Hold off before you pack away all your outerwear at the end of winter! You just might need to keep some on hand for spring!
With a gradual transition of temperatures between seasons, you’ll need layering options, especially on those crisp and chilly spring mornings. But if your layering pieces all lean towards dense and bulky, you probably won’t want to employ these in your spring outfits, and instead need to seek out some lighter layering pieces that do the job of keeping you warm when needed, but can easily be peeled off when you need to stay cool. We’re talking spring cardigans, spring jumpers and ladies’ spring jackets.
In this article, we’ll look at what differentiates spring layers from winter, and cover some go-to styling ideas to make your spring outfits stylish and easy!
Spring Coats & Jackets
Yes, you can pack away those dense wool coats, faux fur coats, puffer jackets, and generally any coat that shouts winter. What you can keep on rotation are:
- Trench coats
- Faux suede coats
- Faux leather jackets
- Double-breasted jackets
- Blazers
- Denim Jackets
- Utility jackets
Why? You basically don’t want to feel weighed down and overly warm during spring. And those heavy-duty winter coats and jackets just won’t pair well with your lighter and brighter spring garments.
But, we might still need a touch of warmth, especially in the evenings. Let’s look at styling ideas for spring coats and jackets.
Styling spring coats and jackets:
There are endless options when it comes to styling outerwear during spring, but here are some tried-and-true possibilities:
Blazer
For a polished look fit for a variety of settings, including the workplace and spring racing events, pair a tucked-in floral blouse with wide leg trousers, and a blazer. Opt for a blazer in a colour that works well with the colours in your blouse’s print (eg. a light lemon yellow blazer with a yellow floral print, or rose pink blazer if your blouse includes pink flowers.
To amp up the casual vibe, push or roll up your blazer sleeves.
Another cute look is a t-shirt tucked into shorts, layered with an oversized blazer and paired with sandals or even cowboy boots. Wear a statement belt with the shorts to tie the look together.
Denim Jacket
A look that always looks fresh and youthful is a floral dress (can be a max or midi dress), with a light-coloured denim jacket (blue, white, pink). Wear with sandals, white canvas sneakers or wedge heels, and a canvas or faux leather bag. To add definition at the waist, belt the dress, or else choose a denim jacket with belt included.
Trench Coat
The trench coat is the perfect coat for spring, as it’s lightweight. Due to the shape of a trench coat (it’s belted at the waist), a wrap midi dress is the perfect pairing, as it also draws in at the waist, and is a similar length to the trench. Style with heels and a neutral clutch.
Note, lightweight trench coats work well during the day. At night, you could opt for a faux leather or faux suede trench coat for a more striking evening look.
Double-Breasted Jacket
For a slightly formal look for special occasions (e.g. a spring racing event), pair a fit-and-flare dress in a spring print (flowers, polka dots, stripes) with a double-breasted jacket*. Add low closed-toe heels, pearl earrings and a faux leather clutch.
*When choosing a double-breasted jacket for spring, opt for lightweight fabrics, like cotton, linen, polyester, or a blend.
Faux Leather Jacket
For a chic look with a rebellious edge, a faux leather jacket always does the trick. Pair an A-line skirt (floral if you want spring vibes) and knit top with a vegan leather jacket. Add white sneakers or ankle boots, statement sunnies and a satchel.
Utility Jacket
Keep it casual by pairing your utility jacket with light coloured jogger pants (white, pale blue, pink etc.), and a striped t-shirt or linen shirt. Add comfortable runners or sandals for an easy, laid back look.
When choosing colours and fabrics for your spring utility jacket, opt for neutrals that don’t look too heavy (think khaki, olive, sandy beige). Navy, though heavier, always works.
Spring Jumpers
Lightweight knit jumpers are an easy option during spring. You can opt for a pastel hue, or else try spring knit sweaters with patterns, like flowers or stripes. Crochet knits also look really lovely in spring, especially if they include floral embellishments.
For an easy outfit, wear an oversized knit jumper with wide-leg pants, sneakers and a tote bag. Opt for a pastel-coloured jumper to keep with the spring vibes.
For a more elevated knit jumper look, wear a collared floral, striped or boho shirt buttoned all the way up beneath your knit jumper, with the shirt collar peeking out over the top. Loosely tuck your top layers into a denim or faux leather skirt. Add ankle boots, statement jewellery, and a light shoulder bag.
Don’t forget knit vests! Though not jumpers, vests can be a really handy layering option for spring, especially as they’re sleeveless, so you’re less likely to overheat!
