It’s starting to feel (some days!) as if spring is on the way; I’m trying to have my wardrobe primed to go from the first hint of warmth…
A sweater with a bit of sparkle might be a fun little wardrobe update, eh?
As with last week, the only real goal here is to provide an additional “top” that gives you some variety. It’s much harder to really find something with texture in warmer weather, but there are always interesting options like stripes, prints or maybe a touch of shine…
Even if it starts to become too warm to wear your silk scarf, you can always continue to build your wardrobe around the colors! (and don’t discount the idea of tying your scarf to your handbag…)
navy lion and peacock scarf – Aspinal of London; camel cashmere sweater – H&M; mustard “A” Floral scarf – Aspinal of London; gray striped sweater – Banana Republic; Magenta Robins scarf – Aspinal of London; grey washable wool sweater – Banana Republic
Yes, the mint green sweater is NOT short-sleeved, but I really wanted to be sure that you all saw it before it sells out – it’s currently on sale, and it’s WASHABLE wool. For me, that would mean cold water on the delicate cycle, the same way I wash cashmere…
mint green “A” Floral scarf – Aspinal of London; mint washable wool sweater – Banana Republic; Earth Mandala scarf – GISY; ecru sweater – Banana Republic; shield scarf – Aspinal of London; terracotta sweater – Banana Republic
Ah, black and white can truly be accented with just about any color; imagine a spring and summer during which you really committed to wearing bright pink!
earrings – Gloria Vanderbilt; sweater – J.Crew; white sweatshirt – L.L.Bean; cotton no-wrinkle pants – L.L.Bean; canvas shoes – Keds; straw tote – Sensi
Straw bags start to appear this time of year; if you have a particular vision of what you would like in a summer handbag, NOW is the time to look! As with so many things, if you wait until something is actually in season to buy it, you could come up empty handed (but find a great winter coat in July!).
earrings – JAI; sweater – Eleventy; sweatshirt – Topshop; olive no-wrinkle cotton pants – L.L.Bean; tote – INC International Concepts; canvas shoes – Roxy
Every time I go to Paris, I see women wearing long-sleeved shirts (just a standard button-front cotton shirt) with a short-sleeved sweater OVER IT, kind of like a vest, only with sleeves?
I need to try this; it always looks really cool on other women…
And yes, sparkly Keds are great; I have a pair that are the perfect touch on days when I’m dressed in a really subdued outfit and feel like a bit of… well… sparkle!
earrings – Majorica; cashmere sweater – Lands’ End; sweatshirt – Patagonia; granite canvas pants – L.L.Bean; bag – Travelon; sparkle sneakers – Keds
How fun to find a bag with trim in your favorite neutral color?
earrings – Farra; sweater – J.Crew; sherpa hoodie – Todd Snyder; pants – Lands’ End; shoes – Pikolinos; bag – INC International Concepts
Spring is always the best season for those who wear and love navy! And if you’re smart, you can find things that can be worn all year; this striped sweater would be perfect in the dead of winter under a navy cardigan…
infinity earrings – Oscar Figueroa Escorcia; striped sweater – Banana Republic; sweatshirt – L.L.Bean; wrinkle-free cotton pants – L.L.Bean; backless sneakers – Keds; bag – Marks & Spencer
Okay, this is NOT short-sleeved. But someone somewhere in a really warm climate needs a sleeveless top, and lots of us can enjoy the idea of a bit of lace trim….
earrings – Alexis Bittar; lace-trimmed top – Banana Republic; sweatshirt – L.L.Bean; twig chinos – L.L.Bean; shoes – Josef Seibel; bag – Sonoma Goods for Life
This 13-piece wardrobe moves ever so gradually into spring…
white, black and red tees – Lands’ End; floral tee – Lands’ End; linen cardigan – Halogen; shell pink linen shirt – L.L.Bean; striped tee – Banana Republic; striped short-sleeved sweater – Max Mara; cobalt cashmere cardigan – Lands’ End; black cropped pants – L.L.Bean; black pants – L.L.Bean; skirt – Marks & Spencer; striped sweater dress – Banana Republic
Here’s our master list:
Have any of you found anything new for warmer weather yet? I’ve got a new summer dress from Eileen Fisher, from a few seasons ago, that I found at her “Company Store” in the Chicago suburbs…
And I was REALLY practical, and replaced 2 tank tops and 2 pairs of cropped pants!
Bring on the SPRING!!!
love,
Janice
p.s. EIGHT YEARS AGO (oh my…) I posted about what I was packing for Paris back then. I’m still packing the same argyle cardigan…
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I love a bit of sparkle at any time of year. A great excuse to continue wearing the light coloured shimmery short sleeve tops that often appear at Christmas! Could lace
or other decorative embellishments such as frills, bows or sequins fit in this category? Thanks for showing woven and straw bags. I’ve just found mine again – a beige one, a navy crochet box handbag, and one in mint green!
Absolutely – frills, bows and sequins are perfect in this category!
hugs,
Janice
Hi Janice, I love your posts! The cute olive green, lace trimmed top from Banana Republic caught my eye (even though olive green and I do not compliment each other). I placed my order for the white one as it will fit in well with my spring/summer capsule. So many cute options….I’m having a hard time selecting only minimal pieces. My spare closet is rapidly growing, but at least everything I have purchased is compatible with my mix-and-match wardrobe selections. This is great!!!
That top in white is tempting, isn’t it?
hugs,
Janice
I hit the mid winter sales as the spring items began appearing. I bought my lavender tweed skirt and cardigan sweater and matching tank on sale that I will wear for Easter! Cha-Ching! In 47 years, I only know of a handful of Easters that didn’t require at least a sweater! I love the tweed because it had so many colors to blend with. The lavender works for most of the year (pastels in winter through summer and with olive green in the fall). I even got a cute rattan purse on sale, too. So I’m set for not only Easter Sunday, but since I have been more mindful regarding my purchases, I have items to wear with shorts, pants, jeans and many combinations for the next several months.
I will add that as I have been more strategic with purchases, I figured out that finding light, medium, and dark shades of my wardrobe accent colors helps to mix and match and add variety to my outfits. I just have to be careful to keep the undertones the same.
Thanks again for blessing us with your insight!
That outfit sounds beautiful, and perfect for Easter!
hugs,
Janice