Spring is coming, and I’ve been doing tons of browsing, shopping, and planning in preparation for the Spring Wardrobe Guide*. Thanks to that, I have a pretty good handle on my spring wardrobe.
Today I want to share 11 items that are on my personal list of core spring wardrobe essentials. These are the core, or similarly what I always refer to as a Starter Kit Wardrobe. The essential items that I’m building the rest of my wardrobe around!
*The Spring Wardrobe Guide has already been released inside the PMT Style Club. If you’re a member, log into the club hub to access it.
1. Denim Jacket
A denim jacket is a spring must-have and a total wardrobe staple. It goes with every non-blue-jeans outfit, including outfits with soft pants and chinos, skirts, and dresses. While the oversized fit is trending these days, I’m sticking with something closer to just mildly oversized.
Right now I’m really liking this Lauren Conrad denim jacket from Kohl’s, which I’ve shared about before. It’s a fairly heavyweight, except it doesn’t feel that heavy. It’s stretchy and comfortable to wear! It’s pretty affordable, too, especially during one of Kohl’s many sales. Find it HERE. I wear size S.
I’ll link to a few other options in the widget at the bottom of this post.
2. Striped Tee
A striped tee is forever a classic and is definitely one of my core wardrobe essentials for spring! The one I’m wearing above is not available anymore, but a nearly identical one that I also reallyyyyy like is THIS one from Gap with its strong stripes. Available in straight sizes XXS – XXL, as well as in tall and petite styles HERE. I wear size M.
3. Black Soft Wide Leg Pants
Black, soft wide leg pants have become a staple for me in the warmer parts of spring and into summer. This pair is great! Soft, flowy, lightweight, comfy, and complete with an elastic waistband. Check them out HERE. I wear size 6.
Another option is the Old Navy Playa pants, which I wore endlessly last summer. Very glad to see they’re back this year, HERE! I’m not 100% sure if they are the same as what I got last year, but they appear to be! I wear size S.
4. Madewell Northside Tee
I have never loved a plain tee more! This tee is my favorite, at least in black. It drapes SO well and makes every outfit look elevated, even though you’re just wearing a plain tee! Sometimes the quality of basic pieces matters, and in this case, that’s totally true. Find it HERE. I wear size M. (I wear size S in their Whisper tees, but in the Northside tee, I prefer one size up.)
5. Kick Flare Jeans
Kick flares were my top choice last spring, and I don’t anticipate that changing this spring. They are a great silhouette to move towards if you are venturing outside of skinny jeans because kick flares are fitted at the hips and thighs, keeping you from looking totally shapeless, but have an open bottom. Plus, kick flares are SO GOOD for EVERY body type! I won’t get into the details of why and how they’re so good for each body type, but just trust me!*
The pair I own is from Democracy and sold out after last spring, came back a month ago, and then was gone in a flash after I shared it in a PMT Email link list**. A super similar, and possibly better, pair is THIS pair from Wit & Wisdom. The denim is a bit thicker than the Democracy pair, and it’s very stretchy, soft, and comfortable! And, of course, it has the stretchy waistband that I LOVE and cannot live without!
Another pair to try is the Madewell Kickout jeans. They are thick and have stretch, and while they don’t have as stretchy of a waistband, they feel really supportive and help you feel secure. Plus, they sure make your butt look good!! 😄 Available in straight, petite, plus, and tall sizing on Madewell’s site HERE. Also available at Nordstrom in some washes (but not all size groupings) HERE, if you prefer Nordstrom’s more convenient return policies.
*I shared this recently during one of our PMT Style Club monthly style sessions where we talked about silhouettes and jean shapes for different body types. If you’re a PMT Style Club member, you can log in and catch the recording.
**Subscribe to PMT Emails to get even more shopping recs and style content!
6. Girlfriend Jeans
Girlfriend jeans have been my other cut of choice for the last several years, although I may not have shown them on the blog nearly as much as I was actually wearing them. I loved them when I wanted to deviate from skinny jeans but wasn’t loving straight leg jeans (which were the two main cuts at the time). Now, I’m even more into girlfriend jeans!
