The Spring Essentials Everyone Needs

It is finally spring and the weather is definitely changing for the better, or at least it makes you think that before it changes back to being miserable. With the weather changing it is time that the wardrobe gets a bit of a refresh too as some of the items you wore throughout the winter won't be suitable for the upcoming weather. The really thick jumper you own, it can go away until next year as it really won't be needed. Plus as it comes to spring you want to add a little more colour into your outfits to keep them looking nice and fresh.

So here is what you should be adding or bringing back to your wardrobe for these upcoming spring months...

On the top

You aren't going to want to be sitting around in big thick jumpers these next few months as fingers crossed the weather is going to start getting warmer. But then again you aren't just going to want a wardrobe full of t-shirts as it isn't going to be that warm just yet. So here are some of the items you should have ready to reach for.

A Denim Shirt


There are a huge variety of denim shirts out there at the moment in all different styles and shades so I like to have a few options available. Currently I have a dark wash denim shirt & a grey one with a jersey hood, these just bring different styles to my outfits and mean I have a couple of options to reach for. Denim shirts can work perfectly with chinos and even jeans if styled right so you will hopefully get plenty of wear out of these. I am hoping to pick up a lighter one for this year just to add more options. 

A Denim Jacket


Similarly to the denim shirt you are going to want a decent denim jacket in your wardrobe. Again you are going to possibly want a couple of shades of these to give you a bit more of a variety. I opted for a light blue one as it is nice and lightweight & looks brilliant with a pair of chinos. I also have a black one with a bit of a Sherpa lining as this goes well with my black jeans, yes I go double denim with this one, but it also has a bit of added warmth due to the Sherpa lining. This is one I reach for more during autumn but I will be giving this more of a go for spring too as I think it could work.

A Lightweight Jacket

That big puffer jacket you wore all throughout winter, well that can go away now until later in the year. A good quality lightweight jacket is going to be perfect for the upcoming months and even if it does drop a bit cooler it is the perfect time to get layering, experiment with your style a bit. Just don't make the same mistake as I did, I paid around £70 a few years back for a red Adidas windbreaker, the first downpour it encountered I was soaked. It wasn't waterproof at all so I wasted money and had to go out and buy something that actually kept me dry. I ended up getting a sale coat for £5 from H&M Men and it is still serving me well, I would definitely take a look at H&M as they do some great products at reasonable prices. The one I have is a blue colour but I would love to find some similar in a black or grey colour.

Sweatshirts


As I said at the start of the post, you don't just want a wardrobe full of t-shirts as some days won't be as warm as others. A good selection of sweatshirts will make getting ready on those colder days a whole lot easier. A good sweatshirt can go with a variety of different bottoms you own and can be easily layered either with a denim jacket or a lightweight jacket so you can stay nice and warm if the weather does drop. A good selection for me would included some with bold prints, like the Tommy one above, some more subtle coloured ones and some with minimal branding on just to make a simpler outfit. Alongside sweatshirts hoodies are a great addition as they are easy to throw on over a t-shirt when it is cooler or when the temperature really drops you can layer them really easily. There are plenty of hoodie options out there and there may be a post coming up about the best hoodies out there and ones you should have in your wardrobe so keep an eye on here for that post.

Short Sleeve Shirts


Of course you are going to have some long sleeve shirts in your wardrobe as you probably wear these for work or nights out but how many short sleeve shirts do you own? Shirts with short sleeves can easily be overlooked but you can pull off some great looks with them. I have a couple from Primark which were printed, I have some Marks & Spencer ones but my favourite is my Primark grandad style shirt as it has no collar & goes really well with chinos, checked pants and even my jeans. I have had this one for years and it is still going strong, I often wear this open with a t-shirt underneath but it does look really good buttoned up too, keep an eye on here as I may do a blog post about styling it and I am sure it will end up on my Instagram grid/stories at some point too.

Plain T-Shirts


Some thing that I have started to add to my wardrobe lately is plain t-shirts they are great for a smarter/cleaner look and if you get the right fit they can look perfect. I tend to stick to black, grey & white t-shirts but I am hoping to add a few more over the spring months to add a bit more colour but as long as you have the basics you are covered. You want to try get t-shirts that aren't going to lose shape easily and where the colour won't fade too much... I am still on the look out for the perfect t-shirts. The fact they are plain just means they are a bit more versatile too as you can use them for layering and they will go with 90% of your closet whereas with some printed t-shirts you will be limited to what you can wear them with.

