Style Forecast: Spring Essentials Volume 1

As the temperatures begin to slowly but surely climb here in the midwest, the days are becoming longer, birds are returning from their winter migrations, and the snow is starting to melt. There are even a few trees near my house that are starting to get buds, which means flowers will soon start to spring out of the ground, and not too long after that, the trees will have their beautiful, green leaves once more. To me, spring heralds the arrival of warmer weather and clothing I actually enjoy wearing, like dresses, skirts, and tunics, which I reluctantly store away each fall. Here are a few of my favorite things for spring in Spring Essentials Volume 1!

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Spring Essentials Volume 1 Style Forecast

Keep an eye out for lots of eyelets, lace, and intricate embroidery, which will be very popular this spring. Classic wardrobe staples, like pearl accents and jewelry, monogrammed items, and sterling silver decor will be making a more mainstreamed comeback, although if you ask me, they never left. Once more, straw and basket bags will be very popular during the warm weather, as will oversized, floppy straw and seagrass hats, as people embrace sustainable, eco-friendly materials like rattan, raffia, wicker, seagrass, jute, and bamboo.

More and more businesses are feeling consumer pressure to become more sustainable, treat their employees all over the world better, and they are being pressured to stop polluting so heavily, which is wonderful news. Watch over the next few years as more and more brands put their “sustainability” initiatives on full display, but be wary that not all sustainable initiatives are created equally. Everlane is one of the most sustainable and affordable brands on the market right now, and they’re one of my favorite places to shop!

When it comes to jewelry, it’s all about layers this season, so stack coin necklaces with monogrammed necklaces for a personalized look that’s all your own. Dainty rings, midi rings, and stacks of tiny jewelry on fingers and wrists will continue to be popular. Just be sure to stay within the same color family, as mixing metals isn’t as popular this year, although, I’m a huge proponent of doing what YOU personally like, so don’t let anyone stop you from dressing the way you want to dress.

In early spring, I’m all about breaking out crisp, cool white clothing, like this two-piece set, this belted maxi dress, this tie shoulder top, and this bib eyelet dress, and pairing them with neutral hues like this monogrammable sweater, these espadrilles, these elevated, nude leather flip flops, and this taupe Chanel leather bag. Deep tobacco browns, like this watch made here in Detroit, this snake motif belt, and these wooden earrings contrast beautifully with white clothing and lend a natural vibe to any outfit. I also love to toss in a few gold accessories, like these doorknocker earrings, this oversized hair clip, layered coin necklaces, or this double joint ring.

Today marks the beginning of the Shopbop Spring Event, where you can save up to 25% on brand names like Cult Gaia, Gucci, Reformation, Senreve, Zimmerman, and dozens of others with code “Spring”. There’s no better time to score incredible deals on designer items in time for warmer temperatures, spring break, and grad parties!

Clean Beauty

As I run out of my old products, I’ve been replacing them with clean beauty alternatives that are better for my body and the planet, because they are free of harsh, toxic, and polluting chemicals. I opt for glass or bamboo packaging whenever possible, eschewing disposable plastics. It’s common knowledge that plastic pollution in the oceans and our rivers, lakes, and streams is becoming increasingly problematic for the communities that depend upon the water to survive, like my home state of Michigan, and I want to be a part of the solution. Some of my favorite clean beauty brands include Elate Cosmetics, Herbivore Botanicals, Josie Maran, Kjaer Weis, Antonym Cosmetics, and Sundays for clean, toxin-free nail polish.

I’ve also begun to dry brush prior to each shower, and I can’t even describe how much it has helped improve the quality of the skin! I use this dry brush and this smaller one for my neck and face. This is the fragrance I’ve been wearing every day this spring, and this coconut bath soak helps me unwind at the end of each day. I ditched plastic tubes of chapstick last year, and have been using this one by Elate Cosmetics daily – it works so much better, and it leaves my lips looking plumper and more hydrated throughout the day so I don’t need to use as much lip balm as I normally would with wasteful, conventional plastic tubes. I prefer the clear balm, but it is also available in several tinted options as well. This curling iron with interchangeable curling heads has been my go-to for the last three years, and I still just love it!

If you want to embrace more natural beauty products that are better all around, wait until you finish out your current products and replace them slowly, so that you don’t blow the bank, and so that you don’t waste anything (which is the opposite of being sustainable!).

Elements from Nature

We are redoing my office, our living room, our patio, and our kitchen this spring, and bringing in elements of nature, like this fresh bouquet of 80+ stems of stunning, live ranunculus (keep an eye out for my review of this massive bunch of flowers!), these darling rattan outdoor chairs, and many more that I’ll be sharing on my blog soon. I love burning Palo Santo in lieu of candles for a beautiful, smokey sweet home fragrance, and when I’m not using them, they are beautiful when resting in an accent bowl or plate. I’ve also been propagating as many of my house plants as possible over the winter, and my home is turning into a true jungle. If you haven’t heard, 2020 is the year of houseplants!

I hope you enjoyed this style forecast! Check out a few of my others, like these summer essentials guides (here, here, and here), as well as this guide to 500 basket bags, many of which are one of a kind!

Shop spring essentials volume 1 above, and be sure to subscribe to my blog for all of the latest adventures, sales, and style tips, right here in the palm of your hand (or on your computer screen, no judgment!)

Annie Fairfax
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