As a new season is welcomed, this may mean you need to head to the shops to get essentials for your wardrobe. Seasonal shopping is something many of us do as our wardrobes require a refresh, past pieces no longer serve us, or we want a new piece to love for the season!

While this can be fun for many, heading to the shops can also mean expensive trips that may not result in the most economical results. I am all for shopping, but shopping effectively is where my passion lies.

With sustainability so important for our environment, investing in pieces that last for years rather than one season, is something we all need to be mindful of. With that in mind, if you want to add new pieces to your wardrobe for the new season, here is my guide to seasonal shopping and how to make the best use of your budget.

Know your budget

Talking of budget, this is one of the most important things to know when you go shopping at any time of year. Understanding what you want to invest in your wardrobe during the shopping trip, whether in person or online, will help you navigate the shopping experience. It will also remove any feelings of guilt that can come from an overspend when shopping (you’re not alone if you feel this!), and make it a more enjoyable experience.

Know your wardrobe requirements

Something I always start with when having a Personal Shopping experience with any of my clients is understanding what they already have in their wardrobes. Once we know what we already have, we can then get to see what we may want or need to add to them.

For example, if you have plenty of beautiful summer dresses that you want to use into the Autumn and Winter, you may need to invest in hosiery, long-sleeved tops to go under the dress, or even thermal vests that cannot be seen but keep you warm. Other pieces may be cardigans, jumpers, or long-sleeved dresses for the cooler months. Whereas if you are going into Spring/Summer you may need lighter options like a bolero, linens, and undergarments for comfort when not wearing tights.

Go through your wardrobe as the seasons begin to change, so you can clear out any unwearable garments for the coming season, and look at outfit opportunities within what you already have, and where the holes may lie.

Play with trends (that suit your style!)

I love new trends for each season, but sometimes we can get excited about a trend that truly won’t serve our personal style. We end up buying trendy garments, that we wear once and never again. Knowing the trends that you feel will work within your wardrobe and personal style will mean they can be worn over and over, and taken into future years – because they work for your style.

Invest in the seasonal essentials

Depending on the new season you are welcoming, there are some essentials you will need for your wardrobe. For Autumn, for example, there are some pieces you’ll want to add to your wardrobe if you haven’t already got them from the previous year.

Consider the place you live, and these essentials may change. For example, in the UK, while we may welcome Summer with open arms, this doesn’t mean our jumpers, tights, and boots need to go into storage! Whereas in Italy, we tend to only keep a few light layers in our wardrobe for the summer for cooler evenings.

Play with the seasonal colours

With a new season comes seasonal colours – Autumn with its falling leaves, Spring with new blossoms, Summer with strong colours all around, and Winter with it’s bright and fresh colourings. These colours can inspire your seasonal shopping. Pick and choose from your colour wheel to add colours from the season ahead to create new outfits with just a change of colour. For example, as we approach Autumn you may want to add reds or deep hues through your accessories. Find some beautiful boots that are in the season’s colours, that also keep you warmer on the cooler days.

If you are going shopping for the new season, I hope this guide has helped to prepare you. If you want someone there to support you and guide you through the shopping process, please get in touch.

Find out more about our Personal Shopping service https://www.oneofastyle.com/personal-shopping

Spring/Summer 2022 trends have come in and one of the top trends is the use of green. Green is a great colour, as not only is it a colour that feels fresh and springlike, it is also available in a variety of tones so can work for any skintone, as long as you find the right shade.

If you want to add this colour to your wardrobe and ensure that you pick up the perfect shade for your skintone, here are my top picks for you depending on the season you fall into.

How to wear green as a Spring

If you are a Spring – someone whose undertones are just like spring – bright, varied and with light features, then you want to find a bright or vivid spring green to add to your wardrobe. This is because the fabulous bright tones steer clear of those darker, muted tones that tend to drown you out.

Green pieces to add to your wardrobe as a spring

If you want to add pieces to your wardrobe in this on-trend colour, that works perfectly for you, then designers have a large selection of options for you. If you are on more of the tentative side and just want to add a little splash of green, then an accessory such as a bright green bag could be the perfect option for you. Whether it’s a designer piece such as this beautiful Mini Jodie bag by Bottega, or for a high-street option, this bright green shoulder bag from River Island is a quirky and bright addition to your wardrobe. The great thing about adding colours through accessories is if you want to keep more neutral with the rest of the outfit, you can do so. With bright greens, whites and creams are best to match, and they are best for your brighter skintone, too. 

