Summer can be hard to get used to what with the humidity, the heat and even the clothes, which force us to ditch our beloved pants for dresses which show off our pasty pale legs.
So, if you, like us, are having a hard time dealing with the fact that summer is rapidly approaching, here are 10 summer fashion 2014 pieces that will ease the transition from spring.
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Summer Transitional Fashion
1. Vests
For the record, we don’t mean sweater vests, but if that’s your thing, go for it. Alternately, this season, designers got their vests on – and thank goodness: unlike jackets, vests offer a chance to layer without making you overheat. (We know from example.) Blazer vests (by the likes of Jason Wu and Helmut Lang) are a good "on-trend" look for Spring/Summer 2014, or you can go the denim route à la American Eagle (or any thrift store).
2. Bomber Jacket
Until it’s so hot you are willing to walk up to Alaska yourself, you can still take a light jacket into summer nights. Enter: the bomber jacket, which is light enough that you can hold onto it for dear life (when you let go, that’s when summer truly arrives), but warm enough so that when it does get cool, you won’t freeze. Marc Jacobs and Tracy Reese included bombers in their spring collections, while Gap’s still got more affordable styles in stock.
3. Oversize Button-Ups
All of us remember "Now & Then", so we think we’re ready to finally adopt a transition style lesson from Roberta and the gang: shorts and a long sleeve button-up are a perfect compromise when it’s warm – but not warm enough that you’ve got to commit to full equinox. And fortunately, oversize button-ups aren’t exactly hard to come by. In addition to nearly every designer including them in their Spring/Summer 2014 shows, you can head to a Salvation Army or Value Village and pick up a men’s dress shirt, or even a woman’s style in a larger size. The world is yours.
4. Logo Sweatshirts (Or Any Sweatshirts)
Regardless of what your thoughts on "normcore" are (we like to call it "dressing like a person"), the trend has given life to a new breed of comfort-wear, thank goodness. And in its wake come logo and printed sweatshirts, which mean you get to be warm and comfortable. Christopher Kane embraced the trend on the designer front, while every chain from Target to H&M has their own versions of the style. Pair with shorts or a skirt when it starts to warm up, and then bask in the glow of knowing every day brings us closer to autumn.
5. Cardigans
We know we don’t have to remind you of how necessary cardigans are, but in case you have any doubt as to their usefulness in terms of transition-wear, feast your eyes on the pieces showcased in Michael Kors’ collection, which are also up Olivia Pope’s alley. (Belted sweaters are her steeze.) They’re also on sale currently, and available in droves: frankly, if there’s a store that doesn’t have a cardigan, they’re doing it wrong.
6. Floral Boots
There are approximately six days (this is not a scientific fact, we just choose to believe it) in which you can wear floral boots every year without it being too cold, or too impractical, or you being too warm. But for those days, you go for it: floral Doc Marten’s can work with almost anything, while Mod Cloth’s floral rain boots would be great for cooler, rainy spring and summer days. Now is also your opportunity for suede: before it gets too warm, wear what you have before winter’s salt gets to them again.
7. Socks
We all know that once the 40+ humidex happens, there’s no hope for the sock and shoe combo, because the sandal regime takes over. However, Band of Outsiders and Vivienne Tam paired sandals with socks in their Spring/Summer 2014 shows, so if you care to ease out of shoes and boots slowly, you know your next step.
8. Capes
Capes are the perfect choice for nights where it’s too warm for a jacket, but you still want to feel cozy, mysterious, witchy, or like you’re wearing a blanket. (So honestly, how can you lose?) Capes were seen in droves during Toronto Fashion Week last month, so remember: when jacket season ends, you don’t necessarily have to surrender to the rest of summer-wear – you can dress like Stevie Nicks until it’s physically impossible to.
9. Print Pants
So you still want to wear pants, but it’s too hot for your favourite jeans? (Just kidding: it neither is nor will ever be too hot.) Print pants are a good transition compromise because they’re light and "season-appropriate" and work with solid tops – as seen in Matthew Williamson's collection this year. However, they’re also not hard to come by at store level – and on a "slip into something more comfortable" note, Forever 21 and H&M have floral leggings if you want to stay cozy. (Yeah, take that summer short-shorts.)
10. Leather
Now onto something that has a serious shelf life: sadly, at some point every summer, we have to let leather go. (Or we risk being Ross Geller when he tries wearing leather pants, then gets stuck in them when they shrink.) But Jill Stuart proved leather still has more than a place in transition-wear: paired with a short sleeve blouse or t-shirt, you can rock leather pants, or you can simply adopt the bomber rule and wear a leather style until you can’t do it anymore.
Together, you guys, we can get through this.