Spring Accessories to Add to Your Wardrobe

Hello and welcome to Dressed for My Day. Today I’m continuing to preview and anticipate the official arrival of spring. We’re going to run down a list of the most trending accessories to add to your wardrobe. These are the splashes of color, bits of shine and touches of texture that will make even the most basic spring look interesting and on point. Most importantly, these accessories will make you shine!

I have also scoured the Internet and built shopping widgets for each of the categories of accessories I’m sharing. I’ve tried to include options from a wide range of price points. When you’re planning and building your spring wardrobe, you know I encourage setting and abiding by a budget. And accessories shouldn’t break the bank!

The outfit photos I’m sharing are predominantly from last spring. So when items in the photo are no longer available, I’m just linking you to the old post for inspiration or further details. You’ll find links to available items in the photo caption or in the copy of the post. But I do also have photos from the retailers as well as a few new spring outfit looks I’ve worn lately.

Scarves

I love adding a pretty filmy or silk scarf to a spring look.

Not only are scarves a fun way to add color and texture to a springtime outfit, but they can also serve a practical purpose, such as pulling your hair back on a windy day or keeping the chill off your neck in the cool mornings.

Of course you can also just add a scarf to your handbag if you’re not much for putting them around your neck. This little bit of handbag candy will add more interest to your look than you imagine.

At this time of year I look for scarves in trending colors that I don’t want to invest heavily in – think illuminating yellow or tangerine orange. But you could also use a black and white or navy gingham scarf to balance out a more colorful outfit. Trending prints include fun florals, polka dots, travel motifs and animal prints.

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Jewelry

Our jewelry choices often shift a bit with the change of seasons.

Necklaces

While you still may need the long pendants you’ve been wearing with your sweaters this winter, you might frequently reach for shorter necklaces to fill in open necklines during the spring and summer. That’s why, when I was recently shopping for my Birthday Bonus at Kendra Scott (they give 50% off one item in the store!!!), I opted for the Demi Gold Chain Necklace In White Baroque Pearl shown below. Remember, pearls and especially more modern iterations of pearls are trending this year. In fact, I’m already seeing them abound everywhere I look. And I for one am loving them!

I also purchased the Demi Gold Wrap Ring In White Baroque Pearl and the Demi Gold Huggie Earrings In White Baroque Pearl. I probably won’t wear them all together, but I love having these modern pearls at the ready, especially for spring and summer. So far I’ve resisted purchasing the Demi Gold Charm Necklace In White Baroque Pearl (shown below with the earrings, ring and bracelet), but it’s another lovely option.

Layering dainty necklaces, such as the ones I’ve shown here, continues to be on trend. Plus, when you wear dainty, layered necklaces you’ll actually look more youthful and contemporary.

However, large, chunky necklaces are certainly not a mistake. You can instantly add character and interest to a basic outfit with a statement necklace. Choose one that will work with many pieces in your closet or at least with the colors of your wardrobe.

But before you start shopping, remember chain links, nautical symbols, sea life, pearls and colorful stones are trending this year. And most of those will never look “out of style.”

Earrings

During the winter I tend to wear a lot of small earrings because the larger ones get in the way of my turtlenecks and other high collars. But in the spring and summer when I wear more open collars, I like to wear larger earrings.

Wearing earrings with some sparkle, like mine here, or color is a great way to bring attention up to your face. As an older woman, ahem, I suggest you choose earrings that add a little interest and “light” to your look without stealing the show. You don’t want to hide behind your jewelry. I think of earrings as the lights on a Christmas tree. Make sense?

That said, I do think spring is a good time to add some fun to our earrings. I’m already enjoying the Ditsy Floral Hoop Earrings below, as well as these Soft Bouquet Hoop Earrings in island turquoise.

Bracelets

We’ll soon be baring more of our arms, so it’s a good time to add a new bracelet or two to your accessory collection. You could wear a classic bangle (which tends to be my go-to), layered bracelets, a charm bracelet or a novelty bracelet.

I’ve seen so many pretty bracelets coming out for spring already. And I’m thrilled. I’m a bracelet kinda gal! Some of the trends I’m seeing are lots of pearls, nautical motifs, sea life, pretty colors of beads, more turquoise, big chains and charms. Oh, and keep layering them on. That’s definitely still the trend.

Glasses

As much as most of us gals wear our glasses, we really must consider them as wardrobe accessories.

Sunnies

We generally underestimate the power of our sunglasses. When I lived in Arizona, I was rarely outside without sunnies on my face, so it was imperative to consider them as accessories. But if you live in a less sunny area you may have fallen into the trap of viewing them as completely utilitarian.

