DRESSING FOR SPRING

The weather is finally nice and it’s time to transition your wardrobe from Winter to Spring.  You don’t have to start from scratch - you’ll be surprised at the hidden gems just sitting in your closet.  Harmony Village’s Style Expert shares her beauty and fashion advice for this season.  Make sure you check out Tracey’s blog fashionforward40.com  for more beauty and fashion tips! 

By: Tracey Rossignol, Fashion Forward 40

April Showers Bring May Flowers.... It sounds so much prettier than reality. I mean after a long Canadian winter, you can literally smell spring coming. I am chomping at the bit to throw aside my socks, put on a sun dress and don a cute sun hat. Instead I am preparing for Canadian weather that could give me rain, sun or snow at any given moment.

So how do you dress for Spring and also be prepared for April weather, without carrying your entire wardrobe in your purse?  My tricks are below:

1. Ditch the Windbreaker (or k-way). Pick up a stylish, water proof trench coat. Today you don't need to look "practical" to have a practical rain jacket. I have had a reversible black / black & white check raincoat, with enough room for a sweater underneath, for years. It goes from work to the park with ease.
2. Layer. I grew up in Saskatchewan and would end up with so many layers I looked like a butter bun. That isn't what I mean. Layering is very much on trend this year. Think skinny jeans under a spring dress. Or layering a tank top, man’s shirt and cardigan. Search different online website or even Pinterest for inspiration. Just make sure that you can wear the bottom layer on its own - in case it heats up.
3. Make Best Friends with a Scarf. Ditch your wool winter scarf. Look for an oversize rectangular scarf that you can drape around your neck with flare. A scarf can easily move from your neck, to your head, to your shoulders, to the handle of your purse as quickly as the weather changes.
4. Invest in the Right Rain Accessories. Why do so many Canadians seem to think we can "get by" with cheap or nonexistent weather accessories? Invest in a good quality compact umbrella and don't leave home without it until the May long weekend (perhaps longer for my friends in Alberta). And don't forget your feet either. A couple of years ago I invested in a great pair of teal coloured rain boots. They always make me smile when I wear them. And isn't that half the battle when you slogging around in the rain?
5. Finally... when the weather gets you down, you can likely find your hot beverage of choice just around the corner.

What are your Spring Survival Tips?