2018 Spring Wardrobe Essentials
I’m super excited to announce that 22 Days of Spring Fashion starts this Thursday, March 1st!!! That means it’s high time for my annual Spring Wardrobe Essentials post.
These are pieces that are on trend this spring and will provide a basic foundation for your spring wardrobe. This list is certainly not exhaustive, but it should be a good starting point for most of us.
As always, you will need to discern which pieces you should add to your closet based on your own lifestyle and wardrobe needs, but these are some of the basic clothing, shoes, and accessories that you may want to consider.
2017 Spring Wardrobe Essentials
#1. White Tee
This probably goes without saying, but I don’t want to leave it out because it is absolutely an essential. Investing in a few quality t-shirts that you can wear alone with a great accessory or layer under your jackets and cardigans is crucial. I prefer a v-neck or scoop neck, but you may like a crew neck or boat neck style. Choose a neckline and a fit that is flattering on you. If yours is worn out, it may be time to invest in a new one.
I’m actually working on a white tee review, but you can get a sneak peek with my recommendations below. Hover over the images to see the brands and price, and click through to shop!
SHOP WHITE T-SHIRTS:
#2. Rain Boots
If you live in a temperate climate as I do, rain boots are a must for spring. I can’t believe I went so many years without them! I love my Hunters, but I’m also a fan of BOGS, and Kamik makes a nice rain boot at a lower price point.
SHOP RAIN BOOTS:
#3. White Jeans
White jeans make a crisp statement and pair well with everything from neutrals to pastels to brights. It’s important to find a pair that fits well and the material is thick enough that you can’t see through it. I like an ankle length skinny jean best, especially for summertime.
I have a cropped pair with distressing and a plain ankle-length pair, and I wear them both a ton during the spring and summertime. Of course, you can do white jeans in a straight or bootcut style if that’s more your jam, and the cropped straight and flare styles are trending this spring.
You know I will recommend premium brands like DL1961 and Paige, but you can certainly find decent white jeans for less. Check LOFT and Kohl’s for more budget-friendly options, but no matter where you shop, be sure to try them on and get a good look at your rear view to ensure a great fit. For outfit inspiration, see how I’ve styled white jeans for all seasons.
SHOP WHITE JEANS:
#4. Denim Jacket
A denim jacket is great to have in your closet all year round, but it’s the perfect layering piece for spring. I love how a denim jacket looks over a dress or with a skirt to make the look less dressy and a little more edgy. It also looks great over a basic tee with white jeans.
Also consider a white denim jacket for a fun twist on this classic wardrobe essential, and don’t rule out a fun color. For outfit inspiration, here are some different ways I’ve styled denim jackets.
SHOP DENIM JACKETS:
#5. Trench Coat
I realize a trench coat makes it into every year’s spring essentials post, but there’s good reason for that. Every woman should have one.
If a classic trench feels fussy to you, consider an anorak or raincoat. I also like this North Face Midi Trench and the BB Dakota Cotton Twill Coat for a more casual trench coats.
SHOP TRENCH COATS:
#6. Utility Jacket
A utility jacket is a great alternative to a jean jacket, or if you live a super casual lifestyle, you may want one of each. I love the variations on the traditional military style that are trending this spring. For outfit inspiration, see how I’ve styled my utility jackets.
SHOP UTILITY JACKETS:
#7. Wedge Sandals
I adore wedge sandals, and I cannot WAIT for the weather to warm up enough to break mine out. If you’re only going to have one pair, my best advice is to go with a taupe or blush tone. I’ll link up a bunch of my favorites below, and you can also check out my post on sandal trends for spring.
SHOP WEDGE SANDALS:
#8. Mules or Loafers
When it’s not warm enough for open sandals but you’re tired of wearing boots, mules are a great footwear option for spring. You can find them in all different heel heights. If you find walking in mules to be difficult, try a loafer instead.
SHOP MULES & LOAFERS:
#9. Fashion Sneakers
Fashion sneakers like Converse, Superga, or Adidas Superstar are essentials for every season, but they’re especially useful in the springtime. Slip-on styles are still trending, and the backless sneakers are nice for this time of year, but not as practical as a more traditional style. I recommend a lighter color such as tan, grey, white, taupe, or blush for spring.
