Style Over Time: Spring/Summer Outfits from Early May
- sallyinstpaul
- 5 hours ago
- 5 min read
I am happy to be here today to share another round-up of outfits over the years, this time from the first part of May. These OOTD are mostly new to the blog, which is always a fun thing for me as I get to revisit some past outfits I've not talked about and often have totally forgotten.
Let's get started...
Outfit 1: Fri, May 2, 2025
High 50 F, low 45 F, trace of rain
I featured this pink and orange outfit in my last post - it was the impetus for looking back at what I've worn on and around May 2nd in previous years.
Outfit 2: Wed, May 1, 2024
High 65 F, low 50 F, clear
I have two plaid knit moto vests that I bought at the same time - one black and white, this one navy and white - that I wear most often in the spring-to-summer and summer-to-fall transition seasons. I brightened up the dark navy + vest combo with cheerful teal pants and a white floral scarf. I added a stack of DIY bracelets in a teal/orange/gold color way and a dead-easy pair of bead soup earrings I made to coordinate with the scarf. Print mixing with this vest is not as easy as I always think it's going to be, but I think it looks okay with this scarf since the floral print is not a busy one.
Outfit 3: Mon, May 8, 2023
High 77 F, low 52 F, clear
I styled this outfit (previously shared in more detail here) starting with the scarf using the Road Map Styling technique of drawing the outfit's colors from the scarf. This is more color blocking than I typically wear but I liked the result a lot...and the scarf ties the colors together so it doesn't feel random to me.
Outfit 4: Mon, May 9, 2022
High 87 F, low 58 F, trace of rain
I was surprised to see myself in a pullover sweater on a day with temps from 58-87 F...until I realized that instead of the matching blue long-sleeved blouse I usually wear under it, I had on a blue tank top instead. The sweater has an open weave that makes it cool enough to wear into spring. I'm not sure I had internalized how great this scarf and shoes combo looks before now; it's a Pleasing Pairing for sure. Sweet, spring-y handmade jewelry adds hints of color and warm-weather vibes to the look.
Outfit 5: Fri, May 7, 2021
High 58 F, low 39 F, clear
OK, I'm kind of blown away by the perfect spring-time colors in this outfit! It's sort of like a bowl of Easter eggs and a flower garden got mixed together and turned into an outfit. The gloriously saturated pastel scarf was a great guidepost for Road Map styling a basic white knit top + jeans into a bundle of May goodness. I would never have thought to wear the periwinkle blue shirt and light apple green loafers in the same outfit otherwise. The dark wash blue jeans keep the look from being too pastel for my taste.
Outfit 6: Mon, May 4, 2020
High 60 F, low 40 F, clear
I really like how the tipped blazer in a subtle black and white print (that has a grey "false plain" look) adds structure to the loose and flowy cheetah print blouse. I wear the blouse with these black thrifted Eileen Fisher pants all the time, but the combination with the blazer was a new one for me. It's unusual to see me in such minimalist jewelry these days, but this outfit dates to when working from home was both new and (we believed at the time) temporary, so I considered a lovely silver link chain necklace (a hand-me-down from my mom) sufficient. And I think the blouse + jacket combo has enough going on that just a hint of necklace still looks right to me, especially for a work outfit.
Outfit 7: Tues, May 7, 2019
High 63 F, low 40 F, clear
Now we're back to my Work In Office era with a bright and cheerful outfit using a white tank + textured skirt for an inner column of color topped by a boldly patterned infinity scarf that I wore hanging around my neck with an overhand knot at the end. I also used the matching cardigan + shoes color formula in this look (a variant on the matching top + shoes formula), which I think is really effective with the neutral base layer. I no longer have this specific Lands End cardigan, but I replaced it with one in a slightly lighter shade of blue (also from LE) that works just as well with the flats.
Outfit 8: Wed, May 9, 2018
High 65 F, low 55 F, 0.11" rain
I still own and wear everything in this outfit except the navy pants, which I have replaced with another pair in a very similar basic work/office style. Both the blouse (30 Wears post) and the knit moto jacket were pretty recent retail purchases at the time (around 1 year old) so they were on my high priority wear list, and I wore them relatively frequently. Although statement necklaces come and go as a trend, they continue to play nicely into my current maximal jewelry style so I'd wear this blouse + necklace combination again today. But this particular necklace is most often worn in a more whimsical context these days.
Outfit 9: Wed, May 3, 2017
High 66 F, low 45 F, clear
Here's the same knit moto jacket, this time very, very new to my wardrobe - I mean, look how pristine it is! I really like it styled over the classic navy-and-white striped top with ankle pants in a vivid bright pink color. I no longer have these pants, and truly, I do miss them; I'm not searching for a replacement because I'm doing a shopping break/No Buy for clothing in 2025, but I am looking forward to a day in the future when the gods of thrift shopping look down on me with benevolence and another pair of bright pink pants enters my wardrobe. (And thrift gods, if you read my blog, I wouldn't mind a bright pink skirt to replace the bright salmon pink one that recently left my closet either!)
Have your jewelry or general accessorizing preferences/tendencies changed from 2017 to now? Do you tend to wear jewelry according to the current trends or is your style more personal/less dependent on the fashion cycle? Or do you not wear jewelry at all?
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