A Men's Spring Wardrobe Refresh: 1 Smart & 1 Casual Look

It feels a bit odd talking about what to wear for spring and how to transition from a winter wardrobe to a spring one when it’s the 19th of March and there is still snow settled on the ground in London. If I looked out of my window this morning, I would have thought that it was bang smack in the middle of winter. Yet if you go by the astronomical seasonal calendar then spring actually starts tomorrow on the 20th March 2018 and if you follow the meteorological seasons than it already started on the 1st March!

In truth, this is exactly when you need to think about making strides away from chunky knitwear and big coats and investing in transitional pieces of clothing such as thin knits and lightweight jackets.

I’ve been online shopping at House of Fraser to produce two Men’s Style Edits for you for inspiration on how to look the part this spring. The first style is a smart casual look, which is perfect for wearing in the office Monday - Friday or for those of us who are self employed freelancers because it is warm, comfortable and stylish. The second look is casual. It’s what I would wear at weekends, meeting friends, heading to the pub, museum, art gallery or whatever you get up to in your spare time.

THE SMART CASUAL

This look was actually quite easy to piece together as the first item of clothing to jump out from the screen was this Linea Thames Merino Funnel Neck Jumper. It's a deep navy colour which is rumoured to be the colour of choice this spring for menswear. Although if this is not your preference, they also have the option to buy it in a charcoal colour which you could use as a substitute in this outfit and would still look great. This knit is made from soft, thin merino wool so it's breathable and therefore will keep you warm in cool days yet cool in warmer days or after drinking a coffee on a power walk through London to catch your morning tube! The zip goes from the neck area to your sternum (the breast plate bone), this gives you the ability to layer another coloured t-shirt underneath and unzip the knitwear displaying the colour contract in layers. Sticking to a navy theme I've chosen to add the Linea Hnedrick Half Lined Blazer, which is currently on sale from £125 to £65, so you'll have to snap this item up quick. I'm wearing a medium which would fit someone with a 39"/40" chest. I love the pale blue button hole which is perfectly tailored accentuating the impeccably crafted peak lapel. It's a blazer that just keeps on giving. No that is not a pocket square, it is the inner lining of the blazer pocket which you can pull up emulating a pocket square or tuck it in depending if it suits the complete outfit you are wearing. The lower half has been kept quite simple with a pair of Linea Battersea Cotton Stretch Trousers in black retailing at £39 and are also available in navy, charcoal and blue. Everyone knows footwear is the first thing people notice, so I've taken a bit more time picking out a pair of Chelsea boots, which are my boot of choice this spring. This pair from Dune have a beautiful herringbone fabric design for the elastic part of the boot which make them stand out from the huge choice that you have at House of Fraser. 

THE CASUAL

Sticking to a budget, I wanted to make small changes to the first smart-casual look and create something totally different for your weekend attire. I've achieved this by keeping the entire bottom section of the above outfit the same and just concentrated on styling my top half and accessorising slightly different with a weekend bag and sunglasses. The champion piece for this outfit is the Howick Gill Long Sleeve Jersey Polo (was £28 now £14) 50% off which mean you can now buy 2 for 1 from their colour selection of burgundy, navy and green. I did wear this jersey done up to the top button with nothing underneath and it looked good but I prefer it layered on top of a simple white pima cotton crew neck t-shirt as in the images below.

Photo Credit Omnistyle

*This is a sponsored post and was created in collaboration with House of Fraser.