Women’s spring wardrobe essentials: 27 easy-to-wear pieces to see you through the season

Spring feels like the perfect time to blow away the cobwebs – in life and in your wardrobe. After a winter of wool and heavy boots, the time is ripe for shaking up your look with a warm(er) weather update.

That doesn’t mean buying a whole new wardrobe: one of the things I enjoy about getting older is developing a wardrobe for each season that comes back year on year. Put clothes away between seasons: some items that make their way back out of storage were everyday favourites before then, while others may not have felt right for some time but now – lucky for you – they feel right once again. There’s something extra-fun about falling back in love with something from your own wardrobe.

Having said that, the odd update can be a welcome thing in a wardrobe needing to cope afresh with sun, showers and occasions such as weddings and holidays. Now’s the time to do a wardrobe audit, think carefully about what you need and what you don’t, and let this guide inspire you to fill any gaps, thoughtfully.

Rainbow gingham jacket

£135 at Boden
£135 at John Lewis

Boden isn’t a brand I naturally recommend, but this jacket is an instant spring wardrobe shaker-upper. Fun, a versatile fit and a massive shot of sartorial caffeine. What’s not to make you smile.

Polka dot midaxi cami dress

£45 at Marks & Spencer

Very much in the vein of the polka dot dress Julia Roberts famously wore in Pretty Woman, this frock from M&S stands out. Team it with your old denim jacket if the weather’s still patchy, or a blazer if you want to smarten up the look. It’s 100% cotton and available in regular, petite or tall lengths, and it will fill a hole in several wardrobes. It will also signal you know what’s currently filling column inches in Vogue: the polka dot, while also a timeless classic, is pinging back this spring. If that one doesn’t float your boat, M&S is currently a trove of other similarly affordable polka dot styles which just might (such as this one).

Ghanaian basket bag

£75 at Aarven

A different season calls for a different bag. Those heavy leather bags of winter start to feel OTT come spring, and lighter materials feel more in keeping. You may have an old wicker basket from warm seasons past to pull out. If not, this handcrafted basket bag, made out of the veta vera plant in northern Ghana, is a great option. Big enough to carry pints of milk back from the shop and available in a few different colours, it will also make a nice storage basket in the colder months. Or, basket bags are two-a-penny on Etsy, from classic, understated woven straw baskets with leather handles to sisal shoppers and wicker totes. Just search “basket bag” and make sure your results are filtered so you’re looking only at ones that dispatch from the UK. Dress them up or down and wear them to the office or the beach.

Fuchsia socks

£9.28 at Le Bon Shoppe
£10 at Free People

This time of year offers a chance to have fun playing around with colour via sock and shoe combinations. Spring shoes offer up more room for socks to speak, so pick a pair with something to say, like this bright pink cotton-blend pair from Le Bon Shoppe, pedlars of good-quality socks. If pink isn’t your bag, there’s a range of Keith Haring-style brights (turquoise! tangerine!) as well as more understated shades (avocado, dijon and dried rose, for instance) to choose from. Since it’s an LA brand, though, you might be limited to seeing which colours UK stockists currently have to offer.

Polka dot Martina jacket

£145 at Octobre
£145 at Sézane

The waistcoat – once relegated to snooker players, stockbrokers and wedding guests – shows no signs of slowing its steady march back to mainstream popularity. This sleeveless jacket from the French brand Sézane has the energy of a waistcoat, but for people who don’t want to go the whole hog. The cinched-in waist is a nice touch, but the belt’s removable if you’d rather have it a little less sculpted. Yet more polka dots!

Butter yellow women’s sandal

£74.95 at Salt-Water
£74.95 at Flip Flop Shop

Butter yellow, we are told, is the colour of spring 2025. While I’ve always been a fan of its creamy goodness, it can be a tricky colour to wear. One easy way in is via feet, and Saltwater’s new butter yellow sandals give the brand’s original style a sunny update. If the actual sun still isn’t complying, I wouldn’t be afraid to team this sandal – or any sandal – with a sock. A sidenote: brilliantly, the Missouri-born company also offers a takeback scheme for UK customers. So if you have old Salt-Waters no longer in rotation (although this may take a while – mine have been going for more than five years and counting), they needn’t end up in landfill. (Vinted is also rich with unworn or lightly worn Salt-Waters.)

Towelling shorts

£65 at Me + Em

While there’s a risk you’ll be wearing the same shorts as some MPs, this pair from the Labour-approved brand Me+Em is the perfect foundation for warmer-weather outfits. Towelling is a popular warm-weather fabric – visit The Design Museum’s latest exhibition, Splash! to delve into its long history in swimming and holiday style – and for good reason. Soft and practical, this pair of mid-weight cotton-blend towelling shorts is perfect for a barbecue, beach sit or damp bench in a pub beer garden. Depending on the weather, you may still need a chunky jumper on top, but at least your legs can get in the holiday spirit.

Blue floral pyjamas

£55 at Cloth House

It’s time to put those heavy flannel pyjamas in storage and usher back some old lighter, cotton nightwear into your life – or welcome in some new ones. This set from fabric institution The Cloth House is delightful, and made of block-printed cotton from India. As if a good night’s sleep could feel any more idyllic.

Red linen-blend top

£47 at Nobody’s Child
£47 at Marks & Spencer

Red linen-blend trousers

£65 at Nobody’s Child