OUTFIT IDEAS TO TRANSITION FROM WINTER TO SPRING

I love this time of year! Spring is coming but there’s still a winter chill in the air. You can’t pull out your spring items yet, but heavy winter coats and boots aren’t appropriate either. So what’s a girl to wear?! Read on for ideas!

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This is a great time to play with color and texture – bright hues can give your look a spring touch while lightweight wools and muted leathers nod at the coolish temps and keep you warm. For example:

• Place something colorful around your neck – like a scarf, a shirt with a neck-bow, or a thick necklace is a great place to start when choosing a transitional outfit. These items will keep your neck warm, give you instant style-cred, and will also brighten up your face. I found this yellow unspun wool necklace (outfit idea 1) on my recent trip to Mexico and the orange silk tie-neck top (outfit idea 2) is an oldie but a goodie from the J.Crew sale rack.

• Choose colorful and light wool outerwear – a bright coat, jacket, or blazer is also a great way to welcome a new season into an outfit. This green coat by Vince Camuto in outfit 1, or this orange blazer from J.Crew in outfit 2 keep me warm but are appropriate shades for the time of year. Heavy puffed coats and dark plaid blazers should go into storage until next year.

• As for shoes, it’s still too chilly to break out the sandals, but heavy dark boots are a little too much, as well. Try boots in a lighter leather or suede, or pumps in gray or navy. It will take the dark/black winter edge off your footwear while keeping your toes covered. 

• Break out the bright lipstick and match it to a bright handbag – like this orange Kate Spade number and coral lipstick from the new Clarins spring line. 

Also, it’s really important that you choose wisely what your outfit focus will be:

• In the orange-blazer outfit, I chose to match my handbag to my shoes and pants and keep them all in neutral gray so that the blazer would get all the attention. The orange-on-orange top and jacket are so bright that the look doesn’t need any other competing colors.

• In the yellow-necklace look number 1, there are a lot of colors going on but in small doses that are distributed across the whole outfit. The focus is the collection and deliberate placement of the various colorful accessories, not just one piece.

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OUTFIT IDEA 1 – DETAIL

OUTFIT IDEA 2 – DETAIL

Finally, I recommend heading to a discount store like Nordstrom Rack or a department store like Macy’s to scan the sale racks for colorful and warm items. Pastels were all the rage this winter and continued on the runways for this spring, so I have high hopes that you’ll be able to find a pale pink coat or a light blue handbag or some tan suede boots to bring you from winter into spring – and for half the price! GO!

Thank you as always for reading, and until the next time!

XOXO,

Belle 

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