The Spring Thaw - Part One

Last year around this time, I took to this blog to rant about our extremely slow-arriving, Canadian Spring. Our lawn chairs had not yet begun to emerge from their snowy mantles in the backyard, and my hush puppy boots were not about to be replaced by kicky open-toed sandles.

Well, I have to say, this year we've been pretty lucky. So far. I cringe as I write this, knowing I may just be tempting fate (and Mother Nature) just a little too much. For all I know, we'll get the blizzard of the century tomorrow morning. But for now, the above-zero temps and the disney-esque chirping of birds in the morning (let alone the fact that there's actually LIGHT outside when I wake up now!) have gotten me into a Spring frame of mind.

That's right! Bring out the candy-coloured trenches, the Audrey Hepburn capris, and the chiffon camis. Hell, I even went so far as to get a pedi yesterday in anticipation of slipping on open-toed shoes sometime soon!

Now, let me insert a small note of caution into this blatant Spring merriment. As I mentioned, tempting Mother Nature around here at this time of the year is inherently dangerous. As a result, I don't advise anyone to throw themselves full throttle into Spring style. No, just as the Spring thaw is slow and steady, so is the transition into warmer-weather wear.

So here's part one of a series of ways I think we colder-climate ladies can cautiously creep away from our heavier, more structured winter wear to our flirtier, more fluttery flights of fashion fancy.

The first strategy: During the winter, we pair our all-season jackets with button-downs and turtlenecks. Spring is the time to wring the most use out of those jackets by pairing them with lighter, frothier tops - an almost universally flattering look and a great celebration of Spring, especially when it includes a piece with a splash of brilliant colour.

Here are a few combos I've come up with:













Pair this teal Priorities jacket from Bluefly.com with...














...this Vince silk cami from Nordstrom






















Or this Adam plus Eve jacket from Bluefly...














...with this Kenneth Cole NY silk tank from Nordstrom




















Try this structured navy Classiques Entier piece from Nordstrom...


















...with the flowy, delicate floral of this Chelsea Flower cami from Bluefly



















How about the rich jewel tone of this Halogen jacket from Nordstrom...











...with the smart abstract floral print of this BCBGMaxAzria top from Nordstrom






















This beautiful, bright piece from Nanette Lepore @ Nordstrom...















...with the muted florals of this St. John Collection silk shell from Nordstrom





















You could pair the muted tweed of this DKNY blazer from Nordstrom with...















...with this Elie Tahari floral cami from Bluefly










I hope these options have inspired you a bit as we thaw our way slowly out of Winter and into the glory of Spring! Enjoy the crocuses, robins, and boatloads of Easter chocolate!