What to Wear this Spring: The Young Professional Lady

We can finally smell the warm weather in the air and it is almost time to ditch those wool and down jackets until next season. We asked three fabulously fashionable Canadian young professional (YP) boutique owners to comment on what is hot for YPs this spring, and what we can expect to see on city streets across the country. Today, our focus is on the YP lady – stay tuned for the guy’s edition later this week.

Hottest Hues:

“Pale pink makes a big appearance this season and flatters most skin tones. Think of it as a neutral and don’t be afraid to pair it with other colours, or keep it soft with creams and gold. All pastels are hot this spring as they are every spring, especially blush and mint green. Pop Pink is a great shade for everyone, and is fun to incorporate with a flirty dress in the evening or paired with neutrals during the day… it makes any outfit fun and spring-like. Lemon Yellow makes a big appearance and is a bold colour, so you’ll definitely stand out. The yellow works bests with darker complexions or reddish hair. Blue is back in a big way. It’s a universally flattering colour; there is a shade for everyone,” – Lynn Conway, Co-Owner, Poor Little Rich Girl (Toronto). 

“Electric Colours. This is a trend that I’ll definitely be working into my spring look. We’re used to seeing a lot of pretty soft pastels for spring, so bold strong colours feel really exciting for this season. The options range from cobalt (a colour that is amazing on any skin tone) to yellow that verges on highlighter, vivid oranges and pinks and neon green.” – Genevieve Allen, Owner, Violet (Vancouver). 

Cutouts: 

“Cutouts. Yikes! This one’s for the brave. It’s a beautiful look but definitely not for everyone. We’re seeing a lot of crop tops and midriff for spring. Also, some more subtle peek-a-boo looks like these gorgeous floral cutout dresses. I think the key here is to keep the rest of the look pretty conservative as the cutout is quite sexy on its own.” – GA, Violet

“Laser cutouts are really big this season. With new technology becoming more and more accessible, the laser cut outs are seen in clothing and accessories this year.” Kleah Michnik, Co-Owner, Charlie & Lee (Vancouver). 

Silver: 

“Silver accessories are big this year. While gold is still on trend, silver is back in full force and puts a modern spin on any outfit.” LC, Poor Little Rich Girl

Coloured lace:

“While lace is typically a fall/winter trend, this spring we are seeing lots of dresses and tops in coloured lace. It’s the perfect way to bring the trend into the spring! Cream lace is always very vintage looking and pairs perfectly with light blue wash jeans/distressed boyfriend jeans.” – LC, Poor Little Rich Girl


Fit and Flare:

“Fit and flare skirts and dresses are moving away from the uber-fitted look we have been accustomed to, and towards a fit and flare style. It’s young, flirty, and flattering on almost every shape. The longer the legs, the longer your hemline should be! This is also a trend you should keep in your closet post-spring as it is continuing full force in the fall. Fit and flare skirts paired with a loose-weave sweater and heels – I have always been such a fan of the fuller skirt, they make the leg look so long and lean and it looks especially cute paired with something unexpected like a light sweater and super high heels.”- LC, Poor Little Rich Girl  


Bold Graphics:

“Black and white graphics are a huge trend this season. Big, bold graphic prints were featured all over the runway and this is one of the easiest trends to choose. It works for every budget and body type and is a really fresh and easy look for spring.”  GA, Violet

“This season, we are seeing a lot of colour blocking and paneled detailing. This spring is also full of digital prints – particularly a lot of floral, tribal geometric and space prints.” – KM, Charlie & Lee

“This season is full of printed pants, usually a bit of a silkier pant this year, that is skinny and slouchy.” – KM, Charlie & Lee


Leather: 

“Leather for spring is unexpected. It’s being incorporated into beautiful detail like a leather trim on a lightweight sweater or used on a tailored jacket as side panels. I also love our Rachel Comey leather peplum style top. The peplum top was a big trend for last fall and it’s a nice one to carry into spring in this unexpected way.” – GA, Violet


Denim: 

“Patterned denim, coloured denim, boyfriend jeans, light blue skinnies – last spring/summer’s denim is still going strong with some fun updates! Denim vests over maxi dresses offer such a fun bohemian look and a great way to layer!” – LC, Poor Little Rich Girl


Peplum

“Peplum’s still going on strong. It’s a flattering and girly look that can be worn by almost anyone. It can give boyish girls curves and minimize the curves of curvy girls.” – KM, Charlie & Lee

Boy Meets Girl:

“For the warmer months, the ‘boy meets girl’ trend is back – a progression of the previous boyfriend trend. This is one of the most wearable and sensible trends because you can mix in almost anything. For example, a shift dress with paneled colour blocking paired with some cute summery loafers.” – KM, Charlie & Lee


In general… 

Depending on your style, focus on the most wearable trends. You don’t want to go overboard with them, however. “I love to add one or two trends from each season to my existing wardrobe. I think the key is to pick the trend that speaks to you the most and is the most flattering to your body type,” says Allen. Whatever the case, the start of spring is definitely cause for a wardrobe overhaul, especially when spring shopping is so much more wallet-friendly than fall and winter.

Cover image courtesy of: Charlie and Lee