{Style} San Francisco: Snow-free style

The Chemist and I are going to San Francisco next week, and while it may not be as sunny and mildly warm as it usually is this time of year, it is hands-down better than the never-ending winter we're still experiencing here in Minnesota. We still have snow in our lawn and, given that we have only lived here since January, we're not yet entirely convinced that there is a yard under all that snow at all.

But I digress. One of the things I am most looking forward to in SF is the opportunity to wear some more seasonable clothing that I just can't yet wear here. Here are some spring outfit ideas, mixable and ideal for packing.

1) J. Crew: Weekend Dress in Dark Navy. One thing

I'm digging the most this season is the combination of navy and taupe. It's a mix of neutrals that manages to feel more fresh than navy and white. I finally purchased the navy weekend dress fro

m J. Crew I was obsessing over, and quickly took to styling it with some taupe pieces.

2) Lands End Canvas:

Heritage cardigan in Maplewood. It's a classic, to be sure, but a nice departure from some of the more embellished pieces out there. I plan on wearing jewelry with this outfit, so it's best to

keep the cardigan simple.

3) Target: Kachiri Leather Americana Boots in Taupe; Myka Suede Wedge in Taupe (stores only). These are two comfortable options to pair with this dress, very walkable yet more stylish than most "travel-friendly" shoes.

4) Gap: Long and Lean Jeans in Dark Wash. Call me a traditionalist, but I cannot, will not get behind skinny jeans, jeggings or other abominations of fabric. The fact is, I have hips, I have a waist, and I am short. Not one of the those features is amenable to those kinds of jeans, so a simple dark wash with a straight or boot opening is the most flattering. End of rant.

5) J. Crew Factory: Papillon Waterfloral Pastiche Blouse (left). I love this overtly feminine blouse, particularly under a blazer, but since it's not quite in my price range, I went for the much more affordable cap-sleeved blouse in the same fabric (cotton candy), just with more simple lines.

6) J. Crew: Velvet Eden Blazer in Soft Blossom (left). I bought this on eBay as a nice alternative to the jean jacket for avoiding a spring chill*. It's not as versatile as a jean jacket, but it does work well with the blush/blossom/cream color palette I'm assembling for spring.

7) Old Navy: Ruffled Dress in White (below). The title of this is a bit misleading, as it's actually a light, warm floral on a white background. I just ordered this yesterday and haven't seen it in person yet, so the jury is still out. But I'm hopeful, as I would love to pair it with the Eden blazer.

8) Old Navy: Tiered Chiffon Tank in Cream (color not available online; left). I bought this late last summer, and while it struck me as too long initially, it shrunk after a few washes and fits better now. Again, this looks great with the Heritage cardigan or Eden blazer above, with a flash of shine with the Mesh Scarf necklace.

9) J. Crew: Mesh Scarf Necklace (both images). It's sold out online, but I recently found this for a steal at my local J. Crew retail store. I have it in both the gunmetal and antique gold finishes, and they're a nice accent that elongates what might otherwise be a short line in a scoopneck shirt.

I could go on . . . and probably will later (also up: embellishing your own t-shirt to stylish---and cheap!---effect). But the touch of spring in these ideas is enough to tide me over until we fly to California next week.

Signed,

Majin, MD

*That is, if it EVER gets spring-like around here.