57: Spring vision boards

Happy first weekend of Spring!

Spring is transient and fleeting where I come from (Canada, not Malaysia), but it is a very special window for dressing. And I thought long and hard about what I wanted to write after my coat newsletter and winter blues dressing piece, and I think that’s enough of winter dressing. I don’t need to advertise to you anything other than what I already have in those posts. I’m looking forward to a respite for creativity and fresh colours as I prepare for spring.

While I appreciate the influx of pastel that appears in my social feeds in springtime, this has never been a colour palette that flatters my skin tone, freshly freezer burned from winter. I’m pale, blue, dry, and of ill appearance, and the promise of melatonin in my skin is still weeks away, even with my self tanner putting in the work in the meantime. Thus, I rely constantly on saturated undertones if that makes any sense (I have yet to get a colour analysis). I’m honing in my spring colour palette to the following:

Source: Pinterest

I believe that a lot of what I’m excited to wear for spring are pieces that already exist in my wardrobe - some have been in deep hibernation for years, but everything is cyclical! The start of a new season brings the perfect opportunity to try everything on and see if any old items spark new intrigue.

What I will invest in is my baseline look. I’ve just ordered the Still Here Life jean, which I love because it has a shorter inseam than their Everyday jean, and with spring rains and the reintroduction of ballet flats into circulation, I’m looking for something that doesn’t necessarily graze the ground but also isn’t necessarily cropped. I’m also whipping out my Flore Flore and Leset boatneck tops, which I own in two different sleeve lengths (the Steffi pictured below looks best pushed to a 3/4 sleeve length, the Margo is slightly baggier).

Still Here jeans, Flore Flore top, Leset top. I have a feeling I’ll be purchasing the deep red Flore Flore as well.

This is a baseline look that is still very much appropriate for winter, but provides us with a strong foundation that can suit temperature fluctuation. It’s very standard, but intentionally so - I want it to be pieces that you might already have, so you can build off of that.

I think that most of my spring wardrobe can stem from this simple combination of top and bottom. We then lean on embellishment and accessories to make a vast difference. My eye is most often drawn to people who accessorize exceptionally well, who aren’t afraid to wear loud jewellery and shoes and bags, but appear to have a rotation of three/four core base outfits. I don’t know what it is - perhaps it’s the dichotomy of simple and playful. It translates as joyous and self-assured.

For early spring weather, though I’ve been one to resort constantly to my leather bomber jacket, I am loving the idea of a chic carpet coat. Like a coat that looks like a carpet. Last year was my Kallmeyer trench era, and this year I think I want something a little more visually maximalist. I think we’re sleeping on secondhand Etro coats - there’s so many options on Vestiaire and eBay. Some of my favourites are below:

this with the baseline outfit and a cig or a martini if that's your thing

From top left corner, clockwise: 1, 2, 3, 4

If you’re thinking these colours are a little dark for spring, think of the footwear possibilities. And styling the coat as unbuttoned will allow the white of the baseline shirt to provide levity. Upon digging into my closet I rediscovered my Gucci horsebit flats, and while I hate retreating to saying the phrase “pop of colour”, it really is a good one. So the whole look could come together as follows:

Still Here jeans, Etro coat, Anita Berisha earrings, Gucci ballet flats, Chanel Chocolate Bar suede bag, Flore Flore shirt

Since we’re playing with proportions and the dynamic that comes with varying lengths (a real refresher since my strict implementation of a Neutral Coat in my winter coats piece!), another length dynamic I’m looking forward to styling for spring is a ballerina cropped cardigan. I love ballet-core, though I struggle to find the appropriate layering measures. In small fragments, the aesthetic is so satisfying. Layering a shorter piece over the long length of the base shirt is so chic and adds dimension to the outfit that can still be paired with a coat on top. Alaïa comes to mind immediately:

threw a Chloe in there for funsies

1. a literal ballet bolero

2. I am obsessed with this one and if you don’t buy it, I will

3. I love this one layered with a long sleeve or worn on its own

4. we need to talk about this cheetah print!

5. The asymmetrical length of this Chloe jacket is beyond

If you want to shop within your own closet, think of the cardigans you already have. In the winter they are worn buttoned to the top, if only for practical reasons. Spring offers an undoing, where we no longer have to fear the cold and can play with buttoning variations. That is a rather roundabout way of advising you to just fasten the top button, and leave the rest open, creating an effect similar to that of the cropped cardigan. I personally lived in this cardigan and my colourful versions from J.Crew, both of which are the perfect length for this type of styling.

Important! This St. Agni canvas tote is on sale, J. Crew cardigan, Alaia bolero, Aeyde suede flat, similar button bracelet, though this can easily be made

Are we getting the picture here? The base outfit remains the same - it’s just a simple top and jeans. But the textures, lengths, and accessories we layer have a profound effect. I can count six textures alone in the above moodboard: denim, suede, cashmere, leather, canvas, and shimmery mother of pearl. It’s visually compelling, and the longer one looks at the outfit, the more there is to discover. My favourite kind of look!