But I encourage you to think about your sunglasses as part of your outfit. You could opt for one pair in a neutral that works with most of your clothing or do like I do and keep a few pairs on hand. Either way, choose sunnies that work well for your face shape, look modern and feature elements of interest, such as some color or stones. Ultimately, sharp looking sunglasses can really elevate your look significantly. Likewise, dowdy looking glasses will make you look as though you’re hiding behind them.

You certainly don’t have to spend a mint on designer sunglasses. But I have found that the more I spend on my sunnies, the more likely I am to take care of them and keep up with them. Either way, I’ve got a number of stylish sunnies for you to consider below.

Shopping Tip: If you start shopping from Nordstrom’s Sunglasses page, you can select your face shape in the sidebar. That way you’ll see a selection of glasses meant to work well for you.

Reading Glasses

Yep. We need to consider our reading glasses as fashion accessories, too. They can absolutely make or break your look. And since I do wear mine when I’m shopping, ordering from a menu or checking my phone, my readers need to add to my look and not detract from it.

My reading glasses are prescription glasses because they’re bifocals. I use one strength for reading the computer screen and one for reading everything else. But if you wear basic readers I do suggest you put some thought and effort into purchasing glasses that get the job done but also look lovely on your face.

Belts

Belts are definitely having a moment these days. That’s largely because with cropped pants we often need to tuck in our shirts in order to create the right proportions. Generally, if you wear cropped pants and let your top hang down too far you’ll appear to have very short, stumpy legs. Thus, we’re belting more.

You can also use a belt to create the appearance of a smaller waist by cinching a tunic or even your loose fitting blazer. So it’s definitely a good time to invest in a few belts that work well with your wardrobe. I especially like having an animal print belt or two.

Keep in mind that there are hip belts and waist belts, and buy accordingly. I prefer to buy a hip belt that fits, and then you can still get that same belt to work around your natural waist, even over multiple layers.

I’ve included a few designer belts in the shopping widget below. While I don’t own one, I do think that of all the accessories, a belt is a smart investment. Why? You’re not going to lose it (unlike a handbag), they don’t go out of style, you’re not going to break it (unlike sunglasses) and they don’t wear out (unlike shoes).

Hats

Adding a hat is a great way to elevate your style. But, of course, hats also serve the practical purpose of shading your eyes and face from the sun. And hopefully you’re out in the sun a little more as the days warm up!

I love the idea of having at least one wide brimmed hat and one baseball cap in your wardrobe, whether you wear them for dressier occasions or more casual outings. Bucket hats are also continuing to trend this spring. Oh, and rain hats are a great option if you’re out in the weather much.

Handbags & Shoes

These are major categories that I’ll produce separate posts for soon. But meanwhile, here’s what trending.

Handbags & Shoulder Bags

Last spring baguette bags (see the photo below) resurfaced from the 90s and early 2000s. But I never saw many of them, truth be told.

This year, however, I’ve already spotted more at our favorite retailers. I’m totally crushing on the Michael Kors baguette bags below that are available in some beautiful trending colors. Granted, this one is pricey. However, if you’re enrolled in KorsVIP you can get 25% off today with code SPRING25. Not enrolled? Get it now. It’s free, and it provides you with free shipping all the time from MK.

I did find other baguette bags in both neutrals and pretty colors at lower prices though. I like this suede neutral one at Macy’s and these INC Edenne Chain Baguette Crossbody bags are fun if you want something more colorful.

I suggest you simply have at least one neutral colored bag in the silhouette of your choice for the season. And I like to carry a bag in the lighter shades of spring and summer at this time. Think soft taupe, grey, beige, light brown or creamy white. The Nine West Gemma Carryall below is a nice option at a good price.

But I also love having at least one bag in a splash of cheerful color for the spring and summer. This is a great place to “wear” the trending colors of the season that you might not want to add to your clothing wardrobe. I purchased this fun yellow satchel at Target. Yellow is actually the color of the year, but this is probably all the yellow I’ll add to my wardrobe. Loving orange, but don’t want to wear it? Check out the Vegan Leather Mini Barrel Crossbody above, also at a nice price.

But you’ll also continue to see bucket bags, hobo bags and feminine satchels, as well as crossbody bags. I selected the canvas crossbody with leather trim from J. Crew for my smaller spring bag. I think it’s sporty and fresh, but also versatile. It’s also available in navy canvas as well as several leather options. And it’s 15% off (online only) today with code EXTRA. Oh, and it looks like the leather camera bags are actually even a better buy today because they’re already 40% off.

But perhaps the biggest trend I’m seeing this year in bags is the backpack. While belt bags trended for a couple of years, these sporty packs are the new hands-free option. And I’m all in with my black Tumi Patricia backpack. Good news! This bag (as well as so many other Tumi products) is 20% off right now, and I rarely see Tumis marked down at all.

