Spring style guide: what to wear this season

As the weather’s warming up, it’s time to start thinking about your spring wardrobe. For those of you lucky enough to experience actual spring — I envy you as we jumped into summer in a matter of a day. But anyway…

Whether you’re looking for casual outfits for a day out or something more dressy for a special occasion, there are plenty of great spring outfit ideas below that will help you look and feel your best. It’s all about choosing the right pieces — versatile, comfortable, and in the styles you prefer so that you find yourself reaching out for them often.

Since the weather is mostly warm here in winter, and spring just seems to vanish, 99% of the time I wear dresses. However, that might not be the case or doable in a different climate (I used to wear jeans a lot more when we lived in California). For that reason, I wanted to share a guide for spring dressing to cover all climates.

The basics of spring style

The key to spring dressing is choosing staples, aka basics that would work with a variety of pieces and build around that.

The weather is highly unpredictable during this season, so going for fabrics that can “cover” that is crucial. Linen is known to keep one cool when it’s hot, and warm when it’s cold. That makes it a great option for spring and summer.

With that said, these linen pants are versatile as they can be easily styled and worn for both work and play. If the wide-leg style trousers aren’t something you like, these straight-leg linen pants will work wonderfully in every setting.

This tank top would go perfectly with either of these pants (and more), either worn under a blazer, a sweater-blazer, a cardigan, or as-is. If the weather is still cold, opt for this sweater instead, or this one. For a more elegant look, choose this lady jacket that can also be worn in many ways.

Of course, any of these pants can be easily swapped with denim for a just as chic, though slightly more casual look; I like these (apparently they run small) and these (they run large).

Tops are another staple for spring; this short-sleeve linen shirt as well as this long-sleeve linen shirt are versatile and can be worn casually and for work.

A feminine blouse is always a good idea and this puff-sleeve eyelet top and this beautiful eyelet shirt are great options to wear with white jeans (or regular), skirts, shorts, and trousers.

When it comes to shoes, choose what you find comfortable. Though I’m not a fan of sneakers, J.Crew has some cutes ones right now. If you’re looking for elegant and feminine shoes, I am a big fan of Sarah Flint.

While most of the dresses J.Crew has right now aren’t favorites, I do love the idea of wearing this dress with this long cardigan and these shoes (and this scarf for good measure). I do love this dress and this dress from J.Crew Factory, if I were into short dresses, that is (I prefer midi).

Another option for work and every day is this crochet dress — isn’t it gorgeous?

If you’re looking for fun and colorful spring dresses, I never fail to find several here and here (for example, this floral tiered dress is gorgeous for a wedding or any other occasion, and this one’s exquisite in its simplicity).

*Check this post for more spring outfit ideas, as well as a selection of gorgeous accessories.

I hope this helps.

See also...