I am salivating for spring, my friends. Me and everybody I know, except Hubby. He’s thrilled that the snowfall we had the other day reinvigorated the ski season. So he’s been out every morning, early, to ski before the temperature goes above zero, and the track gets too soft.
I patently refuse to ski. I. Just. Can’t. I can’t bear to bundle up in my ski gear this time of year. I want to wear my shoes and a light coat and turn my face to the sun. Sit on a patio sipping cappuccino, chatting to my friends, and then go home to barbeque something. Ha. I mustn’t get carried away. It’s not spring yet. Just early spring, which is a whole other thing. Still, when the sun shines and the puddles grow it feels marvellous.
As well as salivating for spring, I am salivating for early spring outfits. I’ve been lurking on shopping sites. Not actually shopping. Mostly just looking for ideas. I’ve been perusing my “inspiration folder” for looks that will still keep me warm, but which are sort of springy. I’m not looking to turn my closet for several weeks yet. But I need some outfit ideas that contain at least a nod to spring. That make me feel as if it’s not still winter. So the other day I decided to play in my closet, looking for spring-ish possibilities.
I took the photo in the middle, above, in Montreal in January. The outfit on the mannequin was in the Prada boutique in Holt Renfrew-Ogilvy. I can’t afford Prada, but I like their aesthetic. And a bomber jacket with a full skirt, that I can do with pieces from my closet.
In fact I have done that look before. Last spring I wore my lilac Vince sweater, with my faux leather skirt, boots, and my (new last year) bomber from Uniqlo. As you can see from my expression, below left, I’m not sure about the lilac neckerchief. Too matchy-matchy, maybe?
I laughed when I saw the look on my face in that photo. It’s my mum’s “not entirely pleased, maybe even a bit disgusted” look. I still remember when I learned that I do the same exact look. It was sometime in the eighties, my friend, and roommate at the time, Debbie and I were shopping. I must have not been pleased with whatever I had tried on because my friend Debbie said, “You’re doing your mum’s look again.” I had no idea what she was talking about, so she demonstrated. “My god! That’s Mum’s look,” I cried. “Yep,” she said, “and you do it all the time.” I mean, who knew?
Anyway, for the temperatures on Thursday, I needed a warmer scarf under the light jacket, so I swapped the pink neckerchief for my animal print scarf, and hoicked up my collar. Funnel neck coats are all the rage this spring, apparently. But this outfit with the jacket zipped up and the dark scarf was not giving me springy vibes. So I changed.
This is what I wore instead. The photos below are from a post I wrote a month ago. I love this outfit. The colours make it feel a bit spring-y. The bright blue scarf makes me happy. And I love blue and brown. The brown shirt and the scarf are vintage from Bellwether’s. And those suede boots are from 2005. A good outfit to wear to go vintage shopping, I thought. You know, since I bought that bright green coat in 2022, I’ve discovered green can be a neutral. Of sorts. I wear it with everything.
Anyway, off I went vintage shopping and had a lovely afternoon. I had a vague idea about finding something lemony yellow…. a shirt or a sweater. I have been lusting after a lemony yellow cashmere sweater from Artizia for weeks. The sweater was actually in my basket last week until a computer glitch, which did not allow me to check-out, saved me. I really do not want to buy anything new, especially a cashmere sweater. I have plenty of cashmere sweaters. But if I saw something second-hand in lemony yellow, I might be persuaded. Of course you know where this is leading.
I bought the yellow tee-shirt below at Bellwether’s. It’s vintage Ralph Lauren. The colour looks yummy under my green MM coat. And then I tried it with this old green khaki suede jacket from M&S. I’m not persuaded that I would wear this outfit. The black boots are wrong. And while I love both the tee shirt and the jacket, I don’t love them together. I will need to play around with that yellow shirt when I have more of my spring clothes available. I have all sorts of ideas of what I can wear it with once my closet is turned. Maybe my navy Veronica Beard blazer with jeans and loafers. Or my tan cargoes from AllSaints that I bought in Toronto last year. But… those are true spring, even early summer, outfits. Not early spring outfits. I’m getting ahead of myself. Again.
Still. I did love the tee shirt with this dark green scarf. But the chances of my wearing a heavy scarf and a short-sleeved tee together other than for the purpose of a blog photo are slim to none. Just saying.
As long as I was playing around, I decided to drag my old Roots leather jacket out of storage. I bought the jacket in the nineties. It’s fully lined and quite heavy and I stopped wearing it years ago. But this year I have seen so many oversized leather jackets, I thought I’d give it a go. I was inspired by tons of images like the ones below.