But don’t worry. I found lots of other backpack options for you to choose from, too. And some of them are much less expensive than my Tumi Patricia backpack and just as stylish. The benefit of the Tumi Patricia backpack is that it has some great features for travel and use, such as a magnetic outer pocket for your phone.

One other bag I wanted to draw your attention to that I’m enjoying is my Everlane Oversized Carryall. It’s kinda “out there.” But I do think it looks very modern. And it’s a great travel bag for a day trip or even a plane trip. This 100% recycled polyester bag has a great price sticker and comes in other color options, too.

Your handbag is a great place to add a little color or interest to your outfit. And while I don’t own any extremely expensive designer bags, I do think a quality handbag is a wise investment…if you’ll either continue to use it for a while or you’ll sell it later. When it comes to handbags, I find you get what you pay for. At any rate, I’ve included beautiful spring bags from a full range of price points in the widget below.

Shoes

Your shoes can absolutely make or break your outfit. And while some of us may have feet “issues” that prevent us from wearing, say, heels or pointy toes or shoes without arch support, we can all find something to wear on our feet that looks pretty and fashionable.

I’ll have plenty of non-sandal shoes for you to choose from in the shopping widget, but I did want to show you my new Born Inlet Sandals from J.Jill. These are the first Born shoes I’ve ever owned, but my oh my. They are so extremely soft and comfortable. I normally wear a 9.5, but they’re only available in whole sizes. Plus the website says they run large. So I just ordered the 9 and they work well for me. If you wear a whole size, I do suggest going ahead and sizing down to the next whole size.

The Born® Inlet Sandals come in nude (I’m wearing), clay and a marine navy, too. Today J.Jill is offering 30% off your purchase (yippee!), but unfortunately the Born® Inlet Sandals are not eligible for the discount. But I don’t think they’re a terribly bad price for a good leather sandal to begin with.

Besides a nice sandal, I think it’s wise to have a couple of other neutral colored shoes in your wardrobe for spring. Loafers are classics, but they’re also really trending this year. I purchased my Modern Loafers from Everlane and I’m extremely happy with them. They run true to size and come in other color options, too.

But other flats are trending, too. You’ll continue to see pointy toes, and those always help elongate the leg and elevate your look. My nude flats nor my tote are available now, but I recently picked up this nude pointy toe flats from Target and they’re almost identical. You’ll see them in tomorrow’s post.

Finally, we’ll continue to see an upsurge in the wearing of fashion sneakers with all sorts of looks.

I love having white leather sneakers (30% off with code HOWFUN) in my closet, but I also like to step out in something more trendy occasionally. Last year I wore baby blue sneakers from Ecco, but this year I’ve opted for the even trendier trainers from Madewell (also 30% off with code HOWFUN).

When it comes to sneakers, chunky is in. But we’re also seeing all kinds of detailing, such as rickrack, leopard and snake print patches, metallics, suede, etc.

Mules and slides continue to trend as well. And I think these are some of the best to have on hand during the transitional weather of spring. We’ll also continue to see espadrilles, wedge sandals and just about every other kind of shoe you can think of. Oh, and sandals with a big toe ring are everywhere!

One more thing. I do think it’s important to have a pair of neutral or flesh colored dressy shoes in our closet for spring, too. Of course, I keep my nude pumps at the ready all year long. Recently I received the beautiful Bossy Beige Leather Pumps from Ally Shoes. I am so amazed at these pumps. They’re not inexpensive, but the detailing and internal structure and padded insoles are worth every penny. Ally Shoes also has flats. And they’ve given me codes for my readers so you can get a discount. Use code KAYHEELS for $40 off your first pair of Ally heels or code KAYFLATS for 10% off your first pair of flats.

Oh my! That’s a wrap! I have a feeling I forgot something, too. Maybe you gals will let me know if I did.

The bottom line is that our accessories can make a difference in our outfits. Honestly, they can make it or break it. And right now it’s very in to create somewhat of a minimalist or pared down look with your clothing and then elevate that look with interesting and well styled accessories. So it’s definitely worth putting together an assortment of accessories that serve your particular wardrobe and style essence well.

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you have any questions. And have a great day!

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Blessed for My Day

The Bible admonishes us to “consider it all joy” when we encounter life’s trials. But how in the world are we suppose to do that? It’s all a matter of perspective. We must truly believe what the Bible teaches us about our trying times: that they are only for a season, that they ultimately refine us and make us more like Christ, that God walks through them with us and that He will work good through those hardships.

We can trust that God does not allow anything to go to waste during our trials, either. He redeems what is lost and restores what is broken and rebuilds that which may need to be torn down. Ultimately, we must trust that God is good even if the days are hard and the stuff is bad and the people are mean. Can you look back and see that indeed you have walked out of hard circumstances in the past, carrying the treasure gained during those difficult days?

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. ~ James 1:2-4