It looks like Spring has finally graced us with its presence and although this weird undecided weather would definitely suggest otherwise, the daffodils and the blossom tree in my front garden are for sure onboard with the season change! Since we’ve also had the clocks spring forward an hour too, it of course means that we’ve managed to gain more daylight (yay), and for someone who works an array of weird shift patterns this is such a blummin’ dream for me. Like most people i find myself more productive when the sun is shining or the weather is just that little bit better in general. It definitely gives me that boost of motivation i meed to get up out of bed and get stuff done! With all these switch ups that are going on, i thought it was the perfect time to chat about the what new season trends are ahead of us and which of those are sticking around!
For me this time of year can be a real pain in the derrière when it comes to figuring out what the heck to wear, and i’ve found myself raking through my wardrobe multiple times and having melt downs because I ‘can’t find anything to wear’. Which is obviously stupid, i mean i have clothes. With this in mind i took a deep breath and went through my wardrobe with a fine tooth comb. My aim was to figure out roughly what’s missing, what i no longer need and to dig down in to the deep dark depths to find the items that have been neglected, and made a mental note to bring them back to life. I have to admit during this process i found items still with the labels on, (this is not okay) from over the years where i’d intended to save it for the right occasion – which clearly never came. There were even items in there that made me have that ‘what on Earth was you thinking’ or ‘why did you not send this blummin’ thing back?!’ moment. In the end i managed to rack up a hefty Charity pile, a throw away pile, a sell on Depop (link to my profile is *here*) pile and a keep pile. I always stick by the rule that if i haven’t worn it or even thought about wearing it in the last year then i definitely do not need it.
As of late i’ve been making a conscious effort to try to be better with what i’m buying and wasting and not just in the fashion aspect of my life, but in the day-to-day too. We are too excessive and it’s gotten so crazy. Have you watched Attenborough lately and seen our poor planet?! By no means am i preaching and i’m definitely not doing everything i possibly can by any stretch, but every little helps! To aid with this i’ve also been trying to buy items of clothing that i know for sure that i will wack out year after year, season after season.
As well as this i’ve also been making sure i get my use out of older clothes by mixing them with new in items, accessories and shoes to style them up in fresh ways and make them feel brand new again. I’ve noticed whilst going through my wardrobe how my style has evolved and how i’m so much more comfortable these days in my fashion choices and i am definitely more confident than i’ve ever been. My mantra is ‘if you put an outfit together and it makes you feel confident and happy then rock it because who is anybody else to tell you otherwise?!’
Now don’t get me wrong i’m not saying i don’t like to buy new things and if you’re like me and you’re a sucker for the ‘New In’ section of both the online retailers and in store, then you’ll be familiar with some of the bits that are floating around at the moment for Spring. I’ve found myself gravitating towards a good handful of this season trends, and have found that some of them are ones which have been hanging around for a while now, which means we can get wear out of some of the pieces we already own *yaay*. With that said there are definitely some new kids on the block, and I’ve been really enjoying seeing all the newness styled up and have been getting all the inspo as of late. So with all of that in mind let’s talk all things New In and get on to the nitty gritty regarding the new trends that have hit our retailers. The trends i’ll mention are just the ones that have stuck out to me the most personally since the Spring peices have been released – but of course there are so many more out there. These are simply the ones i’ve been getting the most inspiration from when i’m styling myself.
So can i get a drum roll please…
My Personal Favourite Stand Out Trends:
NEUTRALS // UTILITY/ BOILER SUITS // ANIMAL PRINT // NEON // TAILORING // RUFFLES & PLEATS// //THE SATIN SKIRT // COLOUR BLOCKING //TIE DYE //
Colours Of The Season:
SAGE GREEN, PURPLE, BEIGE PINK, ORANGE, DUSTY BLUE, YELLOW
(the aesthetics was looking great until i got to yellow and realised you can’t read it if i put it in that colour *face palm*
To break all of that all down let’s start with what seems like the most basic of choices – Neutrals. Now for me Neutrals are super fun to play with and I think most people would think that it just means all the beiges and whites and that means a super bloody boring outfit. But for me personally i think there’s so much fun to be had with these colours, especially when paired with a poppin’ (who am i Ariana Grande?!) animal print shoe or boot. Mix these two trends together and BAM you’ve ticked off two in one. I’ve found that mixing the oatmeal shade with white is also such a nice combination and I’ve been having a lot of fun styling this kind of colourway lately. I feel like it’s a really fresh take on a typically plain’ outfit but so easy to build on to add extra detail.
