www.silverguide.site –

It all came to a head, as matters of getting dressed so often do, over black tights. I had wanted to wear my silver skirt, you see. It was a rare blue-sky day and the sunshine was making me crave reflective surfaces to maximise the light. Anyway, you know how it is when you just get a yen to wear something. So I pulled out said silver skirt and then realised I didn’t want to wear the black opaque tights I wear with it in winter, but it wasn’t anywhere near warm enough to wear it with bare legs as I do in summer. I was completely stumped. And it made me realise: I need a refresher course in what to wear at this time of year. Spring has sprung, but I have forgotten how to hop to it.

So here we have it: your pocket primer on how to dress for spring. I’m talking about the spring that happens every year, an actual real-world meteorological phenomenon, not about the fashion trends of this particular moment. The lengthening days, daylight commuting, the juicy greens and yellows of the landscape, the maverick unpredictability of rain. Whether zebra stripes are the new leopard does not concern us today. We don’t need fashion to provide the newness when newness is in abundance in the world. So we can flick back through the pages to remind ourselves of spring’s fashion classics.

Shall we begin? As I was saying: tights. There comes a moment when you have to pack away the black opaques. I am quite strict about this, I think wearing tights once the weather has turned is like keeping your Christmas decorations up too long. This does narrow down your dress and skirt choices for a while, because it’s too chilly to really have your legs out, but that in itself is a good prompt to shake things up.

Also, and I admit I have zero scientific evidence for this, but I’m convinced it is true: while thighs get cold and break into goosebumps really fast, I don’t think calves feel the cold so much. A handy outfit formula is to wear a knee-length skirt with ankle boots and a pair of ribbed socks. Having an inch or two of pushed-down sock above your boot adds warmth, but it also – just as importantly – looks more put-together, less stark, than bare leg from the top of your boot to your hem.

Moving on to our second prompt card, which is straightforward. Put Your Coat Away. I don’t just mean leave it on a peg, I mean banish it to inconvenient storage so you won’t be tempted. A coat can become a comfort blanket, but at this point it’s just holding you back. If it’s mild but drizzly, maybe you need a bomber jacket and a baseball cap; if it’s dry but chilly, perhaps a triangle scarf over your chunkiest sweater. This small-plates version of outdoor dressing feels right for now, because it is less stodgy than a coat, if you know what I mean.

A blazer with either jeans or trousers is reliable spring scaffolding. You can dial your internal central heating up, if necessary, by the layers on your torso. A high-neck blouse peeking over the top of a crew neck sweater, or a sleeveless knit over a collared shirt. Instead of trainers, try loafers or ballet pumps, worn without socks, so that you flash a bit of ankle now and then. It is nice to see skin; it reminds us that we are all human.

Not to forget – meaningful look to camera – “Florals? For Spring? Groundbreaking” in Miranda Priestly’s famous Devil Wears Prada putdown. Miranda was right, but she was also wrong. Cliches become cliches because they work, and that’s how it is with wearing florals in springtime, which feels both embarrassingly literal and completely appropriate. But do keep one eye on the twee-radar. If you are wearing a floral dress, then instead of topping it with a cardigan that matches one of the pastels in the pattern, drape a neutral ribbed sweater around your shoulders instead. Oh, and no black tights. You knew that already, right? But a timely reminder never hurts.

Model: Laura Brown at Milk. Styling assistant: Charlotte Gornall. Hair and makeup: Sophie Higginson using Reome, Patrick Ta Beauty and Hair by Sam McKnight. Earrings, £245, Dinosaur Designs. Sunglasses, £125, Ace & Tate. Jacket, £59.99, Zara. Top, £45, ASOS. Trousers, £230, Essentiel Antwerp