Polo Shirts

Another item I really need to add into my wardrobe is some polo shirts. I went through a phase of not liking polo shirts as I had to wear them for work daily but now my mind is starting to change about them. I currently own a black North Face one but I am really hoping to add some more to my wardrobe. I think a navy blue or white one would be perfect for the spring months and they will go with a variety of outfits. I think polo shirts are an item often overlooked as it is part of most peoples wardrobe as it is their work uniform but you can find some great quality ones these days.

On the bottom

I tend to live in black skinny jeans at the moment but in the warmer months I really want to mix it up. I want to start experimenting with my style more & try wear different pants instead of just living in the jeans, you never know it might also end up warm enough to wear some shorts, fingers crossed for that part. But here are the pants you need in your wardrobe...

Blue Jeans

Black skinny jeans are just no good in the warm weather, you will just feel too warm and restricted in them at times. Over the years I have tried to incorporate lighter blue denim jeans into my wardrobe. I have some baggier boyfriend fit jeans that are still going strong and some ripped skinnies too. Just having a lighter colour opens up to more outfit combos and the different fits mean you aren't just looking the same over and over again. 

Chinos 


An item I always overlooked is chinos but I am trying to wear them much more often. They just smarten up an outfit and look a lot more sophisticated than wearing jeans all the time. Team them up with some nice sneakers or boots and you have a great outfit. The colours I would recommend are khaki, navy & even grey, these colours look fantastic, throw on a decent polo shirt with them and you have a brilliant outfit, they work great with your plain t-shirts & sweatshirts too. 

Checked Pants


An item I fell in love with during 2019 has to be checked pants. These are fantastic for all weathers as you can find them in all thicknesses. You can get light patterns or dark patterns with big checks or little checks. Team these up with your polo shirts or plain t-shirts and you will have another great outfit put together.  



On your feet

No outfit is complete without something good on your feet. Throughout the summer I tend to wear a lot of sneakers and I have some that really stand out but if that isn't for you then some nice simple pairs will come in handy over the next few months. Here are the sorts of footwear you should be looking at in the next few months. 


Plain White Sneakers


A clean white pair of sneakers look good with 90% outfits plus they smarten up the whole look. If you have a Primark near by definitely take a look at the footwear these all white sneakers from the men's section were a bargain and so comfortable. In fact they were so good I wrote a full post about them which you can read here. There are plenty of options out there for all white sneakers which cover all budgets so there is no reason not to have a pair. I think I am going to try some all black/black & white ones too as I think they could make some of my outfits look even better. 

Chelsea Boots

If you don't feel like wearing sneakers all the time another great footwear option is definitely Chelsea boots. A pair of black or brown ones can really make an outfit look a whole lot smarter and makes it seem a bit more put together. I tend to mainly wear my Chelsea boots if I am going to a party or if I need to look a bit smarter. I have found that they look great with my checked pants or black skinny jeans.

No Show Socks

A big one I have discovered since last year, I went through a phase of only wearing Nike socks for a period of time but now they a reserved specifically for the gym as that is where they belong. The only exception for wearing them maybe if they fit better for an outfit choice but I doubt that will happen. I will be spending my time wearing no show socks from now on as they look so much better with the sneakers I wear. I don't want people looking at my socks sticking out at the top of my shoe I want them focusing on my sneaker. The best no show socks I have found cover the top of your foot and have grips on the heel as it stops them falling down.   

Accessories 

Every good outfit is finished off with some great accessories and with the warmer weather you are going to be showing off your wrists more than usually if you are wearing t-shirts so you don't want to look too plain you want something to draw peoples attention especially if you are wearing a simple outfit. So here are the accessories you are going to be wanting to reach for...

Sunglasses

The warmer weather brings the sun out a whole lot more and nothing tops off an outfit more than a good pair of sunglasses. My go to pair are my Ray Bans, I have had them for a few years now and they are going strong. You can get so many styles across all price ranges so make sure your eyes stay protected from that sunlight and rock a great pair of sunglasses. Topman is another shop I often pick sunglasses up from as they are really affordable.

Bracelets 

As I said before if you are going to be wearing t-shirts your wrists are going to be pretty bare, a watch could definitely change this but I have found that even layering the watch with a bracelet just adds to an outfit. You are going to want bracelets for all occasions, smarter ones like silver/rose gold ones can look fantastic for a dressier look and you can either go chunky or slim with them but I love to go for the festival style ones for the more casual outfits as it gets warmer as they can look brilliant. Again Topman are great for some reasonably priced bracelets with plenty of variety.

So there you have it those are the things I believe everyone should have ready for the warmer months. I know that I will be experimenting with my style a lot more over the next year especially as the weather gets better and these items are all ones I am going to be reaching for and styling.

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