Hi! I'm Ella from Start Close In Styling. Today, I'm honored to have been asked here to the Beautiful You Blog. I am thrilled to share with you some of what I love to do: help women develop their own personal style. It's like high-end styling but for regular women without the pressure to look a certain way or spend a fortune. I think of "styling" as a way of helping women show our best selves off to the world.
Last year when I attended the Conference with my friend Hannah for the first time, I was so inspired by all of the beautiful women there. There is nothing more incredible than a group of women getting together to change the world. If I can inspire you to look and feel your best this spring, that would be amazing! So let's get down to it and talk about spring trends.
A cropped jacket is the perfect transition piece: you can wear it now with longer layers and pants and in a few months with a long, flowing maxi skirt. Pair a floral print with stripes to toughen up a feminine print or stick with solids to toughen up spring's skinny white jeans or a full skirt. I find that graphic t-shirts with white, black, or gray backgrounds look the most current and the least like a teenager would wear.
Looking for a cropped jacket for work? This nautical jersey jacket will serve double duty- in the office with a crisp white button down and over a maxi dress on the weekend.
Ahhhh…and all the feet in all the land breathed a deep sigh of relief. That's right, this is the season of the flat! Try bright moccasins with distressed boyfriend jeans rolled up to show off your ankles or pair closed-toe sandals with printed harem pants or this summer's high-waisted festival shorts. Pointy flats with snakeskin details or whimsical clouds are bold enough to make a statement with cropped black pants for work or a second pattern in a full skirt for a date or girls' night in.
If you weren't convinced with this past fall's flannel shirts tied around waists, these little flowers announce it loud and proud: the early nineties are back! Personally, there are a few '90s trends that I'd rather not revisit (I'm looking at you, spandex biker shorts!), but floral is an easy one to get behind again. Keep the rest of the outfit modern by wearing a t-shirt with a skirt and taming down the floral sweetness with high heels-or slip on sneakers.
Not convinced? Try a touch of floral somewhere unexpected, like a watch face!
I'm going to be honest with you here and let you know that I'm not a big lace fan. However, this season's lace appeals even to me because it can be worn with this spring's more edgy basics like destroyed denim and moto jackets with prominent zippers.
I'd pair this sweetheart neckline with dark denim or printed wide-leg pants, while expectant mamas could wear this scalloped shirt to the office, too.
Of course, you can really fem it up with the lace by wearing it with pinks and flowing fabrics, but with tougher pieces it really shows how versatile a piece like this lace front sweatshirt can be!
Thanks for playing virtual dress up with me today! I hope to see some of you soon, rockin' those spring trends!
Ella is a DC Metro area-based stylist and blogs regularly on StartCloseIn Styling. You may know her from recent hits like How to Wear Jean Skirts, What to Buy (or Pull Out) Now for Spring, or One Shirt, Three Ways. When she's not busy styling friends and blogging, she loves to spend time with her wonderful husband Peter and their two Bernese Mountain dogs, Cairo and Jaxon.
Ahhhh these are such cute ideas! Maybe, I do like spring after all!
Thanks for asking me to guest post today! So happy to be a part of this powerful community of women!
I LOVE THIS! Thanks for sharing it Ella!
Ella, these are great! Do you offer makeovers?? Thanks for the refreshing post!