It’s always around this time of year, when the weather is starting to show glimmers of change, that I panic and forget what I ever wore before Winter cascaded over the land, and my life. The days of wearing my cherished faux furs are almost over but it’s not quite warm enough to wheel out that old Spring favourite, the denim jacket. So, when I’m styling up a look for early Spring disguised as Winter, what do I look for? That’s a tricky question, you know I’m a lover of the old juxtaposition. Whether it’s prints, textures or colours, I love a mismatch and the quirkier the better. Choose something unexpected and they’ll never see you coming, or maybe they will because if you’re anything like me it’ll be blue white and orange…
Ok, so, take one typical Summer dress – there are loads of these around right now, H&M & Urban outfitters lead the pack when it comes to print choice and they range from £35-£49, or if you’re not too bothered about print options then you can pick up this very one from Primark for just £14, if it’s not already sold out. Yes, before you say it I know there’s a big backlash about Fashion Bloggers and Influencers advocating for Primark because of what it does to the fashion industry in terms of hierarchy but on a surface level, I believe that if you’re interested in fashion and don’t have the resources to feed the runway, then fast fashion is absolutely an option. I shop at Primark myself and believe wholeheartedly that there’s a place for fast fashion in the industry. Can’t find this dress? Check out Groupon’s offers on Dorothy Perkins clothing for something in a similar style. I got you boo.
Ok, so now that’s out of the way, this button through, shoestring-strap sundress is my favourite of all the ones I’ve tried, that includes the more expensive versions at Marks and Spencer, Warehouse and Urban Outfitters. It has huge pockets at the perfect height to be functional, (so many items from Primark have the pockets way too high, like maybe their fit models are 5’5″) and the straps are adjustable, like bra straps. If you’ve read my Surgical Series, or if you know me IRL you’ll know that I absolutely hate exposing any chest. Décolletage, collar bones, however pretty you want to make it sound, it’s not on my list of body parts to show off. You can opt to wear this dress as it is, or if like me you like to cover that area, you can throw on a tighter fitting tee first.
If you’re styling it with a tee underneath, choose something that’s shorter in length, more form fitting and with minimal design on the front as it’s not that visible once the dress is over the top. This No Fake tee is made of uber light cotton so it doesn’t bunch up under the empire line. This particular dress has diagonal dart placement in the bust creating the illusion that flat chested girls like me, actually have more up top.
When it comes to prepping for Spring, layering is your top skill. Scratch people skills, social media and IT, layering is literally the skill at the top of your arsenal and the one that’s gonna score you the most style points. Get it right and you’ve got yourself two totally different looks, one on top of each other and the bolder you go, the better it is. My favourite top layer in this juicy combo is this orange knit sweater from Topshop which you can buy here. thrown straight over the top. The orange against the simple blue and white stripe might be too much for some, but for me it’s perfection.
My footwear of choice is my trusty cowboy boots, a Summer wardrobe staple of mine and something you’ll have seen in various guises in my other What I Wore posts – a girl literally can’t have too many cowboy boots. Low enough that you can walk around comfortably and versatile enough to pair with just about anything. These ones are from Topshop and the good news is that they get a refresh every year so you’ll always find them in store and online during the Summer months.
So what are you waiting for Voyeurs?! Spring is right around the corner…
Pixie x