I’ve been very confused lately. Every morning I wake up and a burning question weighs heavily on my mind. Is it, you might ask, ‘what will happen if Donald Trump gets back in’?
No, it’s not like that. The spring budget? Neither that. How the hell am I supposed to wear all the glorious new spring trends when I feel like a snow-laden Narnia outside one minute and a relatively warm day the next?
I put away my puffer jacket the moment the sun appeared, only to pull it out again the next day. I’m bored of my tiered stockings and worn-out heels. But the moody weather means I have no idea how to wear my new clothes.
What’s a girl to do? Here’s how to incorporate this spring’s ‘It Items’ when the weather is as unstable as your most unstable friend…
Off-white for a denim update
Jeans, £90, boden.co.uk
Jeans, £45, river island.com
I won’t wear shorts until summer, but a new spring update to jeans? I’m ready. This is where raw jeans come in, as seen on the Proenza Schouler spring/summer runway.
NOT white. Never in fashion has there been a more important distinction than that between ecru and white. White jeans speak to the kind of person who thinks an annual vacation to Mustique is a human right.
Ecru, on the other hand, will give the jeans and jacket formula you’ve been wearing all winter a spring-appropriate freshness. Stay away from the skinny ones.
They are mom jeans or flared shorts. Nothing more and nothing less.
Flash an ankle with a boat shoe.
Miu Miu sent boat shoes to its spring/summer 2024 catwalk
Shoes, £55.99, zara.com
Go out in sandals or anything that leaves your feet remotely exposed now and you might also want to call your local A&E ahead of time to warn them that you’ll have to register for hypothermia.
But if you’re so bored with your winter boots that you’re thinking about upgrading, you’ll be pleased to know there’s an easier, if unexpected, workaround.
Enter the footwear trend that no one saw coming. The nautical shoe. Yes, that is correct.
Miu Miu sent them to their SS24 runway and they have now been co-opted by the street style crowd, losing their associations with red chinos.
The key to looking like a stylish ’80s prepster in the Hamptons instead of a Surrey dad at a barbecue is to choose a pair with a chunky sole.
Timberland’s ‘Noreen’ style are the originals (£180, Timberland.co.uk), but Zara also has a version for £55.99 (zara.com). Wear it with your ecru flared jeans for a little ankle flare that hints at summer to come.
Go boho, with a vest
Vest, £260, bysoren.com
Blue vest, £125, feragb.com
In February, Chemena Kamali presented her first collection as creative director of Chloé. The post-show consensus was unanimous: ’70s-style boho is back, with billowing printed dresses leading the way.
How to wear yours now? Place your wool rollnecks underneath and your cardigans on top. Bonus points if you button up Sienna Miller’s 2006-style cardigan (she was front row at the Chloé show in February).
For colder days, add another layer in the form of a wool vest. Fashion lovers are purchasing theirs from sustainable brand By Soren (bysoren.com).
Yes, your short-sleeved summer dresses may have to stay behind the scenes for a while. But the long sleeve ones? Layers are her best friend.
Spring for a coat It
Jacket, £129, mintvelvet.com
I emptied the pockets of my puffer jacket before prematurely putting it away and finding tissues and crushed dog treats for the winter.
It didn’t exactly fill me with the joys of spring. Something that does it? Spring coat.
Well, it’s not exactly a coat. It is a padded and printed jacket. But paired with knitwear (again, don’t put them away just yet), it’s just the right amount of warmth. t
The fashion elite are wearing the £500+ versions from New York brand Sea, but Boden has a reversible one that’s a beautiful Liberty-style floral mosaic on one side and a minimalist blue floral on the other (£145, boden .co.uk). .
La Redoute offers another reversible option for £75 (laredoute.co.uk). And Mint Velvet has a boxy jacket for £129 (mintvelvet.com).
Choose a size larger for extra cool factor and to be able to wear a thick fabric underneath.
Face your seasons for instant freshness
LR: Earrings, £17.99, handle. is; Bag, £110, jcrew.com
Your cashmere scarf (and even your hat, dare we say it) may not be able to sign you up for summer vacation yet.
But juxtaposing them with accessories generally reserves the warm days of May allows you the best of both worlds and signals that, while you’re not deluded, you’re at least hopeful for chilblain-free days. Eventually.
Accessories are an easy way to enjoy spring cheer: pull out Mango’s floral earrings for £17.99 (mango.com) under a beanie or layer J. Crew’s adorable heart-shaped raffia bag (£110, jcrew.com) under an umbrella. The coldness is in the incongruity.