In Full Bloom: Spring Look Book Ft. Ann Taylor

Disclaimer: this post is sponsored by Ann Taylor with clothing gifted by the brand in exchange for posts. All thoughts & opinions are my own..

Me in winter: long sleeve shirt under a muted toned sweater, fleece lined black leggings, and 8 blankets on top of that.

Me in spring: HELLO COLOR & PRINTS!

It's almost spring! The warm temps are finally here and my bold & bright wardrobe is slowly emerging from the depths of the rubbermaid containers where it has been living for the past 6 months (the struggle of sharing 1 tiny barely walk-in closet with your hubs). I love spring for so many reasons, but a big part of what really gets me excited for the season is just the fashion! Since I don't live in sunny vacationland (Florida) 24/7, I can't really put my Lilly Pulitzer outfits on repeat year round, and while I do have some bright & fun sweaters for fall/winter, I mostly just opt for whatever is going to keep me the warmest from October - February. But come March, I emerge out of my little fleece cocoon, because it's finally warm enough outside to not need puffy jackets, Uggs, and quadruple layers of clothing (really though, you guys would think I lived in Antarctica with the way I talk about "winter" in Tennessee. My beachgirl blood just can't take it).

So with the arrival of spring, I knew I had to put together some fun seasonal looks - especially because I recently collaborated with Ann Taylor & got to take home some pieces to style!

The first look was one that gave me Minnie Mouse vibes - if Minnie worked a 9 to 5. I paired a red pencil skirt with a black eyelet puff sleeve top. I love that the color combo felt very Minnie, so I couldn't resist adding the mouse ears.

Red trench pencil skirt | Eyelet puff sleeve top | Geo chandelier earrings | Beaded floral clutch

I love the versatility of this pencil skirt. Since it's a solid color, it can go with just about anything! Since I went basic with the bottom, I picked the puff sleeve embroidered top to add in some playfulness. I'm usually not big on puff sleeves, but I liked that these were longer. This is something I would 100% wear to work, since I'm in the accounting field that errs on the dressier side (yup, blogging is just my side hustle). Now if only the mouse ears were an acceptable accessory for the office...

For my second look, I kept it super casual. I often have days where I'm either in a hurry, haven't done laundry, or am just being plain lazy and don't feel like putting together a whole curated look (but full transparency here - more often than not, it's all 3 of those things at once. Oops!). This is where a great pair of jeans comes in - especially during those early weeks of spring when the weather is having one hell of a mood swing & a few frigid blustery days sneak in. So if I opt for jeans, I like to pair something bold or fun on top - a loud print, a bright color, or something with playful details.

Poppy smocked hem mixed media top |  High rise skinny jeans

This floral blouse was the perfect top! I loved that the bottom was smocked & hugged my midsection, so it was really easy to tuck into the high waisted skinny jeans, and the bright red poppy print looked great against the deep navy of the jeans. It made the outfit look really put together & styled, when it's the most basic outfit combo out there (you can't go wrong with a great pair of jeans + a fun top). Add some ankle booties & oversized sunnies & you're ready for brunch with the girls!

For the third look, I had to go BOLD & get out of the box. I can't take credit for putting this look together though because Sarah (the super sweet stylist at Ann Taylor turned fashion fairy godmother) suggested this & urged me to try it - and I am so glad I did! I never thought I would love a head to toe monochromatic look, but this was easily my most favorite outfit of the day.

Sweater trench  |  Mock neck sleeveless top  |  Marina cropped pant  |  Bee pendant necklace

The photos don't do the color of this outfit justice. You guys really need to run to your nearest Ann Taylor & see these pieces in person. The green is the most stunning shade of emerald! You know how there's certain colors that just go better with certain hair colors? Yeah, this is one of them. I'm a little bias here, but I think green looks really great on brunettes (jewel tones are the real MVP).

Since spring can be a moody teenager when it comes to weather, (insert Forest Gump voice here) you never know what you're going to get. Ergo: layers! But you know, fun layers like sweater trenches for when you're chilly, over sleeveless tops for when you start to sweat 5 minutes later (instead of a literal Russian nesting doll of an outfit with a wool coat over sweaters over long tops over camis). This sweater trench is a great statement piece! Even if you don't want to do the whole one color head-to-toe thing, it's a very versatile piece that you could style so many ways.

What I love most about this look though is how it made me feel. People were turning their head to check out my outfit (ok, at least the valet did), but I just felt empowered in this look - like a total boss babe in the board room one second to living my best Carrie Bradshaw life the next (minus the whole using my oven for shoe storage thing). Plus when I added the oversized retro sunnies & longline bee pendant necklace, the whole vibe of the outfit went straight to the 70s. I'm so here for this.

Definitely a bold/badass look for sure. I feel like the only thing missing from this outfit is a glass of bourbon in my hand.

For the final look, I knew it had to be something that screamed spring, and to me, that meant lighter colors, florals, and white jeans. Since I don't follow rules (I make my own), I was never one to buy into the whole "don't wear white after labor day" thing. I wear white all year round. But in spring, I feel like a good pair of white jeans is a must. So I paired these frayed skinny jeans with a periwinkle blouse & then had some fun with the accessories (& yes, the mimosa counts). This was easily the most playful look of the day.

Felt cute. Won't delete later... :)

Pleated sleeve boatneck top  |  Floral silk little scarf  |  Frayed sculpting pocket skinny jeans

Periwinkle is another color I love but don't have enough of in my closet. I loved the details on this one, too - the pleated flare sleeves were a nice touch, and I knotted it a the bottom for a more fitted look. The outfit still needed something, so I added the silk neck scarf. The print was throwing some seriously Lilly Pulitzer vibes with the pops of pink and florals, so I played off that & added the oversized floral tote (a Walmart find from several seasons ago, but you can grab similar styles here if you want to splurge or this option if you want to save).

Obviously, the look wouldn't be complete without my signature cateye heart sunnies! They just bring the sass to any look, so you can't go wrong with pairing these cuties with just about everything (you can find them all over Amazon for super cheap).

It's fun fashion like this that gets me so pumped for the months (& events & outings & trips) to come! Thanks so much to the wonderful team at Ann Taylor Hamilton Place for making this post possible!