dresses to my collection as the weather warms up), separates offer may more styling opportunities and ways to mix and match. Every type of skirt you can think of is available right now, but I am personally most drawn to maxi styles in cotton/linen/breathable fabrics, long pencil skirts, and pleated skirts. RE: the pleats, we’re not talking about a kilt here (although I have certainly seen them!!), more of a mini-pleat in a midi or maxi length - an alternative to a slip skirt. Style inspo: I am drawn to both ends of the spectrum with skirts - I love the idea of pairing with a sweatshirt and sneakers for an easy weekend look, or with sweaters, lady jackets, simple t-shirts, and ballet flats for something slightly more dressed up, and with barely-there tanks and kitten heels for a night out when the temps get warmer!
Infusions of color - Especially, ice blue, yellow, green, pale pink — As the weather warms up, I am always excited to infuse more color into my wardrobe - you can see a marked difference between the color palette I gravitate towards in fall/winter vs. spring/summer. I’m excited about bringing in fun pops of color in a way that feels “me,” and also that I will wear the pieces over and over again. Style inspo: do this in a way that feels true to you, pick the color(s) that make you happy, and if you are not big on color, proceed slowly!! I’m drawing a ton of inspiration from my pinterest board here - colorful pants with neutral tops/sweaters, a colored sweater as a “backpack” over jeans and a white tee, a happy shoe that you can incorporate into any outfit, or a colorful handbag.
A hint of Country-Western - Thank you, Beyonce for making sure my cowboy boots aren’t going ANYWHERE. I referenced Western-inspired accessories last fall, and that is basically yesterday, but I don’t think the Western-inspired accessories, clothes, and outfits are going anywhere. I’ve seen people going nuts over everything from fringed jackets (please, search on eBay!) to cowboy hats. If this feels very you, go for it! The vibe here that’s resonating with me in the combination of a “western” accessory to add edge to feminine styles. Style Inspo: I am personally excited to let my cowboy boots see a little extra light of day, but I’m also just wearing a ton of denim, head-to-toe, and I love it! No new items are required! Western belts, denim shirts paired with prairie dresses (think, doen or nap dresses), or even bolo-necklaces are fun ways to lean into this vibe.
Extremely feminine tops - channeled by Fit & Flare Silhouettes - I have noticed, and been drawn to tops (that often have buttons, or another distinguishing feature) that have a soft peplum, almost waistcoat-like style. It’s a very ladylike style that feels very feminine. Feminine is one of my style words, and something I’m always trying to intentionally incorporate into my looks when my day-to-day doesn’t include a ton of dresses (and I don’t want to lean into babydoll). These tops add an air of intentionality to anything you pair it with - it’s that je ne sais quoi factor, but the outfit feels very on-purpose. Style Inspo: Inspired heavily by this and this, I love shirts like this (sometimes it’s a vest, sometimes its more of a short-sleeve, sometimes more blazer - you have to think about how it makes sense for you!) worn as tops, or as an alternative to blazers (especially if you don’t wear blazers a lot because their either feel to masculine or too corporate). Wear with jeans, wide-leg gauzy pants (great juxtaposition with this), with your long skirts for a night out, with trousers into the office!
Easy-breasy-summer-ready woven materials, or fabrics with lots of texture - it’s raffia/straw bag season, and there are millions of options out there (this is something that is also great to shop for secondhand!). I love woven bags as the weather warms up - they are practical and chic and there are so many options at a ton of great price points. The texture brings a quick element of interest to your outfit, and can help to change up some of the simplest styles. Style Inspo: You can also think about bringing this in through a hat, or shoes as well! Pair with a simple jeans and tee to elevate an everyday look!
Experiments in proportions - This is a vibe that is being manifested in ways of styling, as well as specific pieces. I love it because there are so many ways to embrace this, in a way that feels authentic to your own personal style, without chasing a trend. There is an ease to this type of dressing, and it’s fun to combine things you already have in new ways without feeling too weird or new. Style Inspo: I am specifically noticing extremely oversized/wide-leg pants with fitted tops (I love!), lots of cuffed denim (buy your jeans in a longer inseam than usual and cuff them yourself - you can always hem them later on!!), long pencil skirts with oversized shirts, and oversized blazers that hit the same length as mini skirts or dresses (I included this image as an example of this, — to be clear, I’m probably wearing my blazers with at least a mini skirt, not just underwear hehe).
Non-Denim Pants - I want to lean into this as the weather warms up, because pants that aren’t jeans are always hard to me - sometimes I buy and never end up wearing. I spent many years in a school where we weren’t allowed to wear jeans, so I basically wore khakis every day for all of elementary and middle school and am still recovering. But, I’m excited by gauzy pants, maybe trying a bow-legged pant in a non-denim fabric, and of course, linen! Style Notes: Although different than jeans, you can wear them the same way that you would a pair of jeans - so, with t-shirts, with sweaters, with blazers, with fit and flare tops. Anything goes!
Style contrast and juxtaposition - This is closely related to Experiments in proportion, but it feels like a different type of experiment - more about creating contrast and tension within the styles you are wearing. For example - wearing ladylike fit & flare tops with very relaxed jeans, or a gauzy/relaxed pant that feels casual with a dressy top, masculine/work-wear inspired jackets paired with more feminine pieces, even mini-dresses paired with sneakers. Style Notes: I am planning on trying this by pairing dressing with my chore & barn jackets, also borrowing some of my husband’s “work shirts” to wear with dresses, and wearing oversized, gauzy pants with crisply starched button-down shirts.
Ease in EVERYTHING - Nothing too tight - not oversized, necessarily, but nothing you wear for “standing only.” Things you can move around in, be in action in, that feel comfortable on your body, and reflect real life. The east/west/horizontal bags (or, just carrying your bag under your arm goes into this vibe for me)— it feels very girl on the go, no? Style Inspo: I think Banana Republic’s entire new arrivals section reflects this vibe SO WELL - ease in fit, but not sloppy looking, or like you are trying to get lost in your clothes, but you look comfortable and like you are happy and LIVING in your outfits. Style Inspo: Leverage belts, tucks, rolled sleeves, and sandals to balance more oversized pieces. Showing a little skin can help balance out a lot of oversized elements. Carry your (favorite) bag under your arm!
A pop of Maximalism/whimsy/fun - a ton of necklaces, beaded necklaces, charms on your bag, a colorful or a really interesting shoe. Style Inspo: What do you love? Lean in there! I happen to think a beaded necklace makes for a very fun warm weather accessory, and you can wear it with everything you wear - on it’s own, or stacked with other pieces!
Thank you so much for reading. I hope this leaves you with lots of ideas for ways to style pieces you already have, inspired by feelings and vibes you can channel with the clothes that you wear, and maybe a few things you want to put on your wishlist to shop for. I’d love to hear what you are most excited about for Spring!
Stay tuned for part 2, where we’ll dive more into lots of different outfit ideas and how to put pieces all together.
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"Ease in everything" just sings right now. Love this, thanks!
Loved this!!