Earlier this month, still rainy and grey outside but (barely) warm enough to move the mason beecocoons out of the fridge (then immediately worry we’d been premature) . . . I made the first tentative steps toward spring dressing. I know, very tentative, still wearing black, my legs still clad in tights. . . but look? short sleeves! and it’s a dress that’s NOT a sweater dress. . .
Which led, next, to me pulling this dress out of the closet. It’s also short-sleeved, a very wearable viscose, perfect for spring-summer travelling, picked up last year in Paris at La Fée Maraboutée. I hope soon to be wearing it as I did in Croatia last spring, with bare legs and my metallic gold sneakers, but last week I still needed tights against the chilly rain, a lightweight cashmere cardi, and a lightweight scarf I’ve had for seven or eight years, ankle boots I bought in Bordeaux three years ago. I like the pattern mixing of the dress’s bronze-y almost-yellow and grey with the scarf’s grey and muted yellow plaid. . .
I often feel pretty silly taking these outfit shots in the mirror, so I thought I’d pull a few silly Photobooth faces just for fun. . . Goofy ‘r’ Me . . .
And maybe it took some funny faces to bring out the sunshine!
So the next outfit I’m sharing is the one I wore to my watercolour class last week — not into my white jeans yet, but these are my very faded Levis worn with a shirt I bought in Portland last month . . .
a hand-printed silk organza scarf I bought on my Sisters’ Trip to Paris a few years ago
and the metallic gold sneakers (Onitsuka Tiger) my daughter inspired me to buy last spring (okay, yes, I copy-catted her). These shoes, also seen here and here and here, have become such a wardrobe staple, but I wasn’t wearing them much through the winter rains. Glad to have them reflecting the sunshine again.
And since we’re talking Tigers (the sneakers, see above), this one (sweatshirt by All Saints, at least a year old) was purring in the sunshine on Sunday. . . Okay, yes, temperature topped out at 13, Celsius, that day, but in the sunshine, walking briskly, it felt warm enough for my white jeans.
Again with the metallic gold sneakers (but I’ve got a pedi booked for this afternoon because my white Birkenstocks are coming out of storage today!).
I was realistic about how chilly 13 degrees can feel in the shade or with even a slight breeze. But I really wanted to hold onto the Spring vibe. I tried my jean jacket first, and I think it almost works here. . .
but I ended up swapping it out for this very light cashmere scarf, and it was the perfect solution. Do you find that if your neck and shoulders are warm, the rest of you can feel okay?
And the occasion for this Spring Outfit?
Oh, the absolute best — A date with a Five at the Vancouver Art Gallery to see the Takashi Murakami exhibition. I posted a few photos of her reaction to Murakami’s lively pop art — you can see them on my Instagram feed. But I snapped a photo of the two of us in the mirror of her condo lobby before we headed for the Skytrain. And it’s true — she completely outshone me — Sequins! Tulle! Converse sneakers!
This afternoon, the temperature here is expected to climb to high teens (Celsius) and we may even hit 20 before the week is done. There’s rain on the horizon, but that only makes the sunshine sweeter while it’s here, right? And once my toenails are painted and the Birks are out of their winter home, who knows what I’ll pull out of the closet!
So there you have it, a three-week transition from Barely Spring to Walking on Sunshine Spring! And what about you, any significant wardrobe transitions happening around the seasons? Or wardrobe transitions not related to the seasons? Or you might tell me how you would dress for a Nana-and-Five date at an Art Exhibition? Might you try to match sequin for sequin, tulle for tulle, high-topped sneakers for high-topped sneakers? It’s all good, right? It’s all good. . . . Happy Wednesday!
Oh, this weather! Cold and wet and rainy this morning, look out the window and now it is blue skies and fluffy clouds. But decidedly chilly. At the weekend I was able to sit out in a garden till late at night, have breakfast in the sunshine and get the start of a tan. Now I am home and not knowing what to wear. I shall rebel and paint my toenails tonight. Sod it. PS: sequins and tulle. Chic.
I hope the weekend brings the heat and sunshine back — we've got rain scheduled for the weekend here, but retirement means I've been able to be out in the sun through the week so don't mind at all.
So sequins and tulle and bare feet with painted toenails. . . Go you! 😉
So happy we have spring now! Yesterday, I spent a few hours purging, putting away the winter items and getting out the summer wear. A twice yearly job but so fun to discover items that were forgotten….
You look great in those outfits, and granddaughter really has the fashion knack!
Suz from Vancouver
Thanks Suz! And me too on the Happy for Spring! 😉
I'm also putting away and getting out and having fun discovering old faves.
Ooohhh…the star shirt and green scarf. And, double oohh the tiger shirt and Jean jacket.
That button down shirt scarf is me to a T.
Spring has sprung!!!!
A in London
I'm so glad I picked up that shirt. It's such a gracious cut (kind around my middle) and has just enough pizzaz.
And yes, it surely has!!!!
Loved your outfits and the funny faces! What an exquisitely beautiful child! I've always loved red hair.
It's still cold here (Boston area) and I am still wearing tights and coats.
Thank you Marie, we think she's lovely too, but we might be biased 😉
Can I guess that you'll go from winter to summer almost instantly when it happens?
Cheering from here….great outfit choices…such fun playing around with the camera with the "goofy shots!" Lovely red hair on your grand daughter…our Isla has hair that shade and she loves getting dressed up in a tulle skirt and acccessorizing with her scarves and hats! Great fun to have the afternoon together…a pedicure is something I need to arrange very soon. Hope you enjoyed the pampering!
I've seen photos of your Isla, and her colouring is so similar to our Five's. They attract a lot of attention, don't they?!
