OUT WITH THE COLD AND IN WITH THE NEW

Spring might mean daffodils or bleating lambs to some, but to anyone with an interest in fashion, it means a purge of the musty winter wardrobe and the re-birth of a lighter, brighter you. Your butterfly is ready to emerge from its heavily knitted chrysalis.

The joy of the transitional season in Australia is that the not-yet-boiling temperature allows you to still wear layers. Layering and mixing separates is the trickiest part of getting dressed, but it’s also your best chance at creating a unique personal look. Here’s our round-up of fashion items trending across the last fortnight; denim jacket, denim skirt, midi-skirt and the velvet blazer. 

You can almost hear those summer dresses winging for a piece of the action from the corners of your wardrobe after so long in the dark, but since we don’t believe goosebumps are one of the latest trends, your first spring investment should probably be a light jacket.

Few jackets look better with a summer dress than the classic denim. Invented 140 years ago by Mr Levi Strauss as a durable throw-on for labourers in America, it evolved into a sartorial tribute to cool and has remained so. Half a century later, Zanita Whittington (left) admitted her vintage denim jacket was the most worn piece on her blog.

The latest line-up of denim jackets recalls the era when a young Madonna broke onto the scene in the mid-1980s; it includes a cheeky take on the leather biker shape by Aje, a bleached logo trucker style by MinkPink (in the middle), a caped, acid-washed biker style by Decjuba and some cute cropped styles by Witchery (right), Seed and Kookai. The good news is denim jackets are a pretty fail-safe online shopping purchase because they don’t require a tailored fit and we have an accurate idea of the various hues of denim before we hit ‘add to cart’.

If you’re dying to pull out those hibernating sheer blouses or rock ‘n’ roll tees, or you fancy a bit of double denim (spring-style) then now’s the time to invest in a denim skirt. Camilla and Marc (in the middle, below) does a classic high-waisted mini worth the investment. Raw edges are everywhere, so if you want an outfit that works near the beach (if you’re game to venture to the post-winter waters), try this multi-panelled asymmetrical skirt by Aje or Zimmermann’s girly flip skirt, and if ruffles are your thing, The Fifth has you covered.

Spring is the season when heavy denier tights are thrown to one side and bare legs reveal themselves. Fear not because while you perform a last-minute cram of beauty regimes on your poor neglected pins, you can happily get around in one of the gorgeous midi skirts online this season. Witchery’s (below left) is perfectly pure for spring and can be dressed down with that denim jacket for a fresh-as-a-daisy outfit. There are some cute asymmetrical midis around; a classic Sass & Bide style (below right) for statement-making, or monochrome floral from C/MEO Collective. If you have a spring wedding to shop for, go ahead and compete with the bride in a matchy-matchy midi outfit from Aje then play the skirt down with that cropped denim jacket again on mild spring evenings out. Autark has a decadent red-wine velvet style that would look gorgeous in the office before the weather heats up. And when it does, wear an Indian-style boho midi skirt by Spell & the Gypsy as a matchy outfit or paired with a sheer cami and – you guessed it – a denim jacket.

While denim provides outfits with a casual vibe, velvet does the opposite. The fabric has enjoyed a major revival in recent years and the velvet blazer is another standard you should be embracing for spring, this time to smarten up your act. Add it to a bleached high-waisted jean or denim mini skirt for high-low sophistication. Forever New does a good low-key velvet blazer, or up the ante with a double-breasted peak-lapel blazer from Witchery (in the middle), a strong shoulder at Carla Zampatti (left) or long cut in crushed velvet at Strateas Carlucci. Then again, if a blazer feels a little too serious for a light-hearted season, a personal favourite is this delicious pink velvet bomber from Country Road (right). Swoon.