Ask Belle: Casual Spring Outfits

This morning, I wrote about the 15 pieces that I felt would make a good starting point for a casual spring wardrobe.  But even if you buy the right pieces, it doesn’t do you much good unless you know how to style them into outfits.

A Navy Shift Dress Two Ways:

See this morning’s post for the names and prices of items.

Changing one piece–the necklace for the scarf–turns this outfit from a dinner outfit to a more casual outfit.  You could also tie the citron sweater from this morning‘s post over your shoulders, if you wanted to add a bit of color and skip the scarf.  Then, add the tortoise bracelet and the aviators to complete the cool, lady-about-town look.

If you already owned a pair of red flats (like these), you could add those to the casual look for a pop of color.  Or go for a printed navy scarf for a bit of tone-on-tone loveliness.

A Green Peasant Blouse Two Ways:

The look on the left would be good for brunch or for Casual Friday.  I’d tie the sweater around my neck for a nice blend of color.  Or you could buy a v-neck instead, and wear it over the top with the green peeking out.  In that case, I would probably wear the necklace too.

The second look would be great for a casual date or strolling on the Mall with visiting family.  It could also transition into the early summer months, if you lost the jacket, and replaced the patent flat with a cool gold sandal.  You could also add the blouse to your office wardrobe with ease if you added a navy pencil skirt and navy Maison Scotch sweater jacket.

A Silk Blouse Two Ways:

I would wear the outfit on the left to run errands in.  But since it is pretty neutral, I’d probably add a brighter shoe like these coral flats and in that case, why not some coral stack rings too?  And I don’t know how the tortoise bracelet and aviators got left out, but pretend they’re there.

The outfit on the right is a great work look or a good choice for traveling on a chilly plane.  It looks polished and stylish without being overdone, which is what I like best.  If you wanted to though, you could skip the necklace and add a green scarf instead.

And of course, the blouse could easily be worn alone with either the necklace or the scarf.  In fact, if you were looking for a slightly-dressy dinner outfit, I’d wear the blouse, the jeans and the necklace with these green cage sandals and this gold clutch (a great deal at $39).

I could probably think of a few more ways to style these pieces, or other pieces you could wear them with, but you get the idea.  Check back tomorrow for some easy work basics to get you started or re-started as the case may be.