Loop worker Stephanie Brittain rides the bus every morning and doesn’t want to shudder in the CTA shelter. She also doesn’t want to dress as though it’s still winter during warmer moments, so she’s always towing a coat.
And she has learned to look on the bright side.
“I really like coats,” said Brittain, 25, of Chicago. “I think coats can be an accessory.”
By lunch on April 15, her cute black-and-white checked coat was draped over her arm, accessory-style, as she listened to four celebrity fashion experts at Marshall Field’s on State Street offer other survival strategies during a workshop on spring fashion.
Where the Wisteria Lane sun doesn’t shine
“Desperate Housewives” costume designer Cate Adair offered solutions for those days when the weather is anyone’s guess:
Combine winter favorites–in lighter colors–with new spring pieces. Start with a tweed jacket, she said, and wear a cashmere shell or light blouse underneath. Wrap a light scarf around the neck and tuck it into the tweed.
“As it gets warmer, you can take the jacket off and you have a fabulous cashmere shell or a lightweight blouse underneath,” she said. “As it gets cooler, you can use what you wrapped around your neck as a shawl. As it gets dark, you can put your jacket back on again.”
Cashmere as all-star
Workshop presenter and celebrity stylist Mia Morgan, who has coached the likes of Uma Thurman, says cashmere is almost a fail-safe starting point. “These days there aren’t a lot of rules on what you can’t mix. I wear my cashmere sweaters with my chiffon skirts. It’s about choosing the right fabrics together,” Morgan said.
A new piece to get your blood flowing
Shopper Megan Haveron, 34, of Wilmette was feeling frustrated with her closet. “It’s a difficult time, you get to that point in your winter wardrobe where you’re sick of everything and you’re ready to break out all your new fun stuff,” she said.
So after the workshops, Haveron bought a contemporary blue-and-white flowing skirt, a trendy piece that can be worn with open-toe shoes–yes, before Memorial Day if the weather cooperates.
Rebellion in white
Breaking the no-white-before-Memorial-Day rule is also stylish this season, said presenter Mandi Norwood, editor in chief of the magazine Shop Etc. She recommends white with turquoise, coral or brown for a bright spring look.
Shrugs and three-quarter-length jackets are also fresh spring trends Norwood recommends that can take you through summer.
“You can wear them with jeans or flirty little skirts,” she said. “We’re crazy about these little cardigans. You just literally put them over tank tops or little T-shirts and they keep your shoulders warm.”
The weather can be unpredictable but Adair said there are advantages to transition seasons. “You’re given permission to play a little bit,” she said. “There’s always something glorious out there.”
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Stash it
A pair of fabulous black boots goes with just about everything. Except spring. Here’s what else the experts say to store if you haven’t already:
– “Knee-high boots are now a don’t,” Shop Etc.’s Mandi Norwood said. Instead, pair skirts or pants with strappy sandals, ballet flats or flip-flops.
– Ankle boots also should be packed away and replaced with summer shoes, Norwood said.
– Corduroy pants. “I would hang them up for now,” said workshop pre-senter Finola Hughes, host of “How Do I Look?” on the Style Network.
– Pantyhose and tights. “From now all the way to October you can put them into storage and get out the fake tan,” Norwood said.
– Clutch purses. “The clutch is gone,” Norwood said. “The bigger the bag, the better.” This year, anyway.
– Brooches on jackets. “It’s a definite do to put your brooch into storage,” Norwood said.
Stick with it
– Keep your cashmere shells and short-sleeve sweaters in circulation, to mix with lighter fabrics on cool days, costume designer Cate Adair said.
– Light-colored tweed also can combine with spring fabric, she said.
Save it
– Sheer clothing. “Save your super sheer until summer,” celebrity stylist Mia Morgan said.
