How To Update Your Wardrobe This Spring

Photo Cred - Flats (pinterest, sincerely jules, pinterest, damsel in dior); Jeans (sincerely jules, Gal Meets Glam,  classyinthecity.com, Net-A-Porter); Off the Shoulder (Crystalin Marie, pinterest, a pair & a spare, The Style Bungalow, Harper and Harley); Bags (sincerely jules, Crystalin Marie, Sole Society, unknown); Sunglasses (Fashion Squad, VivaLuxury, Gal Meets Glam, VivaLuxury)

Today's post is not only about what to buy this spring but how to think about updating your wardrobe each season. Most of us don't want to do a full overhaul, just add a few items that give new life to what we already have. I wanted to detail how I make my wardrobe update decisions in hopes that it can help you with adding some new pieces into your collection. Now let's get to it!

Seasonal Wardrobe Updates

As it always is when the seasons change, there are so many trends out there right now. Walking into a store of coming to a retail site can be overwhelming. Just trying to think about what to buy when there are so many shiny new styles vying for your attention (and wallet). My secret weapon - planning...and the notes section of my phone. 

What I do at the start of a new season is look for new inspiration, usually on Pinterest, and pick out some outfits that I really love. I look at these outfit ideas and say to myself - "If I could wear any outfit right now, which one would I want to wear?" Then I take a good look at the pieces in that chosen outfit - do I own those items already? Sometimes I do, and it is just a matter of mixing things up in a new way that I haven't tried before and I can achieve that look I really liked. Other times I notice that there are a few pieces that show up in multiple looks that I like, and that I don't already own. When something is popping up in my 'wanted outfit' list again and again I take notice. I will keep a note within my phone of the different items I have in mind to buy. I keep a mental tally of all the outfits and times I wished I had that item on the list. When it is a lot of times, I know I have a winner. The note also helps with impulse buys - if it's not on the list, I clearly haven't been thinking about it seriously enough to want to buy it.

My Picks For Spring 2016

 After going through my note process for spring shopping, I look again for inspiration on Pinterest. This time I’ll type in the item in question – “Lace-Up Flats” and see how other people are wearing it. If I find tons of outfit inspiration I like, I know that this is an item I will be able to wear multiple times and multiple ways. 

After all this research and decision-making, I have picked my top 5 key pieces to buy this spring, as you can see in the image above. My picks are from a few different categories – bottom, top, shoe, bag, sunglasses, so depending on which items you already own may want to skip some of these. But the point is, you can add any one of these pieces to an existing outfit and just like that you are on-trend and ready for Spring 2016.

So, now there's only one thing left to do - get these items into your closet pronto! I have pulled some of my top picks together below. 

Hint: Hit the arrow on the right side of the shopping items to see more options!

The Lace-Up Flat
I was seeing this style all over Instagram and Pinterest and at first was not sure how I felt about it. The more I saw it worn with skirts, dresses, jeans, shorts - I knew I needed a pair myself. Crystalin Marie, self-proclaimed lover of the lace-up flat, suggested I go with the Halogen pair from Nordstrom and I love them. For $90 they were a happy medium between the expensive and the bargain and they are really, really comfortable. You can find this style for anywhere from $40 to $500, so don't let the price sway you from trying this style!

Boyfriend Jeans
They have been around a few seasons, still going strong. I love how they add an easy, nonchalance attitude to any outfit. Plus, they look great with the lace-up flats! This season the trend is towards a more saturated wash with lots of distressing. I recently ordered these Blank jeans after seeing them on countless bloggers and instagrammers. Stay tuned for how they work out!

Off-The Shoulder
This style was around last year for spring/summer but has officially reached peak status this year. You can find off the shoulder dresses and blouses everywhere from Forever21 to designer level. So you can decide how much you want to invest in the trend

Saddle Bag
A saddle bag is classic and timeless. I love how a caramel-colored leather goes with whites, faded denim and sunglasses. Also available in a range of prices, I particularly love Sole Society's perforated version, which is a steal for $60.

Illesteva Sunglasses
This breaks with my picks a little as it is a particular brand and not a general style. I have been seeing sunglasses all over the place on blogs, instagram, pinterest that I love and every time I look to see who makes them they are Illesteva. If I get one new pair of sunglasses this season it is going to be these.

Have you done any spring shopping yet? What are the top things you are looking for? Any ideas for me are greatly appreciated!