It’s a universally acknowledged fact that now January is over, spring is officially on it’s way. Yes ‘we’ may still have the heating on 24 hours and have taken to wearing a hat and fingerless gloves in the house (it’s a beret though so I’m calling it fashion) but holiday destinations are being gently perused and those nights are almost certainly getting lighter. I accidentally ended up buying an amazing limited edition sundress by the artist Marte Marie Forsberg on Vinted this week for beyond a snip, so I’m calling the next five months holiday prep.
With the arrival of spring come spring trends, which bring a whole new world of getting dressed inspiration. This season the collections seem to have kindly been designed with British summertime in mind, with much layering and sensible coats on display (and not a huge amount of summery-ness at all) More importantly, in the spirit of clothing longevity, emphasis this season is on the styling of wardrobe staples rather than the 'new' which makes it easy to try with what we already own. (Well done catwalks) Here are half a dozen easy styling tips to consider from the shows. PS: These ideas are from both mens and women's catwalks. (why not?)
The Shirt and Jumper.
The shirt with jumper isn't exactly rocket science, but bear with. This season it's all about the micro detail: one collar in one out? Collar up, down or both? Cuffs out? Tails out? ? A jaunty tie or even a neck bow? And let's not forget the joys of the juxtaposition: a pastel shirt with a bright; a statement collar detail or pussy bow popping out over a knit. I met a friend for dinner last week whose denim shirt collar peeked upright from underneath a chunky funnel neck. Tres chic. Tres 2025.
The Anorak (Over Everything)
A practical waterproof is generally a sensible but not hugely inspiring mainstay of all wardrobes (Apart from in mine as I am supremely unprepared for bad weather) This season we are being encouraged to mentally reposition it from wet dogwalks and the bracing beach stroll, and team with everything from workwear to 'out' out outfits. Not that this happens much in February but wait until those lighter evenings kick in. The ultimate in high low that removes the pesky what-coat-goes-with-this conundrum.
Buttoning up
The concept of doing up our clothes differently to achieve sartorial bliss admittedly sounds an adventurous aim. But it's surprising how buttoning a shirt only at the collar with a layer underneath can transform you to an avant garde Scandinavian creative in a matter of moments. And it's not just shirts, coats and jackets are worth a try too. In the famous words of Bananarama 'It ain't what you do it's the way that you do it.' Quite.
The Chic Hoodie
Sportswear has been having a fashion moment for quite a while, but now it's gaining an entire cultural reposition, excellent news if you'd love to roll into work in your loungewear every day. Now you can, by upstyling a hoodie under a trench, blazer or even a suit, with the added bonus of instant cool. And yes a hoodie with heels is totally acceptable and actively encouraged.
The Breton Tee
I defy anyone to not own a striped t-shirt- the most quintessential wardrobe staple beloved by everyone from Jean Paul Gaultier to my mum. This season the catwalks are saying 'we like you very much, just as you are'. ( Bridget Jones Diary 2001) This means yes to a nice breton top and jeans and yes to breton and shorts for the holidays and yes to keeping your entire outfit red white and blue rather than attempting some sartorial jenga with prints and stripes. The easiest tick for Spring.
The Cap
Finally another classic item pivot that those in the fashion know will have been working for some time. The humble cap has entirely moved beyond its sportswear niche and can equally be teamed with a sharp blazer on a bad hair day ( difficulty rating: easy), an eclectic maximal outfit ( difficulty rating: moderate) or even a party dress (difficulty rating: advanced) . In fact S/S25 is the season of the hat so if a cap doesn't float the proverbial boat get creative with a style that does. See how flexible fashion can be.
Thank you for reading! For further catwalk browsing for styling inspiration see all the shows on Vogue.com if you subscribe or firstview.com. For regular style musings subscribe here for a Sunday delivery of my blog to your inbox
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