This spring I want to dress more like David Hockney. The maestro of swimming pools, sleeping dachshunds and bounteous blossoming trees has always been a fantastic dresser. I was reminded of this just the other day when his forthcoming show “Hockney’s Eye” at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge was announced with the release of a new self-portrait of the artist wearing a bold tweed suit, cheeky yellow tie, signature specs and Peaky Blinders cap: a joyous ode to colour, vibrancy and uncompromising signature style – whatever your age.
It was Hockney (who famously declared that Spring Cannot Be Cancelled) who leapt to mind when I received my assignment for this week’s column: what are the five pieces your wardrobe needs for spring? Colour, colour and more colour, is the answer.
Back in 1985, it was Donna Karan who gave us the classic Seven Easy Pieces collection, at a time when pared-back, stretchy minimalist pieces in monochrome jersey felt radical and freeing for the get-ahead modern woman. We’ve moved on since then, of course, and contemporary wardrobes are stuffed to the brim. Frankly, after the pandemic, I have enough stretchy, monochrome base layers to last a lifetime. What wardrobes need now are some proper clothes to put a pep into our collective step. Adding five new pieces needn’t be extravagant. Choose well and you can find keepers that will give you that spring zing every March.
Let’s start with a coat: I am a sucker for a yellow topper. I once owned a princess-line buttercup beauty from Aquascutum with gold gobstopper buttons. This primrose number from Mango is incredibly easy to wear (plus it’s made with “eco-friendly and recycled fabrics”). Alternatively, there are lots of other bright sherbet or fondant-hued coats in the shops. Don’t be shy to mix colour when you put your look together, but err towards solid tones and avoid ditzy patterns or twee florals, which can look old-fashioned.
It could just be me, or too many days in the past year that skewed towards “Woman in a Dressing Gown”, but day dresses are no longer exciting me. Suddenly, separates feel right again – sharper and more versatile. The A-line skirt is resolutely back. My old school uniform specified an A-line skirt in French navy, which I loathed at the time, though I reckon it would look very Prada-eqsue now. All I can say is put aside your preconceptions about the style. In the picture I’m wearing an Essentiel Antwerp A-line with an ever-so-slightly gathered waist, which nicely skims hips rather than hugging them.
I’m delighted to report that this is a brilliant season for knits on the high street. Choosing the right one is all about a modern cut. Look for knits without too much bulk, with either a ribbed waist or made from a fine enough gauge to tuck into your waistband should you choose to; & Other Stories is my happy hunting ground for modern knits. And for a brilliant, ethical choice, check out the light-as-air recycled cashmere knits from Bee&Sons (the colours are so delicious you could eat them).
Now find an anything-but-black boot. I’m pleased to say that boots are still your friend, even though it is spring. Given the amount of walking I do these days, I find it very hard to ditch their sturdiness and practicality. Happily there are brilliant options in khaki, cream, plaster-pink and forest green to help you stride into the new season feeling lighter, without fussing about delicate heels slowing you down.
If you’re going to add a luxurious bag to your look, I recommend hitting the resale sites. I found some gems on hardlyeverwornit.com and mywardrobehq.com. As Rachel Reavley, Hewi’s Board Director put it to me, if you “can enjoy a bag for six or 12 months, keep it in good condition and have the opportunity to sell it back… the calculator in your brain kind of works a bit differently”. Shopping guilt assuaged!
Of course, there is something ritualistic about turning over your wardrobe for spring. When I lived in a tiny apartment in New York and no one I knew had enough closet space it was a marker of the season to send half of your wardrobe away to storage for six months.
Yasmin Sewell, the legendary buyer turned wellness entrepreneur once told me our desire for new clothes at the turn of the season is all about the flow of energy, that’s why old clothes stagnating on your hangers drag us down and we find ourselves drawn to the new.
Now go channel your inner Hockney and add a dash of yellow to your closet.
