How To Dress For Spring

This month’s newsletter is sponsored by Gap.

Greetings Spendthrifts,

No paywall today ‘cause I’m in a good mood 😁

I’ve also at the very last minute decided to split this month’s newsletter into TWO parts, as I got completely carried away and it had become so long I worried the second half might get a bit lost… So today’s newsletter is the fashion stuff, and I’ve scheduled the second half - featuring a few beauty recommendations and a tonne of culture ones - to go out next week.

Otherwise, this month’s newsletter is a big ol’ spring fashion bonanza, with a specific focus on helping you plug those tricky-to-fill springtime wardrobe gaps, divided into the three key categories that most effectively help me transition into spring (but which I also find trickiest to nail): jackets, shoes, and trousers.

And I imagine there are more than a few The Creative Pragmatist readers subscribed to this newsletter, in which case you’ll be pleased to hear that on Monday 27th April I’ll be in conversation with the wonderful Amy Smilovic (founder of Tibi) at Second Home in Shoreditch. We’ll be discussing her new book Almost Reckless, and the ins and outs of how she’s built such a successful creative business by trusting her gut.

I’ve written before in this newsletter about how Amy’s style philosophy transformed how I approach getting dressed, and I have every expectation that her new book will be similarly life-enhancing. The event is free to attend and you can register your spot here.

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This feature is brought to you by Gap.

Now, how soon is too soon to start thinking about holiday outfits? I’m in the middle of trying to line up various spring and summer trips, so naturally I’m also thinking about what I’ll be wearing on said trips. I really try to adopt a more measured approach to holidaywear and avoid the chaos of a last minute pre-holiday panic shop - and I especially try to buy items that can also work for London summers too, rather than some beaded crochet smock dress sarong thingy (or whatever) that I’ll maybe pull out once on holiday and never again. Enter Gap’s travel collection, a lineup of wardrobe essentials designed to be your staples on every trip.

I’ve picked a few of my favourite combos below so - let’s get into it.

First up, these striped linen cotton trousers which are giving French nautical maybe-I-own-a-boat vibes, paired with a white vest (they’d look good with something navy too IMO).

I’m wearing them with the blue jelly flip flops I bought last summer to add a bit of colour, a YSSO cord necklace, and some old Ferragamo shades (found ‘em for you on eBay).

And I suspect this navy t-shirt will be getting a lot of use from me this summer - it’s the perfect fit and stretchiness, and a really nice thickness too.

Here I’ve worn it with a pair of long denim shorts (sorry I refuse to call them ‘jorts’!!!) because I am firmly on board with the Bermuda shorts renaissance. [Side note: this recent New Yorker feature charting Zac Posen’s efforts to engineer a ‘Gapaissance’ in his two-and-a-bit years as the brand’s creative director is a really good read - full of insightful analysis on the role fashion plays within today’s cultural ecosystem.]

A few other bits from this collection that caught my eye: this oversized linen shirt, which is as good for a poolside cover up as it is for a visit to your favourite brocante (I always pack an oversized linen shirt for summer holidays, and it ALWAYS gets worn). And I like the silhouette and neckline on this brown linen camisole top, which makes it smart enough for dinner somewhere ‘nice’. I’d combine it with white on my lower half - perhaps the off white version of those linen trousers up top.

Happy holiday-ing!

All the things I’m buying, wearing and coveting as we move into spring.

I already have two excellent trench coats in my wardrobe so I won’t personally be indulging this spring, but if I did need a new trench I’d abide by these two rules: keep it on the longer side, below knee length; and stick to something on the greenish-grey-olive-khaki colour spectrum (it’s just a bit cooler than the traditional beige IMO). I’m deeply annoyed that this objectively perfect COS trench sold out before I could get it to you guys, although I’d set an alert to be notified of any restocks and move fast if/when the odd return comes back in (nearly always works for me with COS).

This Frankie Shop trench is also excellent, and I LOVE the neon pop on this (on sale!) Herno belted trench below - I feel like the belt sort of does the accessorising for you? Actually pretty tempted to get this one for myself you literally JUST said you have enough trench coats, Otegha.

