Easter is one of my favorite holidays for getting dressed up. Even with questionable weather on the horizon, it feels that spring is about to arrive at any second, and with it, a sense of renewal and promise. Whether Easter is early or late, it usually stands at the start of the warm-weather party season. And it’s the time of year when spring cleaning and a wardrobe refresh occur. In thinking about the upcoming Easter weekend, here’s a rundown of various outfits and outfit combos to consider for the holiday and the spring and summer to come.
I shied away from florals for spring in years past, thinking it was a too-expected style choice, but this year I’m warming to this classic pattern. Easter’s celebratory nature makes it the perfect time and occasion to break out a feminine floral dress accented with demure accessories. ModCloth.com has a ton of floral options from midi, to maxi, to fit-n-flare to shift dresses. Pick your favorite bloom; I’m partial to roses myself, in a flattering silhouette, then pair it with a satchel-style handbag, drop earrings, colorful flats, and a trench. Once the May flowers come, ditch the coat, keep the bag and jewelry, and swap out flats for slide sandals.
If flirty-feminine isn’t up your style alley this Easter season, then look no further than a traditional preppy-inspired look for Sunday services. You can’t go wrong with navy and white with bold pops of red. A navy blazer from J.Crew or Lands’ End may not seem like a spring-time garment, but when paired with an embroidered white blouse, like those on offer from Old Navy, and chinos, you have a casual yet put-together look for the season. Work in some red with nail color, lipstick, and red enamel-style pins. That blazer will also come in handy throughout the year, as part of formal office attire or just a tailored take on weekend wear over a t-shirt and jeans.
If you’re hoping to add more color to your Easter-to-spring-to-summer wardrobe, experiment with stripes. Whether in a skirt, shirt, sweater, or dress form, multi-colored stripes are the perfect way to play with color and make a statement. Target has several options of striped skirts in unexpected colors like teal and blue and coral and pink. They also have some striped sweater tops that you can balance out with single-hued garments or neutral pieces like white or gray denim.
Speaking of white, even though it’s still chilly out and feeling far from Memorial Day, white pieces, whether in an all-white look or as statement pieces within a neutral look, are a great means of sartorially welcoming the Easter season. After months of black and gray, white can feel like a revelation. Try a crisp white button-down with an A-line skirt, wide belt, and pumps this Easter Sunday. For an egg hunt, go with white denim, a floral blouse, and switch out dress shoes for some bright white sneakers. Or go with a simple white dress as your signature spring look. Change things up with a maxi or shirt dress instead of the expected shift.
Lastly, let us not forget lace. This traditional fabric may seem fussy, if not dowdy, but the right dress can make lace feel easy, as well as elegant. Plus, with all the texture from the lace, you can keep the rest of the styling simple. Nordstrom has lace dresses in a variety of fits, sizes, overlays, and price points. Again, let the dress be the star and keep jewelry minimal with a simple heel or streamlined loafer.
For outerwear, definitely don a dress coat and leather gloves, even if you may not need that much coverage. It is better to stick to a lacy dress’s formal aesthetic than undercut it with a lighter-weight zip-up or casual jacket. As it warms, you can swap that coat for the navy blazer above.
Whether or not you agree that Easter is the unofficial start of the spring party season, there is no doubt that now is the time to shed the heavy layers and dark colors you’ve been living in since the fall. These outfit suggestions may not be for you, but I hope they inspire some re-thinking of your warm-weather wardrobe as we turn to the rebirth that comes with this season.
