Summer, is that you? Well, that might be a little premature, but the sunnier mornings and fresher days welcome the start of spring, one of the most optimistic seasons in the calendar. A new year means new-season dressing, and with fashion month been and gone and new collections landing in stores, now is the perfect time to spring clean your wardrobe and breathe new life into your existing roster by adding new prints, colours, and of course, some seriously good investment buys that will elevate even the most basic outfit.
After a very grey start to the year, we deserve to celebrate the joy in dressing up again, and the first place I turn to for fashionable inspiration is the wardrobes of some of fashion's best dressed. From stylists to influencers, editors to designers, the industry is full of creatives who know how to make the most out of even the most simple pieces. Wondering what fashion insiders are wearing for spring? Look no further.
In a bid to help you revamp your wardrobe in time for spring, I searched through Instagram to find the pieces that cropped up time and again in the wardrobes of the most popular tastemakers. From never-before-seen pieces to cult favourites, I've found the 8 new, luxury buys that the style set are investing now to refresh their look for the sunnier months ahead. Looking for new season designer pieces? You've come to the right place.
1. MAXI DRESSES
Style Notes: From the looks of it, everyone is eschewing last summer's micro mini for a far more wearable hemline the maxi. This elegant, sweeping style is shorthand for "laidback luxe", and is the ideal length for weather that can't seem to make up its mind.
SHOP THE LOOK:
You know it's the end of winter when Matteau dresses and shirts are back on the agenda. Wear now with a chunky cardigan and boots, and you'll still be making the most of it in summer with a pair of sandals.
Romantic ruffles and fresh, white linen? This has to be the perfect spring dress.
Maximalists, here's one for you. A bold and zesty puff-sleeved dress guaranteed to brighten up a dull day.
There's something about a knitted dress that feels like the perfect balance between casual and dressed up.
2. SOFT FLORALS
Style Notes: I know, "florals for spring, groundbreaking", but this year, it might just be. After a couple of years of block colours and head-to-toe tonal styling, it's been a while since there was a strong print trend that we could get behind, and florals never age. Call it Cottagecore, or even hyper-feminine, but just don't call it "twee", after all, 2023 looks like it could the year that we give our sharp tailoring a break in favour of something a little more homely.
SHOP THE LOOK:
Worried about a dress like this looking too pretty? Toughen it up with a black Chelsea or lace-up boot.
Isabel Marant always knows how to make florals feel more like "prairie girl chic" than saccharine.
If ever there was a floral dress made for knee-high boots, it's this one, so you needn't pack away the pair you wore all winter quite yet.
Finally, a contemporary knit that isn't confined to winter wear.
3. DENIM SKIRTS
Style Notes: If, like me, you rely on a good pair of jeans for most outfits, a denim skirt should be on your list. The dressier big sister of the casual trouser was a S/S '23 runway hit with the likes of Burberry, Bottega and Miu Miu showing knee-grazing minis and ankle-length maxis, so it was only a matter of time before they would make it onto showgoers too. My favourite way to wear one? Taking inspiration from Alexander McQueen and pairing a split front midi with a tall boot. Perfection.
SHOP THE LOOK:
Only Agolde could come up with the ideal fit and wash (with just the right amount of distress), and in organic cotton.
If you already like it from the front, just wait until you see the logo pocket on the back.
Just add a white t-shirt, trainers, and a leather jacket.
If your first thought on seeing blue denim is "Britney and Justin", try this impossibly cool and contemporary white.
4. OVERSIZED SHIRTING
Style Notes: Is there anything that the oversized shirt can't do? It always works layered under jumpers, buttoned up under blazers, worn open over swimwear or tucked into skirts, shorts, and wide leg trousers, and perhaps its versatility is the key to its success. A crisp shirt adds polish to just about anything, so if there's one wardrobe hero worth it's weight in gold, it's this. Less of a trend and more of an all-year-rounder, finding a good quality shirt makes all the difference to any look you put together, something that the fashion crowd know all too well.
SHOP THE LOOK:
The only colour strong enough to rival the clean, white shirt.
Pinstripes? So dated. But candy stripes? Sign us up.
The Row began as a project to create the perfect white t-shirt, so you know when it comes to the basics, they've got the execution mastered.
I love everything about the colour of this khaki-camel hybrid.
5. SILK SCARVES
Style Notes: A silk scarf is one of the oldest tricks in the stylist's handbook. Whether you're fashioning it into an elegant headscarf, tying it into a neckerchief, wearing loosely around your shoulders, or using as a makeshift hairband, the results are always undeniably chic. An easy way to introduce pretty, spring colours to your look without over-accessorising.
SHOP THE LOOK:
Acne don't just make distinctive chunky, mohair scarves, there are delicate silk-twill ones too.
The brand on everyones lips can now be worn around your neck too.
Wear as a bandana with a pair of oversized sunglasses.
Logomaniacs will love this unmistakably Gucci print.
6. RAFFIA BAGS
Style Notes: Think back to the spring and summer of the last few years, and every season had a beach-ready It bag. The Loewe basket, the Prada tote, the Fendi cage basket, the Jacquemus wicker bag we can't help but fall for colourful and textured bags with artisanal charm, and this year is no exception. The old favourites are back in new colours, and there's a new kid on the block (hello, Saint Laurent), so expect to see much more of these bags on your timeline in the next 6 months.
SHOP THE LOOK:
Sure, last year's pink and yellow were cute, but this neutral raffia is a bag you'll wear every year without fail.
If you live in block coloured dresses as soon as the sun hits, you're going to love the detail that this rainbow raffia adds.
The Loewe tan basket bag is a classic, but this pop of blue is so joyful.
I have a funny feeling that we're looking at this summer's new It bag.
7. CARGO TROUSERS
Style Notes: Like or loathe it, the Y2K renaissance has resurrected plenty of nostalgic pieces, but the one I didn't see coming was the cargo trouser. Just when I thought I'd retired mine with my All Saints albums, they came back with a bang, and the more I see them, the more sense they make. Comfier than tailoring, lighter than jeans, it was the Scandi set who brought these back last year, paired with heels and designer bags, and in turn making the humble cargo trouser feel cool again.
SHOP THE LOOK:
An easy, understated pair you can wear with everything from blazers to tank tops.
If you were wondering how to make cargo trousers feel grown up, take tips from Toteme and add a longsleeve tee and a barely-there sandal.
Eveningwear? No problem, there's a satin trouser for that.
8. BALLET PUMPS
Style Notes: The French girl staple that we flirted with in the Noughties is back, though really, it should have never left. Flat shoes will always be a sensible choice, and the ballet pump is the easiest way to do comfy-chic in an instant. Any stylist worth their salt will have a pair of ballet flats in their wardrobe for the busy days on set, and extra pair in their tote bag for the end of Fashion Month.
SHOP THE LOOK:
If these haven't already cropped up on your timeline, it's because they're secreted away in on someone's wish list.
If these dreamy flats don't say "spring", I don't know what does.
Party shoes without the need for blister plasters? I'll take them.
The perfect accompaniment to an oversized shirt and slim-legged jeans.
This story was published at an earlier time and has since been updated.
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