There’s only one of these army green WARDROBE.NYC trenches left in stock on The Outnet (going for 70% off too, a VERY healthy discount). I’ve never really taken a proper look at Studio Nicholson as a brand but that might have to change because this trench coat is excellent, and perfect for anyone after something more pared-back and minimal.

And look, I don’t know where resale platform Curate & Rotate get their seemingly endless supply of deadstock Raey from but I also don’t care - this sage green trench (available in sizes 8-14) is so good I’d buy it even if you told me they ‘fell off the back of a truck’ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The kelly green lining is a really nice touch.

And finally, this chocolate brown suede trench from Rise & Fall is astonishingly well priced given the material and length (sidenote: I thought Rise & Fall was just a bedding and homeware brand but a friend recently tipped me off to their womenswear range which is very Toteme/Theory/Joseph coded, just less ££. I’m not doing tops in today’s newsletter but couldn’t resist including this yummy merino wool knitted vest, which has wardrobe staple written all over it).

I got a lot of DMs about the leather jacket above when I posted it to my Instagram stories a few weeks ago (it’s from Our Legacy but alas! a few years old), so I thought I’d find you a few more alts. Of importance: the boxy cut, which feels very Nineties-coded. In fact I think I bought that jacket specifically because of this photo of Rachel Green wearing an identical version:

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So - here is a really good high street version (probably the best high street option I’ve seen actually, and at time of writing 15% off). Although hang about - maybe Massimo Dutti deserves that accolade instead (I’d opt for this blazer-style jacket if you prefer a longer length, or this one if you’re into a slightly more cropped cut).

And I reaalllly like this one by new (to me) brand Arma, although the only size left in stock of that specific style is a UK 6 (sorreeee - I looked all over the Internet for more sizes for you guys). Here’s more Arma though: at the time of writing Harvey Nicks are offering 20% off at checkout on a very similar style, while this style already looks like it’s selling out quickly and might actually be the closest to the Our Legacy version I own. And there’s just ONE left of this Victoria Beckham version, going for 60% off on The Outnet - it’s bit more oversized than the others but I’m into it. Oh, and Curate & Rotate have a (current season!!) St Agni one going for £275 as opposed to £550, although it’s got a slightly more contemporary vibe IMO (no bad thing).

As for non-leather spring jackets, I’m very much feeling slightly technical windbreaker styles, maybe with added funnelneck if I really feel like biting Phoebe Philo’s steeze. (Speaking of Mme Philo, I noticed that MyTheresa are the latest new stockist of her wares - I hear Net A Porter’s EIP customers have been able to Philo-shop for a while now).

I like the freshness of this white Róhe windbreaker, which has a sporty cool-girl vibe to it (very Peggy Gou). That said, I’m feeling very drawn to a taupe/mole/dark beige colour palette right now, for maximum versatility with the rest of my wardrobe - black is too dark for spring, although I will allow navy e.g this resale Raey short mac. If I was in treat myself mode (when is she not I hear you cry!), I’d splurge on this gorgeous funnelneck Róhe safari-style jacket:

Here’s a more affordable on-sale version by A.Emery (GREAT colour too, and an insanely good price for 100% wool), and an even more on sale twill Toteme version for under £200 (!)

Scrolling through Instagram the other day, I came across this post by handbag brand Manu Atelier:

Although funnily enough it wasn’t the bag that caught my eye (here if you want it though) but the shoes - specifically the way the right pair of white shoes had turned an otherwise dark and wintery colour palette into a perfect spring outfit. As someone whose wardrobe is full of navy, grey and black, this seemed like the perfect solve for bringing said items into spring and I immediately went looking for a similar pair.

