5 Ways to Transition Your Style from Spring to Summer
As the days get longer and the weather gets hotter, it's only appropriate that your wardrobe changes to match the climate. This is the time of year when dark denim gets shelved until fall and in its place comes the flowy skirts and flirty, light-weight cotton dresses. Out go the winter hues of brown, gray and navy blue and in comes colors reminiscent of what's happening outside, from pastel pinks and yellows to bold reds and oranges. But by the time we've reached the end of spring, most of us are ready for a summer wardrobe pick-me-up. Here are five ways to transition your style from spring to summer.
5: Organize Your Closet
If you skipped this task during spring cleaning, then the beginning of the summer is the perfect time to tackle it. By getting your wardrobe organized, you'd be surprised how many new outfits you can make out of clothes you already own.
Start by taking your jeans and pants out of piles and hanging them in order of lengths. If you have the closet space, it's worth the investment in hangers to be able to see them all together. Next, hang shirts by color or by sleeve length, depending on how you choose your outfits. Organize dresses by how much top they cover, starting with spaghetti straps and ending with long sleeves. Then put all of the scarves that you wear frequently on one hanger and belts on another for easy access.
4: Focus on Fabrics
As 2012 in much of the United States can attest, spring has its fair share of unpredictable weather. For this reason, a stash of lightweight sweaters is most likely still taking up space in your armoire. As summer comes, it's time to put away those wools, denims, tweeds and corduroys and lighten things up. Even silk should be moved to the back of the closet. While it does breathe well, it also soaks up moisture showing all your sweaty areas. Summer favors flowy fabrics made of cottons and jersey knits.
3: Look for Inspiration
Nothing helps you freshen up your style like looking for inspiration from others. Flipping through the pages of fashion magazines is a great way to start. Fashion blogs offer daily doses of inspiration and often clue you into whatever is hot at the moment. And, of course, sites like Pinterest could keep you busy all day admiring different outfits.
Keep an eye on fashion trends and start making a list of the ones you may want to incorporate into your wardrobe. While you don't want to let trends dictate your style, they may offer a fun way to step outside of your comfort zone and have some fun with your look.
The best way to transition your wardrobe in and out of any season is to make sure you have a versatile and ample stash of basics, like solid colored T-shirts and neutral colored bottoms that you can mix and match with whatever seasonal pieces that you bring in. That way, if you want to play with color or pattern for your summer look, you'll always have something to go with it. This makes it possible to create entirely new outfits, mostly from clothes you already have in your closet.
You know how most home décor magazines tell you the easiest way to change up your home decorating scheme from season to season is by changing out accessories? Well, the same goes for wardrobe. Update how you usually wear a summery scarf by tying multiple knots in the length that hangs down. You can jazz up a tunic by adding a belt you've never worn with it or by tying a ribbon around the waist. Keep wearing your T-shirt basics, but add a whimsical bracelet or hat to funk it up a bit. You may want to change up your jewelry and makeup, too, to include brighter colors or even more minimal on the application.