Mother Nature, like many women, is indecisive. I bet she has a problem picking out a pair of shoes in the morning, or deciding whether to go for chocolate fudge cake or ice cream (really, there is no decision. Both, always both) for dessert. Right now her flighty nature is giving stylish gals everywhere a haute couture headache – what do I wear for weather like this?!
Today’s Wardrobe Wondering answers exactly that. As May (usually the month of flowers, ribbons and open toe shoes) blunders through rain, wind, hail, flash flooding and inexplicable cold snaps, even Kirstie Allsopp is asking what to wear. So when I was asked by a fashionista in need, I knew it was time to tackle Mother Nature head on.
If, like me, you have a wardrobe bursting with slinky spring/summer things, you’ll be desperate to slip them on and strut your stuff. But with the threat of gale force winds just around the corner, is that floral sun dress really wise? Well, don’t despair dear followers – here are a few handy ways you can work spring/summer fashion without suffering frostbite…
- Layering – it’s the answer to everything! Long sleeved tees are your friends from now own. Choose cotton styles in a range of colours and patterns (I love stripes with florals) to wear under dresses and playsuits. Primark and Gap are especially good for price and quality respectively.
- Tights – an obvious one, maybe, but there’s a method to choosing the right tights for this time of year. Save deep jewel tones for when it actually is winter, and go for light pastel shades or classic black. I love baby pink, sky blue and hyacinth. Look out for sheer patterned styles too.
- A blazer or trench coat – it’s all too tempting to swaddle yourself in floor length faux fur and a balaclava, but that would look ridiculous. Go for a nifty blazer in a light shade (I love grey) or a classic cream trench.
- A cotton scarf – something lightweight and floral is perfect for keeping the wind off your neck and adds a dash of detail to a simple outfit. Knits are a no no for now – they’ll make you sweat if the sun comes out when you’re running for the bus!
- Short boots – when it’s raining like nobody’s business, ballerina flats and gladiator sandals just won’t cut it, no matter how cute they are. Rather than reach for your faithful black knee highs (or your wellies), choose a short boot in a light colour for stomping through puddles in style.
- Accessories – the easiest way to inject a slither of summer into an outfit is with seasonally-appropriate accessories. Pastel printed shoppers, dainty jewellery, floral corsages and leather belts will have you looking like you’re heading to St Tropez in no time.
So there we have it, my friends. Everything you need to hang on to your style status and your dignity (there’s nothing less fashionable than borrowing your dad’s pac-a-mac because you got caught in the rain in a strapless playsuit) through this changeable weather. What do you think? Any tips of your own to add? Do let me know!
If you’d like to take part in Wardrobe Wonderings, ask me a question here and I might choose it for next week’s post!
I think, being Scottish, I’m always very sceptical about the weather, and prepare for the worst! Or maybe I get it from my mum; she has both her brolly and her sunglasses permanently packed in her bag!
Loving the tip on the accessories though, may try it! x
Man, I can not imagine anything but warm weather here in Florida right now. The downside is sometimes it gets TOO hot to even want to go outside! But I love your dress!
http://sonyasark.blogspot.com/
These are very good tips! I really want some pale pink tights but I can’t find any apart from in Topshop, which don’t fit me! The Primark ones look a bit metallicy….
Great post!
I’m loving your polka dot dress!
Great tips, didn’t expect anything less!! Totally agree with the trench coat, mine is in arms reach all the time at the moment.
Lovely outfit, love the stomper boots with the pretty dress.
I’m rocking my peg leg trousers at the moment – wartime sweetheart has never been so comfy, or cool. 😉
X xx
Oh my goodness, Kirsty Alsopp is pretty much my idol (if she wasn’t a Tory) I can’t believe I didn’t realise she was on twitter!
But anyway, love your dress and jacket, and those boots look so comfy and cool. My main problem with dressing at the mo is it’s sunny when I leave the house, and raining by the time I get to work, so I get so confused!
Beautiful dress! I always look forward to reading your posts! xo
I have to agree with your scarf tip – I can’t go anywhere without one of my scarfs and I have a huge collection of them. They really go jazz up your outfit [or in my case more often then not my work uniform] plus keep you warm in this so unseasonal weather!