SHOP FASHION SNEAKERS:
#10. Light Neutral Handbag
As you know, handbags are my jam, and I’m loving the structured and circular handbag styles that are trending this season. I’m totally crushing on this Rebecca Minkoff Christy crossbody in the white, and I also love this Kate Spade Justina leather satchel. It has such a ladylike silhouette, and the top handle with crossbody strap is trending right now.
Color-wise, white and pastel bags are definitely big. If you want to add one on-trend bag to your collection right now, I would definitely go with white or blush. If you don’t care so much about trends but want a good neutral bag you can carry for years, go with light grey or taupe. They’re still light enough to be on trend, but they are classic enough to last you for years.
SHOP SPRING HANDBAGS:
#11. Shades
A great pair of sunglasses makes a nice fashion statement, plus of course they protect your eyes. Round frames are trending right now, and while I hear that smaller styles are come back, everyone I see is still sporting the oversized look.
SHOP SUNGLASSES:
#12. Spring Dress
Springtime brings a lot of occasions that call for a feminine dress. Whether it’s a wedding, graduation, Easter brunch, or baby shower, you will want to have a versatile dress that works for whatever event might come up. Lavender is the color of the season, so that’s a good place to start, but ultimately you should choose something that you love and will want to wear again and again.
Also if you dress up at all for summer, be sure to have a pair of neutral pumps or strappy sandals to pair with your dresses or to dress up your white jeans.
SHOP SPRING DRESSES:
#13. Straight Leg Crop Pants or Jeans
Cropped pants or jeans are a great transition piece for spring. The straight crop style is the silhouette of the moment, but as always, you should wear what flatters you and not necessarily what’s trending.
I won’t lie, I haven’t had a lot of luck finding a pair of cropped straight pants that I like or that I feel is flattering on my hourglass figure, but I haven’t given up yet!
SHOP STRAIGHT LEG PANTS:
In Conclusion…
Obviously you’ll still need to fill in with a few sweaters and blouses, jeans and pants, a dress or two, and maybe a few skirts. It all depends on your lifestyle and what you already have in your closet, but I think this is a good place to start.
I focused this post on essentials that are the foundation of your spring wardrobe, but it’s also fun to add a few trendy pieces to your closet each season. Check out my Spring Fashion Forecast for some of the hot trends this spring!
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Hi Jo-Lynne! Thanks for all the great advice on white tees. I have been looking for one, Will definitely check these out. I love reading your blog and look forward to it everyday! You do a fantastic job! Love the live Facebook too! Keep up the great work!
As always, I love your post. Especially love the section about dresses. Many were ones I have been looking at. Uncanny how you and I have such similar tastes. Now need to go get myself a pair of rain boots.
I may need a blush handbag. What size tee do you get? Can’t wait for Thursday.
At Tapered Collection, I water a medium. I wear a small in most others.
Looking forward to your post on white tees. A good white tee can be just as hard to find as a good pair of jeans! Of course, my favorite wedge sandal is the Chloe at $595. No wonder why it did not show on my filter while searching for wedges. 🙂 Have an awesome day!!
Jodi, that always happens to me. I’ll see a pair of shoes and think “that’s it”. Looking further, I’ll see that They are $700 or more. I just don’t live that kind of lifestyle! 😂
Ha! Same.
Let’s be real, no one picks out the cheapest option the first time 🙂
This is SO helpful…. Following your advice (and a that of a couple of your peers) I am so much more comfortable with how I am dressing. (I know that sounds stupid, but I feel so much less frumpy.)
AND…nice that my in-house critics often (now) offer an unsolicited thumbs up!
Love the dresses and the shoooooes…looking forward to the series!
I’ve never tried wedge sandals before, but have received such great advice from you over the years that I’m going to have to check it out! I also bought a blush tote for this season but can’t decide if I should keep it or get something taupe instead. Decisions, decisions!