My jacket is not oversized. But it is long and a bit slouchy. And it’s warm… good for early spring. I swapped my yellow tee shirt for a crew-neck cashmere sweater from Everlane. This sweater is slim-fitting, but not tight, and it’s been a staple in my closet for five years now. Anyway. I’ll probably not wear this outfit either. But it does give me other ideas for the jacket. With maybe a white tee, my Levi’s 511 jeans, with socks and sneakers. Or, when it warms up more, my cropped second-hand mom jeans. Or with my Mother black jeans, my pink Vince sweater, and my black loafers, perhaps. I’m kind of excited to get into the habit of reaching for this old jacket after so many years.
Now, here’s an outfit (below) I did wear out of the house this week. I wore this to grab coffee with friends in the village.
Let me talk you through the provenance of this outfit. Sweater, Gap, 2014. Hooded raincoat, Michael Kors, 2010. My friend Liz was the personal shopper at Holt Renfrew at the time. Oh, those were heady shopping days when Liz worked at Holts. We were impressed with this Michael Kors raincoat because it had hardware (zipper and toggles etc) similar to the Prada coats that year, at a fraction of the price. Also the fabric is kind of cool, I thought at the time. And still do, actually. And it’s held up amazingly well. Plus I’ve seen lots of shorter spring coats and trenches this year, including at The Row and Burberry.
My wool leggings are Theory from 2011… I think. And my Hunter rain boots are from Lee Valley Tools. Hubby bought them for me for fishing back in the day. Years before they became fashionable and could be found in many colours in lots of shoe stores. I love that mine are from a hardware store.
Early spring is a difficult time to plan outfits. You have to be warm, and dry, and yet exude enough of a springy vibe to satiate your longing for spring.
When I was younger I often pushed the season too far. I remember one Saint Patrick’s Day evening when I was in university wearing a pair of lightweight coral trousers, with a light matching coral sweater, and freezing my butt off, so to speak, because it had snowed that day and I refused to wear winter clothes to the party. I had bought my outfit just that week, and I would wear it come hell or high water… or snow banks. I’m much more mature and sensible now.
Anyway, as I said, it’s hard to stay warm and dry and inject a springy vibe into one’s outfit. As a wise and witty receptionist at my physio said to me one early spring a few years ago when I came in complaining about how hard it was to decide what to wear, “Fashion Math is hard.” Oh, we had a good laugh at that.
I mean, think about it. When the temperatures are just nudging into the plus range, so it’s still cool, but it’s sunny and the snow is melting and the ditches running, what percentage of your outfit should be spring-ish? How springy can you safely go and still be warm enough?
Maybe a skirt with tights and boots, a warm sweater in a spring-y colour, and a spring jacket? Keep the bottom half warm and sensible, but go wild with the top half, or vice-versa? Or wear cold weather underpinnings with warm weather spring outer things? Like ski underwear under light trousers? Or a cashmere sweater with a tee shirt under it and a spring jacket?
Anyway, you get my drift. Early spring outfits can be complicated.
When I was a lot younger, I could never understand older female colleagues who did not angst over what to wear this time of year. They placidly wore their winter tights and wool skirts and sweaters until it was fully spring, and didn’t seem to turn a hair. How were they not also longing for spring fashions? I remember thinking that I’d surely be wiser and not so much of a light-weight when I was older and more mature. That I’d probably grow out of my obsession with what to wear.
Well. We all know how that turned out don’t we?
Now it’s your turn my friends. What is your version of my lemony yellow sweater passion this spring? Are you longing to wear Easter egg pink but your climate is not cooperating? Do tell us all your superficial outfit longings so the rest of us don’t feel so shallow.
P.S. Speaking of Easter egg pink, I am on the hunt for hot crossed buns. I can’t find them anywhere. Where, oh where, can they be?
43 thoughts on “Salivating for Early Spring Outfits”
Yes , I know what you mean . We are having some lovely sunny spring days right now , the garden is coming alive & the birds are going at full throttle . It’s really tempting to wear a spring outfit but when you step outside….brrrr , chilly . I love the shape & heft of your old leather jacket & have a fabric one by Oska which is similar but has a funnel neck . I’ve always liked a funnel neck , they’re very flattering.
Wish I could send you some hot cross buns . M & S have all different types this year . Max’s favourites are the apple ones but there’s chocolate , red velvet , lemon curd , tiramisu , cheese ? or traditional . I don’t like them which is good as I have enough weaknesses.