Layering’s so important at this time of year. Especially as it gets warmer outside but the office, shops and restaurants are all super air-conned. xx
http://weshopthereforeweare.co.uk/
Great post! The weather is really annoying me! I checked BBC weather yesterday and it said it will rain every day this week, and now it says it’ll just be cloudy!
I think I need a blazer asap. I couldn’t find one in Primark over the weekend but I’ll persevere!
Very true layering is the key! It’s winter here in Aus and I’m faithful to layering, plus I feel the cold.
Layering is great. I live in Canada and the weather here has been weird warm and hot one day and cold and rainy the next. Great tips thanks!
Haha I have totally borrowed my parents pac a macs and anoraks before because I’ve worn totally unsuitable things!
So brilliant, I am loving these wardrobe musings!
always love your advice…just so stylish and practical.
love the mix of faded/pale colors in your outfit today!
♥ vanilla ice cream’s 200 followers giveaway! ♥
That dress is too cute! It got so cold here again that it’s really just plain uninspiring.
Each time you wear it i wish i’d bought that dress!! It looks so good with the blazer Jen 🙂 x
Lovely tips Jen. I think I’ve worked quite a few of them into today’s outfit but now it’s blazingly sunny! English weather eh?
Thanks for your comment over on my blog.
Unfortunately I don’t know anyone good enough with html so for now I’ll have to stick how it is. If anyone else has the same problem in the future I’ll look into it.
I was surprised also because I comment on almost every blog post in my reader! I comment on yours and my other favourites 80% of the time. Perhaps we follow different people and you don’t see my comments!?
Anyway, thank you for the constructive feedback.
xxx
What a fantastic guide! It is an age old problem, especially when it can be gloriously blue skies and sunshine one minute and storm clouds the next. My conundrums always involve denim, I’m doing a bit of a guide on my blog about how to incorporate that in summer, because as much as I try, I can’t veer away from my skinnies all year round 🙂 ♥
http://jazz-pad.blogspot.com
Wonderful post!
Mmmmm…my tip would be to hop on a plane somewhere sunny and wear your summer frocks and sandals to your heart’s content.
Failing that I always wear leggings under my maxi dresses.
Now I love Kirstie Allsopp as much as the next girl but that Twitter post and her support of the Toff (whoops, I mean Tory) Party just go to confirm that the girl’s a total dimwit.
Vix
xxx
I am forever indecisive in the summer. Winter is so easy, no matter how unpredictable the weather is, it’s so easy to wrap up warm and not get caught out.
I keep meaning to get some pale tights; I’ve lived in leggings for so long I have totally neglected my tight draw. I remember I used to own the most beautiful floral H&M pair they would have been perfect for this time of year, but I have a strange feeling I got rid of them one day when I was having a mad clearout.
p.s I love Kirstie Allsopp, particularly her homemade home programme x
very pretty!
Thanks for the tips. And I love how you styled your pretty dress to make it weather-appropriate. xoxo
LOVE this outfit ^_^
Wise advice.. I am proud to say that I do follow most of these steps, but I learned a few more ‘tricks’ to beat the cold thanks to you!
xx Iris
Great tips. I wish we had more reliable weather, I’ve got so many dressed I need bare legs for!
Wonderful tips & I’m loving the outfit. Hope you’re doing well! xx
Wonderful outfit as always and some very handy tips! I have to agree that layering is key, so useful to keep warm and as soon as the sun comes out you can just peel away like an onion. I’m still swearing by my thermal vests 😉
– Anna Jane xxx
Thanks for the advice! I am so bad at transitional weather dressing. I think layering really is the key though!
I absolutely love the addition of this question and answer feature on A Little Bird Told Me. This advice is spot on – I am ALWAYS layering!! 🙂
absolutely, I’m going crazy with this hot/cold thing! It’s not fair to be smelly AND cold because while marching along in the sun you were hot and now the icy is poking your soft exposed scarfless flesh… bluagh!
*icy wind!
I love this outfit! Especially the polkadots 🙂
awesome tips and lovely outfit! one of my secret weapon to fight to cold is wear tights underneath skinny jeans lol
xxjess
I like the idea of pastel tights for spring (even when it feels like winter).