Fortunately white jazz shoes or derby shoes are trending right now (even the New York Times says so), on account of the ones Celine sent down their SS26 runway last year:

…So there are plenty to choose from. Lots of luxury brands are doing a version of these this season, including Proenza Schouler (going for 10% off on MyTheresa if you’re a first time shopper, a category which I have sadly long aged out of), Margiela (their Tabi-inflected take on this shoe is 15% off on Ssense at the time of writing) and Lemaire (MyTheresa, again, as above).

For my money the best pair on the market right now - and the ones currently in my basket - are these off white Soeur ones:

They’re an incredibly elegant shape (I like the fact there’s no ‘tongue’ so you get a little glimpse of skin) and a decent balance between quality and price if those designer versions are a little too rich for your blood.

This classic pair from COS are also very good, and available in black too:

American readers*, do also consider these Caron Callahan derbies which are spiritually very similar to the Soeur ones but come in optic white if that’s important to you [*they DO ship internationally but... the tariffs, man]. And these white Arket mesh trainers aren’t strictly derbies but they do have a similarly sleek profile that I like a lot.

Speaking of shoes - after mentioning how enamoured I am of my new Nomasei loafers last month, I very soon after clocked the not dissimilar Dior medallion loafers in their new Spring/Summer campaign, the first under Jonathan Anderson’s reign:

And, when I posted my Nomasei pair to Instagram stories the other day someone replied saying ‘Dior?’ so - do with that information what you will. Anyway, I now have all sorts of fresh ideas on how to style these loafers I hadn’t considered before - specifically leaning into softer, more feminine looks, which isn’t necessarily where my head immediately goes for loafers.

Florals (and loafers) for spring? I do actually think that might be groundbreaking!

It’s not quite capris weather yet, and probably won’t be for a while - but I still feel like springtime calls for a different approach to your lower half when it comes to both colour and fabric.

I’ve been circling Tibi’s Lightweight Winslow Sweatpants for a while now, which are much smarter than the word ‘sweatpant’ implies. They have a clever snap button function at the hem to stop them from dragging on the ground, which is honestly a Godsend because - as trendy as the trouser ‘puddling’ look is - it’s also deeply impractical when it rains (ask me how I know that). I’d go for either the dark stone or olive colourways.

I also managed to cop this lovely pair of khaki-ish/sage green wool Bottega Veneta trousers on sale last summer, which I’m looking forward to wearing now that the weather’s improving (they needed an alteration that I’ve only just got around to doing). I just spotted that they’re still available in a couple of sizes at Cettire if you’re interested (although that product shot is terrible - here’s a better look at them).

I also really like these checked relax-fit trousers by Róhe, although funnily enough it was actually seeing them styled with a navy top here that made me take a second look at them - I love that colour combo.

The MVP on the spring trouser front for me though has to be these Frankie Shop trousers. I love the drawstring hem. I love the colour. I love that the waistband is elasticated but also has belt loops. These, I’m sure, are the one item that will finally complete my wardrobe (ha ha ha). Stay tuned.

Relatedly, I’ve long wanted to work a long column skirt into my spring/summer wardrobe, as an alt I can turn to as easily as I do a pair of jeans (with the added advantage of being a bit smarter than jeans are). A simple ‘goes with everything’ skirt if you will. So I scoured the Internet for one, and because I kept coming back to this St Agni number:

In the end I very nobly took one for the team (you’re welcome) and ordered it so I could tell you if it was a yay or a nay.

It’s a yes from me Simon, thanks to that low rise waist, minimal silhouette (no belt loops, no visible zip, no darting, no nothing!) and the length, which is maxi NOT midi. Very important. The only drawback to this skirt is that it’s a few seasons old - which means it’s on sale (good) but only available in limited sizes (bad). I tried really hard to find a few alts for you guys but this was the only one that just looked right (at least based off product shots) so I won’t link any others for now. Here’s everywhere that still has a few sizes knocking about: Farfetch, FRWD, and St Agni for a plum version rather than my dark grey.

Alright - that’s it for today. Part Two, featuring a handful of beauty products I’m switching over to for Spring, and a culture roundup of the best books, TV and articles I’ve read or watched lately - will be in your inboxes next week.

Until then,