Spring Wardrobe Planning

With just under a week *technically* left of winter, it’s safe to say that I’ve already started thinking about getting my spring wardrobe underway. Because I have enough space in my closet to keep my entire wardrobe on display all year round, spring wardrobe planning for me generally means identifying some new outfit combinations from my existing favourites, which I’ll refresh with a couple of new wardrobe additions. Because of the very nature of blogging, I’ve definitely already had my eye on new spring arrivals, and been trying to make the most of the end of season sales where it best fits my wardrobe, so I’ve already gotten a head start on a couple of new additions, which you’ll no doubt start to see popping up in the coming months.

I’m also planning on sharing some of the items that I’m really excited to start wearing on regular rotation later this week, but first, I wanted to talk through some of the key styling elements that I’m planning to focus on for spring, in addition to a few items that are still on my shopping list. So, let’s get started…

Colour Palette

Instead of trying to make efforts to “inject colour”, as I’ve so often exclaimed, I’m finally at a point where I’m quite content with the overall colour palette of my current wardrobe. It’s primarily flush with neutrals in black and white, but over the last year I’ve branched out to include soft beiges, rich rust hues and deep khaki tones. I can definitely see this continuing for my spring wardrobe, with the addition of a few blush pink items – I personally love the way that pink pairs with earthy neutrals.

Prints & Texture

Linen | Linen has been having a total moment in the fashion world, and I completely understand the hype. My first experience with the fabric was when I was 11 years old, and about to head to a three-week immersive camp in Greece. To prepare for the trip, my yiayia sewed me a couple pairs of shorts and trousers, and I insisted that these be made of linen. Almost two decades later, and I seem to have the same love for linen. The lived in look is a bit of an acquired taste, but I personally feel that it really enriches an outfit, plus linen truly does get better and better over time. Some of my favourite spring wardrobe picks that I have in my closet already are made from linen, and I’m so excited to start wearing them on repeat.

Polka dots | My love of polka dots is still going strong, and it’s something that I see playing a leading role in my spring wardrobe. I was a little cheeky and snapped up a few spotted pieces during the colder months which I’ve been dying to start wearing on regular rotation. Namely, these cute little spotted camisoles from Everlane (c/o), and this off the shoulder a-line mini from ASOS. Spots tend to be one of the more subdued prints you can add to your closet, but given my minimal approach to getting dressed, I prefer to let the polka dot shine and act as the hero of my outfit.

Leopard Print | I consider leopard print to be a bit of a wardrobe classic, but for me it’s all about tracking down the right one. I tend to like a larger ‘spot’, in lighter hues – if the spots are too small or if the colour leans on the darker end of the spectrum, I find it can look a little garish for me. Part of the reason I think leopard print is having such a revival, is because of this skirt from Realisation Par. I like the idea of wearing it simply with a little white tee, and a nice low block heeled sandal.

On my Shopping List

A fitted white tee | You’d think I’d have this in my wardrobe already… While I have some of my bases covered – a pocket rolled sleeve tee, and oversized white tees with embroidered details – none of my existing options are cut close to the body. I typically tend to balance out my outfits with proportions; fitted on the top and loose on the bottom or vice versa, so I suppose I’ve never really felt the need to add this to my wardrobe until now. I mean, I really only started wearing t-shirts a 18 months ago… On my wish list is this tee from RE/DONE, which I love for its slightly cropped cut and short sleeves, and I’ve also been looking to Vince for options too.

Smocked camisoles | Perhaps one of the unsung heroes of my 2017 spring wardrobe was a little smocked camisole I’d bought from Brandy Melville. Sydney gets really hot during the spring and summer months, and this particular style always was a winner for me. I’ve been eying up this style from Realisation Par, which ticks a couple of style boxes for me: it’s polka dotted, and has spaghetti thin straps.

An ivory sweatshirt | Something I see myself wearing a lot this spring are cotton drill or denim mini skirts, paired with an oversized sweater (while it’s still cool, at least). I have a couple in a nice heather grey, and given I’m leaning towards a lighter colour palette, I’m thinking I’d really like to add something in a bone or ivory hue. Nothing too ‘white’. I’m currently tossing up between this sweater in a milky white from Tradlands, or this very similar iteration from Everlane. I want something that isn’t too long in the body as I plan on tucking it in to highwaisted skirts (and jeans).

Linen culottes | My Grana black silk culottes have been such a winner in my wardrobe, that I’d like to add in a second pair in a nice soft linen. I used to have some from ASOS in a muted pink, which were gorgeous, however from a design perspective, these were very lightweight and I wanted something that was lined and felt more substantial. I stumbled across notPERFECTLINEN this past week, and their ‘lyon’ culottes in ‘natural’ are exactly what I’ve been looking for. I’m also really drawn to the fact that these are handmade in a small studio, from Oeko-Tex certified linen – it’s really the definition of slow fashion, as it can take up to six weeks to receive your item as they are made to order.

Leopard print skirt | I’m probably inclined to say that my current budget doesn’t quite extend to the Realisation Par skirt right now, given the current AU/US exchange rate (it doesn’t help that it seems to be on backorder at the moment, either). Given I see this as being a bit of a trend piece – which I’m hoping will have much more longevity in my wardrobe – I’d rather source something from the high street to see how well this works with my personal style. Basically, I’d like something similar which won’t break the bank, but still has that same silky feel. The closest I’ve managed to find has been this skirt from Princess Polly, which I actually really like, but again, it’s sold out in my size. Guess I’ll keep looking…

What does your spring wardrobe look like?

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