I love funnel necks too. I’ve been walking the past couple of days under blue sunny skies. But the temperatures are hovering around zero and I’m still bundling up. 🙁
I like my hot cross buns traditional. Chocolate hot cross buns just seem wrong. 🙂
I won’t rub it in re the buns but they abound here and are in my freezer. Yes to spring dressing! It is currently warm and sunny here but come the evening you can get caught out as temps drop. So tired of winter clothes and ready for lighter jackets. Even if the world is on fire, we still need to get up and dressed every day, if only to give two fingers to the madmen. Here’s to brighter days!
I like that attitude, Annie, giving two fingers to the madmen. 🙂
Come to Sydney, the shops are full of hot cross buns and have been for weeks. I love the traditional ones, with dried fruit and nicely spiced. I’m not a fan of ones with chocolate chips (which have been around for 20 years at least and seem to be favoured by young people) nor do I care for matcha flavoured ones, which I noticed the other day.
I haven’t got any autumn weather outfit cravings. I’m hanging on to summer dresses and sandals for as long as I can. The fact that it got to 28C yesterday suggests that time is on my side but I know autumn weather will arrive with a thud soon enough.
I’d love to come to Sydney again, one day. And not just for the hot cross buns. 🙂
I can’t wait for it to warm up and not need socks! Temps have been all over the place and that looks to continue. In the meantime, I’m wearing a lot of green because it makes me feel “springy”.
Bare ankles are weeks away here…I’ll settle for shoes or sneakers instead of boots. Soon, though, I think. The snow is disappearing rapidly. Stu came home from cross-country skiing today and said they had to take off their skis and walk three times.
Greetings from Maine, USA, where it is currently snowing. I am sick to death of all my winter clothes, but warm and dry are the still the motivating factors here. My only Spring purchase so far has been a pair of sturdy rubber boots for the mud.
I’m wearing my rubber boots again. I love them. Nothing like being able to walk right through a puddle in rubber boots.
“Early Spring Outfits” makes me think of my past experience at this time of year as a teacher on yard duty at elementary schools. Here in Bruce County, we have unremitting grey skies through the winter months. In the very early spring, when the sun starts to put in a welcome appearance, kids typically start peeling off their outerwear during recess … even if the temperature is still hovering around zero. Any hints that it’s still winter jacket weather fall on deaf ears!
I am in Southampton. Where are you ? (If you don’t mind me asking!!)
Jenny Amy
Kincardine! Hello, neighbour!
Kids seem to have no in-between. Once the temperature was even remotely warm-ish we’d see the kids at school (boys mostly) in shorts.
Hi Sue – Bread By Us at 128 Smirle Avenue near Wellington Street in Ottawa makes delicious hot cross buns. Love your blog!
Thanks Sera!
I also have been buying hot cross buns from True Loaf (Gladstone) near your favourite vintage shop for the last couple of weeks. They are only open until 1 p.m. though, all days except Sun-Mon.
Love the yellow top!
And I was just down there last week. Thanks for the suggestion, Steph.
I’m in Texas and it is very much spring here though we have had some surprisingly cool days just this week. I often have the opposite problem where I can’t wait for some sweater weather in the fall. I have so many cute jackets and sweaters and want to wear and style them. So I totally get the feeling. Plus I spent the first 38 years of my life in Alberta.
Honestly I think it’s a fun conundrum. Such a challenge and so satisfying when we come up with that outfit that suits the weather and our need to be a little creative and fresh. I think the yellow t shirt is a lovely color. I’m sure you’ll find lots of great ways to style it and soon!
It is satisfying when we come up with an outfit that meets all the complex requirements of this time of year.
Yesterday our temp was 72 F and the neighbor boys went shirtless. My current goal is to leave the house in a light jacket, rather than a heavy coat. A denim jacket always feels like home to me. Not there yet. Back to 42 F and windy today.
Your white hair accents all of your outfits in the best way. And that brown bag is a chic finishing touch.
Thanks, Cathy. I look at my hair now as an accessory. Ha.
Here in coastal Connecticut, USA, we’ll see more hot cross buns during Holy Week, which is next week! I hope we’ll also see something blooming and warmer temps. It’s been a tough winter here.
I got some nebulous fashion ideas from your post today…nebulous because I don’t have as many choices as you…too many downsizing moves in the past 13 years However, at age 86, I’m still longing for the chance to wear something light in weight and color. I hope it happens very soon!
Thank you!
Nebulous outfit ideas are the best, I think. More scope for your own spin.
