I love pastels for spring as much as the next person. Light and airy colors dominate this time of year for a reason—they make things bright and exciting, which is exactly what we need after a long, dreary winter. 

However, in general, I tend to gravitate toward a darker color palette. Black, gray, and maroon make up the bulk of my closet. And even though it’s springtime, my love for these colors runs deep. Plus, as someone who does a lot (and I do mean a lot) of thrift shopping and clearance rack scouring, I often end up buying pieces that are out of season. While I could wait for the appropriate time of year to come back around to wear these items, I’d rather not. Isn’t half the fun of buying something new going home and putting it on right away?

Anyway, on a recent thrift shopping trip, I picked up this gorgeous burnt orange shift dress (for $4 I might add, but I digress). Although I knew at the time of purchase that I probably wouldn’t be getting much use out of it till next September, I wanted to wear it now. So, I started thinking about how I could style it in a way that would look good for spring.

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What I quickly realized was that the key to rocking dark colors in spring is to liven them up using other elements of the outfit. Clearly, the dress I’m wearing here was designed for an autumnal occasion. I can easily imagine pairing it with tights, heeled boots, and a dark lipstick. However, it’s April, which means despite how much I love that outfit combination, it would most likely be too hot and out of place.

Instead, I had to find a way to make this a spring dress, which I did using two aspects of the ensemble: shoes and sunglasses. Figuring boots would be too heavy for the fun spring look I wanted to achieve, I swapped them with cream peep toe wedges. These shoes give the dress a more whimsical feel by bringing out the floral pattern. Besides, I can never pass up the opportunity to wear a heeled shoe. Standing at a little over five feet tall, I love getting to pretend to be tall for a couple of hours every now and then.

Next, I threw on this pair of retro, white frame sunglasses. I felt like this dress was giving off some serious 70s vibes, and I wanted to keep them going through accessories. I bring these glasses out every spring and summer, so I thought they were fitting. I also put on these gold, teardrop-shaped earrings, which I felt added to the look’s springtime feel.

When it comes down to it, I believe the details make the difference. Dark colors work in spring when they are balanced out with other brighter pieces. It’s all about mixing and matching and finding out what works. 

Thanks so much for reading!

Do you wear dark colors in the spring?

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