The utility trend is something i have been seeing a lot of lately and particularly in the way of boiler suits and more toned down Jackets and shirts. With the Utility trend it/ all about the boxy fit, usually natural tones, the pockets and an army-esque vibe. This is a great trend for someone who maybe isn’t as bold with their fashion choices (which is fine) or also a great trend to mix with something super bold like Animal Print or even Neon. As for boilersuits – well let’s be honest you can’t scroll through Instagram without seeing a babe rocking one, and although I’m still yet to find the perfectly fitted one for my 4ft11 self, i do think they look pretty bloody fabulous! A lot of boilersuits i’ve seen out there have incorporated the utility vibe and i’m here for it! This one *here* is an example of one of the ones i’ve been lusting over for quite a while now – do i take the plunge?!
I’m particularly happy that the Animal Print trend is sticking around because i bloody love myself any excuse to wear anything printed. For me it adds so much interest to any look, but you don’t necessarily have to go the whole shebang, you could just keep it more simple with just an accessory such a belt or a pair of earrings. For some extra interest you could even let some animal print shoes/boots do the talking and you can keep your outfit minimal. I have a pair of leopard print boots that are my absolute fail safes and they have seen me through 4 years and are still going strong. But my current love affair is with a pair of pointed toe faux snakeskin boots i bagged in the Topshop sale *drool*. They have the most interesting heel detailing and i’m utterly in love! If like me you love to be bold with your styling choices, then i would highly suggest clashing animal prints – i recently sported a leopard print top, white jeans and a zebra print belt and felt pretty damn great! The more the merrier!
Now the neon trend is something I’m still on the fence with. I think some people style it perfectly and although i’m not sure i see myself wearing a full bright green unitard anytime soon, i am on aboard with injecting a little pop of Neon somewhere within my style. I currently have one item that could pass for neon in the form of a blue lightweight jumper and mixed with a bit of Animal print i’d say i could just about nod to this trend. Let’s see how i get on with neon in the months to come!
Now Tailoring, particularly the blazer trend that is popular right now, is something i’m definitely onboard with. Checkered tailored pants with a band tee or a plain tee combined with a statement boot – can i get a yaaaas please?! I definitely have a love affair with Blazers and have one in my collection i’ve owned for probably 7 years now and it’s still a firm fave. Now finding a full two piece is the tricky part for me because of my height, and i usually end up having to wack out the wonder web to take the trousers up, but it hasn’t put me off and i am still on the hunt for the perfect suit. I just think a pair of tailored trousers look so badass with pretty much anything and i feel like i go in to dont-mess-with-me-i’m-an-independant-female mode whenever i rock this trend!
Moving on to the more sassy stuff with Ruffles and pleats. I mean they pretty much are what they say on the tin. Both of these trends are everywhere and with good reason because they add so much interest to every item and in particular the likes of blouses or satin skirts. I’m keen for it for sure! And speaking of Satin Skirts they are EVERYWHERE and i mean literally everywhere. I’m loving it because not only do they look badass with boots, they also look insane with trainers and give me ALL the Lily Allen vibes. I currently have three or four in my collection but my newest additions are a zebra print one you can find *here* and a champagne coloured one you can find *here* and i’m excited to style them up and give them some air time (just need the weather to improve please)
As for Colour blocking, this is something that is super simple to do, literally wear two different colours together and voila you’ve nailed it. But the interest comes when you start to pair colours that classically wouldn’t be seen together. Those that would be opposite on the colour wheel, for instance Red with Green, Blue with Orange, Purple with Yellow etc. This is when you would likely feel out of your comfort zone, but if you check out some of this seasons catwalk shows you can find all the inspo you need to pull off this trend!
Tie Dye is something that has come back around again and whilst it’s definitely not my all time favourite trend, i do think you can nod to it without having to go head to toe in the stuff! I have got a couple of items within my wardrobe, definitely a tshirt or two, so who knows maybe I’ll find some way to incorporate it back in to my style in some way.
So there we have it – a round up of some of the key trends gracing our retailers at the moment. Although trying out different trends and mixing up your style is a great way to get inspired there is also no pressure to take any of these onboard. You should wear whatever you want to wear and be whoever you want to be, so long as you’re happy. I also just want to add that if you’re wanting to cut back on your spending, carbon footprint or generally just want to be less excessive you should check out the charity and vintage shops. I think sometimes people forget that trends come back around through the years and you will definitely find some treasures in both of these types of shops!
Until next time,
Jade x
