All Over Albany

Dressing for spring in the Great Northeast

It's springtime in the Northeast, and our weather situation is notoriously volatile. Sure, we've just come off some nice weekend weather, but even though most of us are over winter, winter may not be through with us.

There are lots of fun spring clothes in the stores and in our closets made of lightweight fabrics in the most vibrant of hues; but it's still too cold to wear most of them "as is". The key to approaching Spring from a fashion standpoint is the mix and match.

Numero Uno: Tights (There's a nice selection at "the good Macy's" in Colonie Center). Tights can get you through one of the pseudo-warm days when the air seems deceptively balmy, and then the wind blows and suddenly you can see your breath as you exhale. Tights will look just as great under a cotton dress or skirt in April as they did under a wool pencil skirt in December. Tights are also a fun way to play with color; besides the obvious black, there's navy, burgundy, and charcoal. If you're more daring, trying looking on the bright side with yellow or pink.

Two: The peep toe shoe. Ubiquitous? Yes. But when it's not quite warm enough to wear sandals, peep toes a great substitute. I'm actually a fan of them for year- round use (except in snow, of course). They're great with a pair of wool business slacks .

Three: Heavy and light. A tried and true method for me when I just cannot deal with another heavy winter outfit. Throw on a cashmere or wool sweater with tropical weight wool slacks, skirt or a pair of khakis or jeans(cropped if you like). Or a cotton cardigan, turtleneck, or button-down dress shirt with a pair of cords and peep-toe flats. Colorful sweaters are everywhere right now. The ones pictured here are from The Gap.

Four: Last year's big item was the Trench, but a classically cut trench is always in style. It is the quintessential transition item. If you've tired of the big overcoat, and the temperature is hovering around 40, I say throw on a scarf, a cloche hat, and a pair of gloves with your trench, and you're good to go. This
trench and the pink on before the jump are also from "the good Macy's."

Lastly-- check out your own closet. Times are tight for many of us, but you don't have to buy too much. The best part of transitioning into spring is that it's really about exploiting what you already have in your closet in a creative way.