I love Springtime – tis my favourite season BUT it’s unpredictable. You have to be prepared for all climatic occurences, meaning dressing can be challenging! With the arrival of Spring I’m eager to say farewell to Winter clothes and embrace more Spring like colours. I’m envious of those bloggers who are already shedding layers and parading their beautifully pedicured tootsies in sandals. It’s still boots and beanies in the UK!
If you read my Spring Coat post last Thursday you’ll know that Easter Sunday was particularly deceptive. We had blue skies above but brrrrrr… beware that nip in the air. So I stared the day right back in the face.
A Spring coat for warmth – most practical.
But in this year’s colour of Rose Quartz – absolutely playful.
And paired with chocolate brown – ‘a yummy chocolate with a pink filling‘ …
… is how Dawn of Fashion Should Be Fun delightfully described it when she kindly commented on the original post. I agree; it’s a deliciously fondant fancy of an outfit, even if my left coat pocket is sticking out! Tsk! (Note to self: sack the photographer for not noticing).
‘But let’s not rehash old posts, Petite Vix’, I hear you cry!
‘That coat was then, we want the Aqua, Mint and Blue your post title tantalized us with!’
So, what to wear when in this transitional phase when you crave lighter colours but head to toe Summer pastels feel somewhat presumptious?
I adopt my fail safe approach of pairing light with dark.
Take one grounding colour for the lower half – chocolate brown
pair with a bright cardigan or jacket for the upper – the aqua
add a sprinkling of colour with a multi coloured top/shirt – blue and grape
throw in a dollop of metallic – bag
garnish with a dash of minty bling – the necklace!
There can often be a satisfying aligning of the planets when colours match exactly but do we always want to do this?
Pffffff! Not really.
Matching everything to within an inch of its life, can be a tiring practice and limiting. Much more fun to mix tones as I’ve done here. The pastels of the aqua cardigan, the mint necklace and the serenity blue and grape in the top are similar enough in shade that they’re all quite happy hanging out together.
Keeping the bag and shoes in the same tonal palette as each other also brightens the look and stops the grounding colour of the chocolate brown from being too dominant. Metallic accessories are in this Spring – especially rose gold. My metallic blush bag is fortuitously on trend, despite being bought second hand from e-bay a few years ago, proving you don’t have to spend loads to be current! Bet the seller wishes they’d kept it now!
Finally, my snakeskin boots are the perfect companion piece to the bag without being matchy-matchy.
Dorothy Perkins Petite Chocolate Skinny Jeans sold out: Lands End Brown Jeans available in both petite and regular.
Dorothy Perkins Petite Aqua Cardigan SS15: Aqua Cardigan
Lands End Petite Weathered Grape Floral Jersey Top bought in the sale still currently going and available in both petite and regular. I love the description – weathered grape!
Yosa Ditzy Mint Necklace
Metallic Blush Bag (ebay) Bailey & Quinn Metallic Straw Bag
Marks&Spencer Snakeskin Boots: sold out
Spring Footnote
This outfit is really just a riff on a previous one; it’s not that dissimilar to when I wore these same brown jeans last month. The basic components are the same; colourful top, cardigan, jeans, bling and boots!
However, a few tweaks here, a colour change there, swap a bag and violà, we’ve transformed a Winter feel look into a fresh, Springlike one!
I mean, no need to reinvent the wheel, right?
Linking with Powers with Flowers / Creative Monday Blog Hop / Confident Twosday / Garay Treasures / JerseyGirlTexanHeart / ThrowbackThursday / High Latitude Style / FashionShouldBeFun / Fabulous Friday / Flashback Fashion Friday /
I love rose gold too, and these are fun, unexpected color combos. And I love the word "chocolate." Thanks for sharing, you look wonderful, xox
Patti
http://notdeadyetstyle.com
I'm really enjoying exploring the more unusual colour combos, especially the colours that can go with 'chocolate'!
I've had to sack my photographer over and over and over. And then she still keeps asking for a raise! She's daft!
I LOVE your colour combos here. They have a gorgeous vintage-y feeling but still look current. Like ice creams, yes. And yes, spring, what to wear, what to wear. Your boots and bag look weather resistant no matter what's thrown at you.
Did our photographers go to the same college? What is it with them? Just can't get the staff these days, it seems!
Um… they do have a slight vintage-esque feel to them. Thanks Melanie, I didn't see that until you mentioned it, so hurrah!
you look fabulous wearing those blush and brown shades, and love particularly that aqua cardi too, really amazing color combos, and very useful advice about transitional outfits!
Your booties are becoming a signature piece, so fabulously versatile and cool!
besos
Aw, thank you, what kind words. The colour of the cardigan is pretty cool, isn't it? Really eye-catching which is what you want – a visual lift!
Those booties will be worn out at this rate! But yes, they are proving to be incredibly versatile.
Ahhhh…I love the mint with the brown!! So is that a "yummy chocolate with a mint filling?" ha ha!!
Those ankle boots are really the perfect footwear for almost anything!! Such a shame they are sold out!!
jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Ha, ha, absolutely! I do love mint chocolate! I want some ice cream now.
The boots are totally amazing! I can't believe how much they go with. Such a brilliant investment on my part – for once!
Spring perfection in those colours but with the practical elements taken care of,clever girl.
Chocolate and fondant is always right in any form.
Thank you so much, Jill. I'm definitely a functional and fun, gal!
Chocolate and fondant in the same sentence is heaven.
I really appreciated your comment about coordinating tones of color rather than exact color matching. I'm learning how to do this better myself, so it's helpful to see examples of how others are doing it so successfully as you have with all three outfits you share here! And now, after all this talk about raspberries and chocolate and even mint — I need some ice cream! 🙂
http://www.petiteover40.com
I'm so pleased you found that helpful, Sherry. In many ways, matching is actually harder than blending as you have to wait until you can find the exact colour match. Life is too short to do this more than a few times! I'm getting better at doing it myself too – practice, practice, practice!
And yes, lets go out for ice creams. My shout!
Every time I see you wearing these boots I think I made a mistake walking away from some that were very similar. They seem to go with everything!
bisous
Suzanne
I'm amazed at how many things they do go with! Far more than I expected and much more than leopard print. I just don't know why I've left it so long before buying a snakeskin pair!
You'll find another pair though.
your color combos are fabulous. thank you for adding your post to my Powers the Flower link up.
http://www.finewhateverblog.com
Thank you Rena! I'm such a colour lover!
Love the aqua cardy outfit – and yes, spring is great but very hard to dress for and get right! #creativemondays
Thank you for stopping by. The aqua cardy is a favourite of mine!
The colour of the cArdie is really pretty and it is set so well against the patterned top!! The necklace is grand too!!!
Thanks Kezzie. It was fun pairing all these pastels together.
Nice collection, I love it! These winter casual style cloths looks perfect with your look and the long, fitted coats smarten up your outfits both during the day and at night.