Try a knit vest over a white t-shirt, black shirt, colourful blouse, or over a print dress. Even without a base layer, worn with just a skirt or jeans, a knit vest offers a stylish and confident look for spring.
Spring cardigans
Women’s cardigans are an indispensable layering piece at any time of year, but in spring, especially so. This is because, with unpredictable spring weather, a cardigan can easily be added to an ensemble, and removed as needed. It’s not heavy or overly warm, and you can choose to button your cardigan up or leave it undone, according to the temperature. In addition, a lot of spring cardigans are made in very lightweight knits and fabrics, so you can really take your pick of what will work best with your outfits.
When we think of cardigans, we tend to think of knit cardigans, however there are other women’s cardigan varieties made in fibres like polyester and elastane, that have a little stretch to them, and are lightweight. You can opt for longline cardigans, that work really well as layering pieces in work outfits, and short or crop cardigans, that work well in spring casual ensembles. There are also cardigans available in lightweight linen, which look gorgeous over a t-shirt, with linen pants or jeans, and lace cardigans, that look good with spring dresses.
If opting for a knit cardigan in spring, try for lightweight knits, and consider choosing a lighter colour palette than you wore in winter. (Cardigans in pastel pink and blue are always trending in spring. As are cardis in neutral colours, which can work well with a range of staple pieces.)
Styling a spring cardi:
Cardigans pair well with a range of items, including casual jeans, skirts, dresses and tailored pants.
On-trend cardigan looks are:
- Embroidered cardigan over the top of a white midi dress or midi-length skirt. This is a look that catches the light, and is immediately feminine. Pair with low heels and a cute clutch purse or chunky handbag.
- V-neck knit cardigan layered over a buttoned-up shirt, and paired with neat jeans or tailored pants, and a blazer or trench.
- A monochrome combination of pants, top and cardigan for a streamlined and eye-catching look. (It doesn’t have to be all black or all grey. You could opt for pastels in spring, for example pastel blue pants with pastel blue shirt and pastel blue cardigan on top.)
The button up shirt
We don’t normally talk about women’s shirts as outerwear, but in spring, a ladies shirt can make for a great layering piece. Not only does it offer coverage to the arms, but it isn’t heavy and cumbersome, so it feels light to wear, and you can easily take it off and carry it over your arm or shoulders, around your waist, or in your bag.
A collared, button up women’s shirt has a crisp look to it, which brings a polished edge to an outfit. It can be the final layering piece over a tank, t-shirt, long sleeve top or dress, or it can be just one of a collection of layering pieces in an outfit.
Styling a shirt:
There are just so many cool ways to layer a shirt! Some of the classic options are:
The french tuck: Wear your shirt over a tank top, turtle neck or t-shirt, and button approximately half the shirt. At the bottom of the shirt, tuck just the front of your shirt into some high-waisted tailored pants or an A-line or pencil shirt. (This is not the only shirt tucking method out there. Research them on YouTube!)
Shirt as jacket: Wear your shirt unbuttoned as you would a jacket, over a dress, t-shirt, long sleeve top and so on. This look works with a variety of bottoms, including shorts, skirts and trousers.
Shirt tied at waist: Leave your shirt unbuttoned at its base, then knot your shirt at your waist. This creates definition at your waist, and works well over maxi and midi dresses. It also looks good with distressed denim jeans. You might want to wear a camisole or tank beneath your shirt when trying this look.
The “shirt sandwich”: This layering combination is a great method for adding texture and depth to an ensemble, especially when you play with contrasting colours and fabrics. Sandwich your shirt between other layers to create a stylish look. Options could be:
- Turtle neck top + shirt + blazer
- T-shirt + shirt (with a few buttons undone) + trench coat
- Lace camisole + shirt (unbuttoned at top) + cardigan
- Shirt + jumper (with shirt collar popping out the top and hem hanging beneath jumper) + blazer
With the shirt sandwich, you can also play around with texture and colour. For example, you can match the colours on the inner and outer layers (e.g. blue turtle neck and blue blazer) with a red shirt in between, which adds contrast.
You can also play with textures, to add visual appeal. For example, a silk camisole with a cotton shirt and a linen blazer.
Layering Fun Times at Femme Connection
Need layers for spring? We have layers aplenty at Femme Connection! Whether you’re after stylish women’s spring coats and jackets, spring-flavoured jumpers and cardigans, or knit vests and shirts, we have it all in a range of sizes and fabrics.