For a little more green to your look, you can add green with your trousers – wide leg trousers are a classic, while becoming more popular this year. They work perfectly for workwear, meetings, or casual brunches, depending on how you style them. Again, look for bright or light greens for your skintone. These bright, turquoise green, high rise Ted Baker trousers are a great option for you, or you can head to Nasty Gal for a pair of warmer green wide leg trousers. Match with your platform trainers for a more casual look, or heels for a more professional style. 

How to wear green as a Summer

Summers have soft and cooler undertones, with pastels and blueish undertones working best for them. Think colours that aren’t too vivid, so as to not overwhelm your lighter features.

Green pieces to add to your wardrobe as a Summer

You will want to look out for more pastel or less vivid greens when adding this on-trend colour to your outfits. You can look for accessories to start adding a little touch of the colour to your wardrobe, and shoes are a great option for you. As we head into the warmer weather, you can look at adding these aqua green from Salvatore Ferragamo to your shoe cupboard, or try these slip on flats by Dune. And for a touch of glamour, without giving up on comfort, I find this metallic green loafers by Tod’s an excellent choice.

If you want to take the green in your wardrobe to a new level and add it as a full outfit, you can try out a spring/summer dress. I love when the seasons change, so being able to wear a dress without countless heavy jumpers over the top means I can try out a few brighter colours too! If you feel the same, then try this beautiful backless maxi dress by Aeron – a great date night or brunch with friends piece, or pair with a blazer to cover up the back and you could wear this to meetings, too. For a smarter style, this belted jumpsuit from Zara in sea green is a great option for your wardrobe. 

How to wear green as an Autumn

Just like Autumn, people within this seasonal toning have deep and warm undertones, with soft contrasts. This means colours that work best for you are deeper colours that you would spot at this time of year.

Green pieces to add to your wardrobe as an Autumn

When you fit into this season, you will want to look for deep, rich greens to bring into your wardrobe. For a quick splash of colour, look for scarves in deep green, or with patterns to bring a little personality to the outfit, or accessories such as jewellery to easily update your look with this on-trend colour. Scarves are an often overlooked accessory, but can be used in a multitude of ways to update your outfit – from the different knots you can try around your neck, to playing with them as hair accessories, you really can play with them in unique ways. Find ones that are slightly slimmer if you are wanting to try out the different options without having to fold them over a lot to fit on your head or neck. 

For a powerful, all-over green look, you could bring the colour to your wardrobe with a women’s suit all in green. The great thing about suits is that you can play with the way you wear it – wear the full suit together for a professional end result, or just wear the blazer or trousers and dress it down for a less formal look. This beautiful deep green suit by Ami Paris is a perfect formal yet comfortable option with it’s more relaxed tailoring. For a high street option, you can’t go wrong with this rich green suit from Zara. 

How to wear green as a Winter

Winters have cooler undertones with deep and bright tones, which means you will want to look for those wintery colours such as bright icy greens to play with in your wardrobe.

Green pieces to add to your wardrobe as a Winter

When you consider adding green to your wardrobe, you will want to remember the colours of the winter – icy, bright, and cool. This will help when you look for options to invest in for the Spring/Summer and throughout your shopping! Whether it’s an emerald crossover body bag like this by Bottega Veneta, or emerald green sandals like these by Jimmy Choo – the accessories are always a place to start with colour additions. As a Winter you can wear black, unlike the other seasons, so when you bring a dash of colour to an all-black outfit in this way, you really can make an impact. 

As we head into the warmer months, you may want to try out a more appropriate dress for the weather. Whether that’s a slip-style dress made of satin-crepe, perfect for feeling luxurious and sexy, or a more casual swing dress like this from Whistes, finding a dress in your green tones will be a great addition to your wardrobe for Spring/Summer 2022. Style them with a rocker vibe adding a black leather jacket over the top, or go for a more romantic style with silver accessories & a blazer. 

I hope these ideas for adding green to your wardrobe this spring have given you some inspiration to add this on-trend colour to your wardrobe.

If you would like to know more about how to discover the season you fit in to, I have shared more detailed information about the 18 seasons method, here, or get in touch to arrange a colour analysis to help you know the colours that work best for your skintone.