Spring hasn’t quite sprung yet in NYC but it’s trying its very best to make an appearance with sunshine-filled days and longer daylight hours, making me very excited and very impatient for warmer weather. For some warm weather manifestation, I decided to rework my closet in preparation for the coming season and pulled together a handful of spring-ready looks with pieces I would consider my spring staples. While they may not be groundbreaking, these are my tried and true must-haves for creating a classic but cool spring wardrobe foundation.
Trenchcoat
You’re probably sick of me talking about trenchcoats but that’s how much I consider them a necessary staple. They’re a great transitional piece and you can throw them on over literally everything - day outfits, night outfits, athleisure. My car-coat style trench is old Mango but I found two other similar styles here and here. For a more typical trench, Reformation has a really nice option.
Denim Shirt/Jacket
This is another piece I’ve mentioned incessantly so I’ll keep this short and sweet. It’s versatile, it’s timeless, it can be styled a dozen ways. My advice on fit: stay away from anything cropped and keep it loose and slightly oversized like this, this and this.
White tees
There are two types of white tees everyone should have. First is a slightly cropped, slightly fitted baby tee. I like to layer this under light knit sweaters for the chillier spring days. Brandy Melville was my go-to for basics, but I’ve found that they have to be replaced every so often due to discoloration. If you’re on the hunt for quality ones, Agolde, Leset, and Re/done have great options.
The second style is a baggy, oversized white tee. I go for this type of tee when I want to achieve a cool,relaxed look.
Light knits
Spring is the time to let your light knits shine and not be overshadowed by the coats they’ve had to hide under all winter. I’ve been looking to add more color into my wardrobe in an intentional way and basic knits feel like a responsible way to do that. This buttercup yellow makes me happy (also love this), and I’m also really into mossy green right now.
Denim
My spring denim trifecta: a classic straight, a cool girl baggy, and a white jean.
Miniskirts
A miniskirt + knit combo is perfect for those spring days when “it's not too hot, not too cold, all you need is a light jacket” (iykyk). A classic denim mini is fail-proof but yellow has been calling my name for the season, and this one would be so cute paired with a white tee and sandals. I also have this white leather mini I purchased last winter that I can’t wait to style once it gets warmer.
Ballet flats
It’s my personal mission to get everyone I know into ballet flats. They’re a forever classic and a great transitional shoe when sneakers are too casual and sandals feel too summery. If you’ve been holding off because you don’t think you can pull them off, I promise you, you can. A classic black with an elongated toe is timeless and universally flattering. I recently got this pointed toe pair that are great dupes for the Toteme ones. For those of you who don’t want to fully commit to the ballet flat style, try a slingback like this, this or this.
Mesh flats were the ultimate cool girl shoe last year, and I have a feeling they’ll be resurging again. I have a pair that are old Source Unknown but I love these Mango ones so much, I might have to get them for myself. For a more subtle mesh style, I have both this silver pair and these Le Monde Beryl stunners sitting in my cart. Do I need them both? No. Will I get them both? Absolutely.
Now that we’ve covered the staples, coming next is Spring Wardrobe part two where things get more fun. I’ll cover trends I’m leaning into for the spring and summer, vacation/resort wear, and fun accessories. Stay tuned!