It’s almost springtime (cue the “The Producers” soundtrack), and we all know what that means. Time to go shopping! Again. Let me paint the picture for you: you’re at (insert store of your choice here) and you’re seeing a million things you want—and every one of them is out of your price range. Maybe you blew your life savings on a coat last season, or a pair of shoes, or maybe something less practical, like an apartment. Whatever the issue is, you’re not in a position to be buying a new wardrobe. And why should you? Those jeans you’re wearing right now are still wearable. So is that dress you wore the other day. And that jacket, too. Spring is that wonderful time of year when it’s warm enough that you don’t need a legitimate coat but not hot enough that you’re thinking, “Can I please just be naked, I’m dying here.”As a person who does not have a personal income, I’ve become quite successful at repurposing articles of clothing each season. At the moment have to rely on gifted money and the profit I make from unloading the dishwasher to pay for my clothing and accessories. Livin’ the glamourous life.
Here are some ways to wear your favorite classic winter pieces…into the spring (while still being on-trend, no less!). What a concept, eh?
JEANS
Jeans are season-less, and evidently timeless. Ever since their creation in the 1850’s, they’ve become a staple in peoples’ wardrobes. We’re talking the same time period where people were still wearing corsets and crinolines; some dudes just come swaggering in wearing denim pants. What is this? Revolutionary, that’s what it is. I digress. Instead of wearing your blue jeans with a sweater and boots à l’hiver, try cuffing the hems and pairing them with a printed top like at Diesel Black Gold and/or a vest (vests are coming back, Alber Elbaz made sure of that), or a crop top (especially if they’re high-waisted pants). You could also tuck in a flimsy sundress just for kicks and trick people into thinking you’re wearing a shirt when in fact you are not. Pastel colored jeans are also a big deal for spring, as seen at Isabel Marant, the queen of cool, so I suggest giving those a whirl if you get the chance.
DRESSES
This one’s a bit backwards, isn’t it? In the cold weather months, you’re forced to wear your dresses with tights underneath and legwarmers up-to-there. Cute, but not always the most comfortable. The beauty of the dress itself is the freedom it gives the wearer, and if you’ve got a pair of pantyhose on underneath, pressing right up against your abdominal region, that’s not quite freedom, per se. I have this one dress from Urban Outfitters that I got a few years back that I’ve been wearing year round since its date of purchase. In winter, it gets the tights treatment, but in spring I pair it with some riding boots/Chuck Taylors/Christian Siriano for Payless slip-ons, my military jacket and a straw hat. Replace your shoe of choice, preferred jacket and favorite hat style (perhaps you’re a floppy girl, like those at DKNY?) you’ve got yourself a fail proof recipe for a delicious outfit. Scrumpdiddlyumptious.
JACKETS
Like I mentioned above, I’m a strong believer in the power of jackets. Okay, maybe not all that was implied but it has just now been stated. This is a fact. If you have a denim jacket, throw it over a dress or high-waisted jeans for a “Freaks and Geeks” look. If your jacket is made of leather, maybe you could channel Givenchy’s Fall/Winter 2012 collection and pair it with a leather skirt or trousers for a motorcyclist’s suit (spin-off on the Canadian suit). As opposed to your winter gorilla arms, courtesy of Maison Martin Margiela, I suggest layering with a scarf or a shiz ton of necklaces now that you don’t have to worry about your extremities freezing off.
SWEATERS
Sweaters, you may ask? Why yes—you can wear them any time of the year, really. I wore them in August this past year. Maybe that’s because it was uncharacteristically chilly for the summer in France, but regardless, knitted garments are spring material. My current favorite way to rock my grandma’s handmade pullover (hold the grandma, hold the handmade) is to wear it over a collared shirt and wear some cool pants. See: the entire Isabel Marant Spring/Summer 2012 collection. Or if you have one of those humongous over-sized sweaters that have been oh-so-popular as of late, you can wear it as a dress, perhaps with your collared shirt underneath if you’re feeling like channeling Carven and some beat up Converse or Keds.
Now you can spend those extra dollars you saved by not shopping on food, or hair care products, or perhaps silk pillowcases, something frivolous like that. (Disclaimer: I was kidding about the food part, in case you were about to go all fashion-people-are-anorexic on me.)
Images via style.com
