I made the mistake of telling a friend the other day that it had been a really cold winter so far (where I live, in Washington, DC). The mistake? The friend is a fairly literal person, evidently: He pointed out that, in fact, winter has just started.

Winter won’t last forever by KeturaP featuring American Eagle Outfitters

No matter. Fashion people are already jumping on the best spring trends. Normally I am not quite that far ahead of myself — it’s still January, after all. But a couple spring trends have really caught my eye. One is the pale pastels, like buff, that we’re going to see a lot of. (More on that in a future post.) Another is the whole utilitarian trend. I love it! It’s versatile enough to work for any age woman and any type of lifestyle or complexion.

What I’ve shown here would suit someone with warmer skin tones, but you could easily adapt it for a cooler complexion. The aqua shoes give the outfit a little pop, and the bracelet is an ornate cuff of the kind we’ll be seeing a lot off this spring. (And mine from Anthropologie just arrived in the mail a little while ago — can’t wait to test-drive it!)

So be bold: Preview spring in the magazines and catalogues that’ll be landing on your doorstep any day now, and pick something to try that’s a little outside your comfort zone and spring-ready. Winter won’t last forever.