My Spring-Summer Essentials by Harriet Oliver
I can’t help noticing spring is emerging again; the air is a little warmer and the sun is making an appearance, a rarity, I know. So, it got me thinking about the wardrobe transition from winter to spring/summer. This can be a daunting prospect, especially if you’re anything like me. I usually get sucked deep into the trend of all black during winter and it’s something I really have to pull myself out of when the warmer months come around. I have a feeling I’m not alone, so I’ve put together a style guide to help brighten up your spring wardrobe and offer advice on a few essentials to get you through the next two seasons.
First off, and this really is key, try and inject some colour into your wardrobe. This may be daunting but, luckily, pastels are a huge upcoming trend meaning you can take baby steps into injecting some pizzazz into your clothing. Start spring off with the Melrose Floral Tunic Top or the Cheer Short Sleeved Floral Tunic.
Tunic tops are at the top of my spring/summer essentials list. Their flattering style hides a multitude of sins and large prints, as seen on both these tops, are such a good choice as it creates an illusion of slimness. Not only this, tunic tops are ridiculously versatile; wear over leggings, tucked into denim shorts or pleated skirts or on the beach over a bikini. Every girl loves four outfits out of one top, right?
Once I’ve slowly started to incorporate some colour into my closet, the next step is prints. By now, it’s usually getting warm however, we are in England, so there’s never a danger of things getting too hot. I tend to opt for maxi dresses as they give you that summer feeling without you getting too chilly. Both the Firetrap Printed Jersey Maxi dress and the AX Paris Floral Maxi dress are great summer wardrobe additions. Maxi dresses are one piece outfits, and with stunning prints like these they create maximum impact with minimal effort. If prints really are a step too far, try the Glamorous Orange Chiffon Frill Maxi Dress.
The frill is great for those with a smaller chest looking for some more emphasis and the colour is perfect against a light tan – something that probably won’t be achieved in England I’m afraid, so you may have to use this dress as an excuse to go on holiday.
Lastly, accessorising, and I don’t mean this lightly. Earrings, necklaces, bangles and rings; wear as much as you like and stack them high. Accessories are perfect to bring your outfit to life and are actually a really affective way to incorporate colour and print into your outfit. Invest in the Fashion Earring, the Faux Pearl Cluster Ring, the Fashion Bangle and the Stone Set Necklace.
Go for earrings and bangles or necklaces and rings; accessories are small so you can afford to be a little more daring in terms of size and colour.
So, just a few key changes and your spring/summer wardrobe is looking pretty fashionable. All you need is a few essential, versatile pieces and you’ll be knocking them for six wherever you go. Whoever said summer dressing couldn’t be fun?