Pretty Spring Things

Back to my regular programming or what I've been wearing and some of the pieces on my radar right now!

It hasn’t really hit home that it’s spring yet, so I thought it would be fun to make a quick list of delicate, pretty things to help us all look forward to temps warming up soon!

Wearing this Ambroise top from Sézane on repeat this spring with gold accessories that were a gift from Solch.

I doubt I’m alone in having been in a funk this spring, especially because it hasn’t felt like spring— other than the April showers that everyone in the Northeast has been whinging about as the Brits say and really fits the tone of the complaints here. In our collective defense, Philly/ NJ/ NYC has experienced unseasonably cool temps, and in my own defense I also spent spring break snowed-in in Vermont last week with my sister who lives there year-round and works as a scientist.

While we had a blast as we share a love of good food, k-dramas, and spicy romance reads, Gabby’s line of work calls for trekking through forests and rivers, so she doesn’t have a use for makeup or sundresses. While it was a nice break from my usual brainwave patterns, I was happy to see spring was in full swing when I returned to Philly and I could finally pack away my knit hats and puffy coats and begin pulling out blouses and frocks. (Meanwhile, poor Gabby is still contending with blizzard on top of blizzard up in Vermont.) Even if it’s still a teeny bit chilly here, it’s nothing compared to snow piled as high as my 2-year-old nephew!

I think all this gray spring weather and an even grayer spring break is why I decided to treat myself to this over-the-top floral corset blouse from Stories (affiliate link) when I got back. Have you ever seen anything more feminine or spring-like? It’s still available in all sizes but selling out fast!

I have some events coming up next week, and I’m excited to pair this corset top with high-waisted trousers or maybe a long feminine skirt like this one I picked up from Sézane (below). It sold out immediately in ecru, but it’s still available in most sizes in an equally classic light beige and other colors as well, and I think it has a timeless quality that makes it worth the investment.

I might even wear open-toed sandals if I have the chance to get a pedicure before the event, which I probably won’t as my son also has his science fair project due next week. I actually took a break from pedicures starting last August, and I’m not really eager to start up again. When did it become not a flex to have just plain healthy nails?! I’m also currently taking a break from manicures, but I actually enjoy those a little more. They take less time and I feel a jolt of happiness whenever I look down at pretty pops of color on my hands. (However, I don’t really stare at my feet too often, and I’m so into the Mary Jane trend, I could see not wearing open-toed shoes as often anyway this year.)

Speaking of pretty pops of color, I won’t have time to get my hair done before the event next week, so I’m going to try to learn how to do an updo from YouTube videos or failing that I’ll put my hair in a cute ponytail with either a ribbon bow or one of these cute bobbly geometric hair ties I first spotted in Anna Newton’s newsletter.

I was also thinking about trying to create an updo, because I’d also like to wear this showstopping choker from Solch to the event. It was a gift from the brand, and they complained that my hair covered it too much when I posted it (in the image above and the reel the image is taken from.) I do love the piece, so I want to make sure I honor my commitment to them and I think an updo will be a fun departure from my tendency to wear my hair down as a security blanket. Here’s an unobstructed view of the choker. It’s also on sale right now!

New on my radar this spring is the size-inclusive slow fashion brand Shelter out of Canada. I first heard about them through a creator in California whom I adore named Jen Griswold. Like a lot of small brands with sustainable values, Shelter is struggling right now and they’ve decided to put their whole inventory on sale in order to be able to put more of their spring/summer pieces into production. If you’re in the market for gorgeous, sustainably made basics like breezy linen pieces or this silk tank (below) in a shade of yellow I wish I could wear…

… or these beautifully constructed shorts that come in several shades and are retailing for only $29 right now, be sure to check them out!

Last but not least, I’ve been noticing a resurgence in the silk slip dress trend but in this iteration the slip dresses look more like lingerie than dresses. I guess it’s no surprise as anything 90s continues to dominate the fashion scene. Stars like Zoe Kravitz are even taking it as far as pairing the slips with tees beneath like Julie Delpy in one of my all-time favorite films Before Sunrise, and I can remember older cool girls like our family friend the supermodel Alice Dodd wearing those kind of daring dresses in the 90s while I stared in helpless admiration.

I never thought I’d have the nerve to wear one myself, but now, decades later, I find myself checking out options. It feels odd to say the version by Reformation is “affordable” as it’s priced at $278, but it is made from silk and a lot of other similar versions are more in the $400 range…

…or even higher like this $548 version by Doên or fast fashion versions made from polyester, which I’d choose to pass on. Another way around the steep asking price of course is to search for a vintage version of the dress or even look for a vintage slip that could pass as a dress like this one here or in this one in an on-trend shade of red here!

While I was in Vermont, I had some semi-deep thoughts about my spending and my closet. I packed in a hurry (it was my eldest’s science fair the day before spring break) and so packed unusually light and got by just fine with this Ambroise top by Sézane (below), a wool cardigan, a pair of sweatpants to take advantage of the hotel gym in the evenings, and two pairs of denim. While it is fun to add a pop of color and whimsy to my wardrobe now and then (like the puff-sleeve corset blouse at the top of this post), I do see myself paring down more and focusing more on quality basics over even vintage treasures or thrift finds. It felt light and free to have fewer options to dress every day, and I liked that feeling.

I also think I shop too much and have way too many options in general, not to mention that I know that shopping like that doesn’t align with my own values and is not the most sustainable thing. On a lighter, less fate-of-the-planet heavy note, I also notice I frequently regret impulse purchases anyway, so that’s another impetus to change my ways.

I’d love to know if you’ve ever tried a one-item per month challenge? Or tried not shopping for a set length of time like a month or even a year? How did it go? Did you learn any lessons from that experience and were you able to change your behavior when the challenge was up? Alternately, what’s on your wishlist this spring? Let me know in the comments below!