Happy Wednesday my loyal blog family, I hope you are all doing well! I have been super busy at work but there is only a few days left so I am excited. In the meantime, spring has finally sprung and the weather was beautiful this past weekend so I was able to create some amazing content and that put a smile on my face. And we are officially only 2 weeks away from my birthday!
For today’s post I have partnered with Catherine’s to share some trends for spring and a few of my favourite looks from their new arrivals. That’s right you get 2 looks in one post today! I decided to choose something that I loved for the office and something that was perfect for play.
One of the emerging on trend colour palettes for spring is shades of blue – think the sky, the ocean, the Caribbean, Greece and warm sandy beaches. Whether you like pastels, bright jewel tones or shades of turquoise you are sure to find something that will put that sparkle in your eye. And they are being mixed with soft neutrals like tan and white or your classic black and navy.
The power suit has definitely made a come back in 2018, we started seeing it on the runway last spring and it came out in full force this past fall and is now being shown for spring in bold prints, strong colours, unexpected silhouettes, cropped lengths and even some ruffles for that added dramatic flare. It has definitely reminded me of the early days of my career when I was a student and started working in an accounting firm as a co-op student. In the 90’s business dress was still very formal and a power suit was a must have. I remember picking out this boxy plum coloured one from Sears for my first day at the office. I paired it with a bold striped silk button up shirt and I felt ready to take on the world. And yep it had big shoulder pads too!
Now not only was there the power suit but there was what I like to call the “power set”, for those of you who are old enough, you know what I am talking about – the matching dress and jacket combo. Man was this a statement look and not always in a good way depending on how far you decided to go with it. Let’s just say I saw some interesting choices in my day.
What I have noticed this spring is that the power set has come back in style but in a sleek and sophisticated way like this look. You will typically see a simple but nicely tailored sheath dress with a chic and effortless jacket. Instead of being matchy matchy they are complimentary and have unique accents that tie them together. But they can also easily be worn separately or with other pieces in your wardrobe.
I chose this power set from Catherine’s Curvy Collection. This collection offers pieces that accentuate your curves and provide a body conscious fit. It’s sexy but classy. I love that they decided to add these types of designs to the brand because it defies the myth that woman who are plus size and in particular an extended size don’t want to flaunt their curves. I know that I for one certainly do! But I also think it offers something for the woman who wants to take a slightly different approach as to how they flaunt them. After all they say sexy is a state of mind. And I know I have said it before but I will continue to say it because I think other brands should take notice, they offer these sexy pieces in their full size range, up to a 34!
I absolutely love the aqua hue of this dress and jacket combined with the sharp contrast of the black trim and details. The aqua screams spring while the black gives it some edge. For the dress it really plays off of the bandage material and the textures and placement of the trim brings your attention upwards to your face and bust and defines your waist. The wide v neck line elongates the neck and shows off your collar bone while still remaining bra and cleavage friendly. I am wearing the 32 in the dress, it has some stretch to it but not a lot. I also really liked the length as it still gives me adequate leg coverage if I am sitting down and the fact that it is fully lined.
This jacket ticks all the boxes for my must haves for a perfect fit. It has a slight flared peplum shape that cinches you in at the waist but provides room for my hips. The black waist band helps to define it even more. I love a 3/4 sleeve because it works for all seasons. Add to that a collarless scoop neckline and zipper front and you are sure to have a sleek and fitted look. I am wearing the 30 in the jacket and I am thrilled with the fit. The one thing to keep in mind is that the jacket does not have the same bondage pattern as the dress, it’s hard to tell from the pictures on the website.
To complete the look I added some accessories that are fresh for spring. Trade in your traditional pumps for a pair of block heeled sandals in simple black. These shoes are from Catherine’s Good Soles line, they are wide width and have supportive cushioning in the shoe bed. And for only $49 regular price they are your perfect go to sandal. These earrings with a hit of lime green are from Catherine’s sister store Lane Bryant and this silver cuff is also from Catherine’s. They have a great selection of accessories to complete any look. Finally I added this black patent bag from my collection to keep with the classic professional power look I was going for.
For this 2nd look I wanted to continue to showcase the amazing collection of blue hued pieces that have come out but give you an option that works for a more casual work environment or is weekend and vacation ready. I personally think that you can’t go wrong with a perfect fitting pair of capris and a coordinating top and layering piece. Do you know that there is a rule of thumb that you should build an outfit based on 3 pieces?
To make a classic look current I played with another trend for spring and that is coloured bottoms and in particular pastels. Wearing light colour bottoms has been considered taboo for plus size women for years because it doesn’t fit the old school ruled of what is considered “flattering”. Well not only do I not prescribe to the notion that I have to limit my sense of style to follow these stupid rules, I also believe that if your pants fit well then what colour they are doesn’t matter.
These capris are the essential flat front style that are made out of a comfortable stretch twill fabric. The natural waist flat front keeps you looking smooth and supported while the elastic back is functional. I know not everyone loves an elasticized waist but I am practical and appreciate that for someone with my shape they help keep my pants up! I am not a huge fan of belts because they don’t work well with my waist hip ratio and I hate when a waistband digs in at the front. The lace up detail at the ankles adds an on trend feature to this spring closet staple as does the soft powder blue colour. I am wearing the 4x (30/32) which is what I would expect for bottoms that are not specifically designed for a pear shape.
Tropical prints are also a must have trend for spring so I chose this tonal blue leaf patterned tank with some strappy cut outs at the neckline and silver beading for a touch of sparkle. I am wearing the 3x but I found the fit on this a little smaller than most of my tops from Catherine’s. You may want to consider sizing up. When I was perusing the website to pull this look together I stumbled across the magical unicorn of layering pieces in this cardigan. It’s super lightweight, has 3/4 sleeves (can you tell how much I love them by now lol?), a long maxi length and side slits. The versatility of a piece like this is endless. I got the 4x in this because I wanted it to be roomy and I was a little disappointed that it wasn’t more generous, again you might want to size up. I love how it instantly elevated this look to casual work chic in a second.
To accessorize this look I went with really simple pieces that you could easily pull from your closet. A slide sandal like these from Full Beauty in white or any neutral colour are the perfect choice for comfort and style. A cute silver earring like these ones from Catherine’s and the silver cuff I also wore with the other look add a hint of glam and play off the beading on the top. Finally grab your favourite neutral bag like my Coach navy satchel and you are ready to go.
I hope you enjoyed this discussion on some of spring’s must have trends and style inspirations and that you leave motivated to reinvigorate your spring wardrobe. Buying a few key pieces can go a long way in getting rid of the winter blahs and putting that spring back in your step! Leave me a comment below and tell me how you are planning to refresh your spring wardrobe and what trends you are loving.
This post was sponsored in partnership with Catherine’s but all opinions are my own. There are also some affiliate links in this post which I may earn a small commission from. They help me maintain my blog and social media accounts so I can continue to provide you with quality content.
Special thanks to Rebecca of Rebecca Northcott Photography for capturing these images and introducing me to this beautiful new location.
Jacket by CATHERINE’S | Sheath Dress by CATHERINE’s | Black Sandals by CATHERINE’s | Marble Earrings by LANE BRYANT | Cardigan by CATHERINE’s | Tank Top by CATHERINE’s | Capris by CATHERINE’s | Bracelet by CATHERINE’s | Silver Earrings by CATHERINE’s | White Sandals by FULL BEAUTY (alternative here) | Navy bag by COACH (alternative here) | Black bag by JD WILLIAMS USA (alternative here) |