I am so eager for spring to finally arrive for real! Earlier this week, after a couple of warm, melty days, the streets and sidewalks were finally dry. I decided to wear sneakers to a local event instead of boots, but a few hours later when it was time to leave, I walked out into several inches of sloppy wet snow! I am so done, but apparently winter is not!
Ah, no. I hate that.
Good morning. It topped 100 degrees here in West Texas. I’m wondering if we are skipping Spring and headed straight to Summer. I really like your jacket and your fashion choices. Very attractive.
Sounds like you are indeed straight into summer, Linda.
Early Spring: tough challenge. Here in Alberta where it’s sunny but warm and cold, I wear warm fleece jackets and sweaters but in springtime colours of soft aqua, yellow or lilac. It really works for me.
Good idea, Elizabeth. Warmth and spring colours combined.
San Diego jumped right into summer this past week, but it may go back to being cooler and grayer in May and June. I love your yellow t-shirt. I love yellow, but it is a tricky color for me, has to be sort of gray toned and pale to work. It always seems like such a happy color.
I purchased and read The Correspondent this week based on your recommendation. I thought it was a great, funny and sad, profound book. Thank you for the recommendation. I am one of the older people in our book club, so not sure all the others would enjoy it, but maybe. Who knows?
I’m glad you enjoyed The Correspondent, Mary. 🙂
Hot cross buns in abundance here in southern Australia, most bakeries have been making them for the last month. The ones we like best this year are from our local kosher jewish bakery who make them with a circular design on top and call them not cross buns, delicious toasted with lots of butter. I wish I could send you some.
March here is usually a month of warm clear days with crisp early mornings but this year it’s been grey skies, depressingly reflecting world turmoil. I’m already wearing cardigans and warm jumpers.
Love the idea of “not cross buns.” 🙂
When I was a kid, my mom told me that green went with pretty much everything. “Look at flowers,” she said. “All kinds of colors, but always with green stems.” So, yes, I learned that fashion truth at an early age, from a decidedly non-fashionista source. Green is indeed a neutral.
While our seasons here in Portugal are far more subtle than yours in Ontario, I’ve still been playing the “Is it Spring yet?” game, as well, and today I pulled out the stops: my white COS pants, a white tank, an old Eileen Fisher waxed cotton moto jacket, and my Onitsuka Tiger trainers (black and white, of course). Lunch on the beach, because for today at least, it’s Spring.
Your mum was so smart. I like that analogy. Lunch on the beach… sigh.
We are heading into autumn with some lovely sunny days and cooler nights. However I’m not sure the garden has got the message. My roses are still blooming but my spring bulbs are all starting to sprout and the camellias are a mass of buds!
I have bought a couple of lightweight cotton jumpers to cover autumn and then it will be into my woollens for winter. I do love some of your springy combinations which would translate into autumn wear here quite nicely although perhaps without the jackets. I especially like the yellow top and saw a similar one in cashmere which I may have to reinvestigate. Sneakers and loafers cover the footwear requirements although I’m still wearing sandals most days.
As for hot cross buns (or as my daughter used to call them – Huns cruns buns) they have been available in all their varieties since the week after Christmas. Crazy!
Spring is just the same as autumn with different colours isn’t it?
We tend to go from winter temps to summer temps with about a month of pleasant warm weather in between down here.
Lovely. And your winter temps are “cool” but not cold. Great for wardrobes, not so great for avid skiers like Hubby. 🙂
I love how you hold onto your clothing for such long periods! I would too if I had not gained weight and plus, I don’t have a lot of storage space. I have the opposite problem of yours. It is now in the low 80s F. here in Florida. When I go out, I think, Is this another day I can wear long pants? And a long sleeve shirt instead of a tee shirt? Unfortunately, the tee shirt and shorts won out today because it was warm! And I just purchased another jacket that can only be worn here about 8 weeks of the year! But I yearn for long sleeve shirts and pants and jackets!
I need to do a really good cull and finally say goodbye to some pieces that no longer fit. I’m lucky that Hubby doesn’t need most of his closet. His share grows smaller and smaller every year. 🙂
I like layers. Here on the very most-eastern end of Long Island NY, we have island weather. It’s April 19, but it’s cold ,windy and rainy… we had four hot days, but other than that I’ve still mostly been wearing cashmere with a tee under it and a jacket or coat. Jeans or cashmere pants. We sometimes go from late winter to hot summer without many days with “spring” temps. But I love spring since I love wind and rain and no longer enjoy hot temperatures. I do wear a yellow sweater or coral in spring rather than my usual black or brown.
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