I love the five's art outfit, just the thing. Those gold sneakers are perfect for cheering up a chilly day and I love the jean jacket with the tigers. We’ve had summer last week including bare legs, sandals and sleeveless tops now we are back to very early spring with a particularly snippy wind. Layers are the way forward and definitely cashmere, so cheering. B x
Today was my first "bare legs" day — they're so pale, but I've decided I'm not going to worry about that. Hope you get to shed a few layers again soon. (The wind can really make a difference, can't it?)
The navy shirt…if you get tired of it, please send it my way 🙂 The stars are perfectly spaced. Are they embroidered, or appliques? They seem to have texture.
Aren't they good? They do have a texture, but they seem to be almost of a paint-like material.
That red-headed five in her sequins and tulle with Converse sneakers is the cutest thing I've ever seen. She has her grandma's cheeky sense of style, I think. Love that tiger sweatshirt. And those knitted brows in your third "funny face" shot. Happy spring, Frances. I bared my ankles yesterday for a breakfast out with former colleagues… it was sunny and 14° at 9 AM. Yah.
She really loves to mix it up — different from her older cousin who doesn't want anything too "weird."
Oh, if you've got 14 degrees at 9 a.m., you'll be mid-summer by the end of the week. Or not. I remember being in Ottawa on my birthday (mid-May) at some tulip festival concert or other (outdoors — Rankin Family or Great Big Sea or something like) and it was SO cold. But I also remember watching tulips grow inches, seemingly, in a day, in other Mays. Hope the warmth stays now — you deserve it!
Your outfits always have a wonderful creative-but-not-overstudied quality. Your "photobooth" expressions cracked me up. I really like the star print shirt! And yes, I've found that keeping my neck warm makes a big difference in my comfort level. Your granddaughter is adorable!
Thanks Sue — I get pretty self-conscious about the selfies and sometimes it helps to be silly.
She's pretty cute, isn't she? This Nana thanks you for saying so 😉
The metamorphosis of your spring outfits, transitioning from dark to light. Copycatting previous comments…the Portland navy silk shirt with the stars is lovely. I wear dresses in the summer also. Your Paris/Croatia dress is lovely. The finale with the cutest five year old fashionista is the best*est. "…sequin for sequin, tulle for tulle, high-topped sneakers for high-topped sneakers." Makes me think of a Sondheim song with Fred and Ginger… He should have composed "Warm Days in Vancouver". Ok, hitting publish and getting out of here ASAP! 🙂 Amelia
It's actually Tencel, so slightly easier care than silk.
Dresses are so easy, aren't they? And so comfortable and cool in the summer.
Hey, I could have teamed up with Mr. Sondheim, made a fortune 😉
The Five is so sweet and special girl! The hair….and the outfit….beautiful!
I loved your bronze dress on the first sight,it suits you perfectly
The blue star shirt is a star indeed-especially with this gorgeous aqua green silk scarf (and the golden something in the backgroung is beautiful)
Here is summer (25-29°C),after a non-existent spring 🙁 ,everything is upside down-I'm wearing dresses and bare legs,not upset at all about their paleness for the first time (legs,not dresses :-)). My pedicure and nail polish done- OPI We Seafood And Eat It (?!),little paler than usual for a start(to go with my legs)
And yes,Coastal Ripples,I've heard what has happened with your summer so I'm prepared as well:-)
Dottoressa
Oh, please don't use up all that Croatian sunshine before we get there! Wow! 25-29, crazy! In Rome as well– my son-in-law posted a photo of our little one in her beach gear, ready to swim and play in the sand where just a couple of months ago, astonishingly, she was making a snowman!
I had to double-check that OPI and it's the perfect colour for you. (I chose Amore at the Grand Canal). . .
Fun, fun, fun! Each outfit! (Would love to see a full view of your beautifully patterned bronze dress). Each outing! (Shout out to A. Watt & The Five!). You are in the company of beautiful, creative types! ( And so are they!)
Finally joined the sneaker brigade this transition season. I'm very late to the party and can't believe what a new dimension they've added to my wardrobe.
Love this post on so many levels…your sense of fun and style, your loving grandma outing, and how it was just a nice chat. Thank you, Frances!
Charlene H
I'll try to remember to show you that bronze dress later — I know I've posted a photo of it before, but maybe on Instagram last summer.
Aren't sneakers great?! I like them with dresses as well — and the comfort is so welcome!
True, I'm very lucky in the company I keep, creative types — on this blog as well as in my daily life. Thanks for being one of those friendly creative companions.
We had very warm teperatures here for a week, so I put away my ankle boots and got my sneaker collection out. Wearing my Kaffe Fassett (cotton) cardigan to go to the market last Saturday felt very much like spring. But now we are back to rain and cold wind (normal in April), which also means back to booties, cashmere sweaters and raincoat.
I agree with almost everybody else about the blue-and-white shirt. It is lovely.
I don't think I realized your Kaffe Fassett cardigan was cotton — I used to not mind knitting with cotton (had a favourite cropped, cabled top 25 or so years ago, lipstick pink!) — but I find it hard on my hands now. Do you?
Glad you had that week of warmth before you had to get out the more serious rainy weather gear again — hope it doesn't take too long playing hide-and-seek. . .
I enjoyed the transition from spring-ish to nearly full-summer options here, and I love dresses that can span two (or maybe even three, there) seasons. Having less storage space makes them especially good buys! But the real treat was that last photo; you know my soft spot!
I'm the same way about season-spanning dresses. Even the sweater dress I bought in January can probably get brought out in late October and I wore it well into March.
And I do know your soft spot . . . is your little guy two now? so fun!
Gosh, I really love that second dress on you. Very nice. Miss Five sure is fashionable – so cute.
Thanks! It's an easy dress to wear in many ways and may well earn itself a trip to Paris next month 😉
All your outfits are awesome. That is all:).
Aw, thanks!
xoxo