When it comes to transitioning your wardrobe from this awful winter into spring, I can pretty much guarantee that the ONLY item you need is a serious statement coat. Spring dressing for me is all about great coats, jackets, and blazers. I invest in light, bright, long and short spring outerwear to throw over my winter weight trousers and cashmere turtle necks on cooler days, and use these pieces to cover up summer rompers, city shorts, and summer sleek dresses.
With a statement coat you instantly expand your spring wardrobe out of the clothing you already own. I purchased this great robin’s egg blue romper last year wore it throughout the summer months, but on a cool afternoon here in Palm Beach decided that using it as a bright base to a stunning print would completely reinvent the piece and add a little boyish structure to the whimsical pink crane print of the kimono coat. Layering is key throughout the spring, but I know that this piece is a lot of coat, and so it can easily speak for itself over matching cream trousers and a blouse or a simple winter white dress, and of course over sleek skinny jeans and nude pumps. If statement coats intimidate you, just remember these few things when shopping for your Easter Egg shaped/colored/printed coat:
1. Shape
I love the oversized menswear inspired blanket-like coats of the past winter, but carrying that trend into spring it of course impractical. That is why I love the kimono cut, or what I like to call the Easter Egg cut. It has a wonderful structure that can feel blousy and chic, but never like you drowning in fabric, i.e. that woman whose small little head looks like it’s popping out of a duvet… But if the kimono is not your cut, try looking for the timeless trench. Look for a nicely weighted collar, well lined inside so that the coat keeps it shape, and make sure the belted mid section hits pretty perfectly at the smallest part of your waist. If it’s just a little off though, remember your tailor is that coat’s best friend, and those belt loops can be easily adjusted to fit your figure.
2. Color
Think clear colored pastels that make your eyes pop. Rich lavenders, blush pinks, bright yellow, and baby blues are excellent options that work with almost every hair color and skin tone. They also pair extremely well with camels, grays, and neutrals making those winter holdovers feel instantly fresh and flowery. *Tip try switching to tortoiseshell sunglasses when the flowers start to bloom, which will warm up your skin tone and hair color, and tie in your easter-egg colored coat* Having trouble determining if the color is right for you? The easiest way to judge is if when you put the coat up to or next to your face, do you look more awake and clear eyed, or do you see darkness or gray underneath your eyes. If it’s the latter, it’s just not right, but the former? Check, and checkout.
3. Prints
If you are as excited about the prints and patterns this spring as I am then finding a printed statement coat must be at the top of your spring shopping to do list. Think bold and big when it comes to repeated motifs. These season is all about wide bias stripes, abstracted birds and nature themes, texture invoking prints, and dip dyed or color blocked elements (sleeves, lapels, hems, and cuffs). Rule of thumb: If it looks like it could and should be painted on an easter egg… then your golden.