Blush is everywhere this spring. So fresh and light and pretty. I’d keep it! Get a taupe one next fall. 😉
Jo-Lynne – I too have been looking for a pair of straight crop jeans to love. Well I found them and I think you will love them too because they are from AG – The Stilt Crop. While not really a straight crop – more of a skinny crop – I found them to be super flattering and comfortable. Now I just have to wait for them to go on sale!
I used to have a pair of AG The Stilt that I liked. The cropped ones might be a good one to try.
I needed the reminder about quality basic t shirts for the spring. That’s going to be my first purchase for the new season. I am also very eager for the spring fashion series. Winter has been pretty dreary.
I am so ready for spring but am finding that I am not loving a lot of what is trending. I think mules look really silly and am having a hard time stepping away from my skinnies for the straight leg look! I do love the blush color that is prominent in many of the stores I shop in. Looking forward to your white t-shirt post!!
I feel the same… I just want to wear what is familiar and comfortable but fear my style series will be boring if I do that. :/
I realized that I have all of these, I guess I’m ready for Spring.
xo
Pinksole
Great list as always! I LOVE both the bags you talked about. So perfect for spring. The round bags you mentioned in your email (which I’m loving, by the way) are seriously adorable too!
Great post!! I actually have most things on the list already, so yay for that lol! I do need a new neutral purse though since mine broke last spring and a light colored dress. All of my dresses are dark colored. Can’t wait for the new series to start!
Very informative post! As much as I love my tall rain boots, I think I want to find a short pair since it’s so hot here and my feet get so hot in them. I will be trying on white tops and jeans to find the ones that I will enjoy wearing. I had a pair of ON Rockstar white skinny jeans that weren’t comfortable because the legs didn’t stay put when I moved due to the thick fabric. Based on what I saw on Pinterest, my pale colored velvet mules can be worn during the warm months. For now, I am keeping my gold ballet flats in my closet. It’s raining here now, but is supposed to move out around lunch time, only to return Wed. & Thursday. Have a fabulous Monday!
Love my short rain boots! I am only 5’ so the tall ones didn’t work for me. Not sure how I lived without them for so long, they are perfect for when taking the dog out and our yard is wet & muddy!
I got a pair of short rain boots last fall and love them. They look like tennis shoes – black. Think they are Rocket Dogs. Even my granddaughter liked them.
Great post. Thankfully I have all of these so guess I’m set. Question though: My Gray Superga sneakers are getting a little dirty (they’re a couple of years old) but still in great shape. Can they be machine washed in a bag, of course, and air dried?
I threw my converse shoreline in the washer and they did okay. They’re not as white as when they were new, but it did the job.
Yay, I have almost everything on this list! Great post! I do need to find a white tee or two, and I get so frustrated with how see-through white shirts are these days. I don’t have a specifically spring bag or mules/loafers, but I’m not a big bag girl and I don’t like either of those shoe styles, so I’m pretty well set for spring!
I guess it’s that time when I pull out my spring stuff from the other closet and go through it . I just took my trench into consignment last week, so I know I need to replace that. Camel is not really flattering on me but I can wear it if I have a scarf close to my face. I’d love to be able to splurge on a Burberry. But….no!
Yeah, they are crazy $$$ – I was shocked to find out 4 figures.
Great post! I need to go shopping!!!!
Hey Jolynne! Thank you for these great ideas! In my mind, my Spring Essential item has to be the suede Moto jacket that you styled earlier this week. They’ve restocked sizes and I want one! But I can’t decide between the two colors? Cream or the Midnight Toker? Can you give me your opinion? I live in a midwestern state so Spring lingers into April, but for the price, I might get more wear with the taupe colored jacket…real world problem here! Haha!
LOL, Cary, I hear ya! I do think the midnight toker is more versatile. It can be worn year – round. If I could only have one, I’d keep that one.
Great post! Looking forward to Thursday 🎊🎉
I am eagerly awaiting your white t-shirt post! I’m looking for a good v-neck one that is not see through, which seems to be the eternal struggle with white t’s. I currently have 2 round neck styles that I got at J Crew Factory and they are working well with a nude bra, but I’d love a v-neck too. Thanks for a great post today!
