How To Dress for Spring in Vintage

 

I think Spring is such a pretty time of year and it's a great time of year to break out all the pretty vintage too. For me, Spring is a great time for feminine suiting, open clutch coats, floral hats, and light-colored gloves. For me, I will wear a mixture of true vintage and reproduction pieces depending on my needs and the weather. Although Spring often means sunshine and fair weather, it also means rain, wind, and rather unsavory weather as well. 

For me, the stable of any vintage Spring wardrobe has to be a light coat. Although Spring means warmer weather is on its way, there are still some cold days! You cannot beat a nice light weight coat in wool in a color that will go with so much in your wardrobe. A lightweight coat is great for layering too. When it is too warm to wear, then it can be draped over the arm. My personal favorite is this buttery yellow wool one. Now yellow may not seem like a wardrobe stable, I mean, it's not a neutral color in a traditional sense, but for my wardrobe it works. 

When it comes to footwear, my selection will depend entirely on the weather. When the weather is fair, no rain, I will wear my finer heels - open toes, etc. I will also wear my colored shoes including my white- or cream-colored shoes. When the weather is awful and raining, I will wear my reproduction shoes. I have a mixture of both true vintage heels and nice reproductions, and I use the weather to determine which I will wear. Other factors are what I will be doing and where I am going. What colors do I wear? Spring means all the colors to be honest- from black patent to brown to red, white, you name it. Spring is shoe season. 

Another Spring staple is the tailored suit. Although an expensive investment, a suit can be dressed up or down. It is also great for layering. When I started collecting vintage, my goal was to have a 1940s or 1950s suit in every color. About 10 years later, I think I can say I have hit that goal. I am very lucky! So, I have a whole suiting wardrobe to choose from. Come Spring, I can choose from a neutral suit to a brightly colored one. 

Suits are also great for layering and mixing and matching. A suit blazer can be worn over blouses, fine sweaters dresses. Although suits are a serious investment, they earn their pay with how many ways they can be worn. When Spring weather can be unpredictable, a suit is a nice choice because when it is cool, I wear the whole suit but as it warms up during the day, I will take the blazer off and just wear the skirt and blouse with the blazer over my arm. 

When it comes to Spring, I lean more with my suits than I do dresses. If it is extra warm and nice I will wear a dress, but this time of year is suiting season for me at least. 

Gloves! I love a vintage glove and I do wear them. Come Spring, my personal favorite is a good white or slightly off white to bone colored glove. I like to choose the white ones that have a detail on the back of the hand or a ruffle at the edge. Just that little detail can really make a glove more interesting. But I tend to wear my plain ones the most often. . .  However, I do have a whole selection of gloves in different colors I will choose from as well from time to time. 

A raincoat! Let's face it, Spring means rain. My raincoat is actually a modern trench coat. I inherited this trench coat when my grandma passed away, and I have found it to be incredibly practical! It keeps my clothes (and me) dry while still holding onto my vintage look. Often with it, a scarf tide over my head and ears. This coat is also a great example of how many modern or current clothes can still have that vintage vibe. 

Hats are the ultimate Spring accessory! They come in a multitude of shapes, sizes, materials, trimmings, and more. Personally, I love straw hats trimmed in flowers for spring. A beautiful thing about vintage hats is that they come in a variety of price points so odds are you can find a lovely vintage hat to suit your budget. I wear my vintage hats with almost all of my outfits - I seldom go without one. When the weather will not allow one, a scarf is a great alternative. A scarf protects my hair and keeps my hair do tidy. 

Overall, when it comes to dressing in vintage for Spring, I find it smart to dress in layers. To dress in layers, I like to choose tailored suit and clutch coats. To embrace the season, I like to pair with my suits white gloves and straw hats trimmed in flowers. To suit the weather, that boils down to wise footwear. When the weather is poor, I like to choose a darker shoe with a closed toe. When the weather is warm and fair, I will choose my lighter colored shoes with an open toe. Come spring, I do lean towards lighter colors, pinks, minty greens, golden yellows. Of course, black is an all-season wardrobe basic. I think a black suit or dress paired with a bright set of accessories is a great look. Even a black suit with all white accessories is very smart.