The pair I’m wearing above is sturdy but has stretch. They’re not available anymore, but an identical pair without the distressing is available. I really like how they are fitted at the hips and thighs, which I appreciate as someone with curvy hips. Without being fitted at the hips and thighs, girlfriend jeans can look too baggy and frumpy on me. Also, they have the stretchy waistband that I love! This is one of the rare pairs of Wit & Wisdom jeans that loosens up enough after several wears for me to suggest sizing down. I like them best in size 4, though size 6 does fit. Find them HERE.
(The Madewell tee strikes again!)
7. Utility Jacket
This is also on my wardrobe staples list and is definitely one of my core wardrobe essentials for spring. If you want to update your utility jacket, a shorter one is more modern, and more importantly, it’s more practical — shorter works better with wide leg jeans and flares!
I got THIS one last year and have loved it. I wear it in size S. A lot more options have popped up this year, and I’ve included some in the widget at the bottom of this post.
8. Wide Leg Jeans
Would it be spring of 2024 without wide leg jeans? 😄 This pair from KUT From the Kloth is soooooo GOOD! Really, really SOFT and COMFY! I absolutely love them! They come in a variety of washes HERE. The color I’m wearing can be found HERE. I’m in size 4.
Another pair that is more budget friendly is the Old Navy wide leg jeans. The KUT pair feels significantly softer and is noticeably better quality, but that makes sense given the price difference. The Old Navy pair is lightweight and flexible and comes in lots of sizing options and several washes. See all the washes HERE. I wear size 6.
9. Printed Top
I always like to have a printed top (or several) in my wardrobe for spring. Floral prints are an obvious choice for spring, but you can really do any print here. The options are endless this time of year! I’ll round up a few in the widget at the bottom of this post.
If you’re looking for the jeans I’m wearing, they’re right HERE. I wear size 6.
10. Camp Shirt or Collared Button Up Shirt
I like to have some sort of white gauzy shirt in my wardrobe during the spring and summer. I have a great one from Madewell that I love (which is not available anymore) but it doesn’t work as well with wide leg jeans — a little too billowy but sometimes slightly too short to tuck in all the way around.
A camp shirt or just generally a short sleeve collared button up like this one above is a great option that’s really popular!
The top I’m wearing is simply a short sleeve collared button up. It has a bit of sheen to it, so it’s fantastic for work, though it can be worn casually like I’m doing above. Find it HERE. I wear size S.
11. Olive Wide Leg Pants
I loooved wearing these pants in the warmer part of last spring (and in the warmer parts of fall). They had sold out for a while, but they’re back this season, and I’m so happy!
They are lightweight, and I was surprised by how SOFT, stretchy, and flexible they are. Much comfier than I anticipated! They sold out at the end of last summer, but they are BACK now and available in 3 colors and in straight, plus, petite, and tall sizing! 🙌🏼 Check them out HERE. I wear size 4. I definitely recommend sizing down in these, as size 4 is already sizing down for me, and they are still roomy.
(Annnd my Madewell tee yet again. Love this thing!)
Shop My Core Spring Wardrobe Essentials + More Options
Those are my 11 core wardrobe essentials for spring, 2024 edition! 😄 Yes, five of them are jeans and pants, but when you have a handful of great pants in place, it’s a game changer. You can pair them with all sorts of tees and tops, basic or interesting, to create outfits easily.
If you don’t know where to start in updating your style, you can use this list as your guide!
I also recommend joining my free Key Style Elements workshop happening THIS THURSDAY so you can have a clearer sense of what makes up YOUR core style! It’s totally free, and I’ll lead you through a simple but fun exercise to help you uncover your personal style, do some LIVE style assessments for some of you, and answer your style Q&A!
FREE Style Workshop Coming Up!
If you are interested in figuring out YOUR OWN Key Style Elements, I have a FREE workshop coming up to help you do that!
I’ll walk you through a fun exercise to help you understand your style. I’ll do style assessments of some of YOUR boards, live! And, we’ll have a Q&A space where I’ll answer your style questions.
Click HERE reserve your spot! Be sure to register — I’ll send a limited-time replay link to those who have registered.