Excellent Spring Shopping list for wardrobe building. The white tee shirt shopping is hard as so many are too see through for my comfort. Suggestions on what to wear under?
I would love to see how to take a black tank dress(great for traveling) and style it for a trip. Dress it up or down with a few pieces. I am thinking Spring moto jacket, utility jacket, sweater, accessories (belt and jewlery) or scarf.
I hate to wear anything under my t-shirts. 🙁
Nice post! Isn’t it amazing how hard it can be to find a good white tee? I have a favorite and I’m curious to see what yours is. I’ve had bad luck with straight jeans too. And everywhere I read about them, stylists say they are universally flattering! I was returning a bunch to Nordstrom that I had ordered and the lady asked if there was anything wrong with them. I said no, I just look terrible in them. She laughed and said I definitely wasn’t the first to say that. The best luck I’ve found is a more fitted, slim straight jean like the Stevie from AG. They are more like skinny jeans with wider leg opening so they still flatter but have more of that cool, straight look.
Going to try to order one (or two) of the tapered collection tees on March 1st. What size do you wear? I think we both need to consider a “fuller” chest size so I’m hoping I would wear the same size as you.
They run small. I need a medium in her tees.
Thanks! Turns out all the ones in medium that I was considering are already sold out. Not meant to be, I guess. This was a great post, as usual. Like the new newsletter format, too.
Hi Jo-Lynne. I found a woven round bag on Etsy. The girl who I purchased from is not listed anymore but I love the bag I got. It looks just like the one you displayed but I paid $42 including shipping and she sent it within about 3 weeks. You may want to let people know they can check there.
I love your daily emails! Thanks
This was a great post! I just want to tell you that I follow several fashion blogs, and yours is my favorite! You are so personable, it’s like chatting with a friend. Your site layout is awesome and I I can’t imagine how much work you put into all you do. I just wanted to encourage you that what you’re doing is fantastic! Thank you for everything you do for your readers. You. are. the best!!
Woohoo! I can hardly WAIT for Sprint this year! It has been a long winter up here in Calgary! Looking forward to your colab with Cyndi! 🙂
You nailed this post. I have my spring essentials list on my phone now and I can refer to it as I’m shopping, thanks to you.
Looking forward to hear your findings in white t shirts. I always struggle to find one that is not see thru. I don’t want to wear a layer underneath when it is a hot summer day. Always enjoy reading your blog!
I’ll be anxious for your white tee post and from the comments below, that seems to be the #1 concern. I’m relieved to know I’m not the only one who is over the see through white tee. Wearing a cami underneath in spring and summer defeats the purpose. The other problem I have is being short-waisted, V-necks are often too low on me. Problems, problems! LOL I do have most all the things on your list and the few that I don’t aren’t really working for me. Looking forward to Thursday!
Nice post
Dear Jo-Lynne, I am just writing to say thank you. I think your blog is so helpful and addresses exactly what I needed to read. I literally googled “shorts after 40” and found my way to your site. I am an executive coach and consultant with a long track record of perfecting what to wear in a corporate environment. Widowed two years ago, I have begun my own website and–coming soon–a blog in order to help “sudden” caregivers. These are people, who, like me, had to suddenly get off the fast track in order to take care of a loved one who has received a daunting medical diagnosis. Here’s the dilemma: a couple of months of schlepping around in your workout clothes and PJ’s gets old. For me, and for those caregivers in my online community, we still want to run to the post office or Starbucks or doctor appointments, or treatment appointments and be seen as the stylish people we know ourselves to be. I hadn’t considered “fashion” as a part of positive caregiving, but looking back on my experience, I know those days when I made an effort to curate my outfits significantly raised my spirits.
I have always struggled to find a fashionable casual look the aligns with my age and my more casual days working at home. Anyway, I wanted to let you know that 1) you had impact; and 2) I just bought many of the summer essentials you recommended! I’m hooked.
Can’t thank you enough!
Hi Karen, this means so much to hear this. Thank you so much. Best of luck with your new blog!