Michelle Oliver: Spring colors can be reflected in your wardrobe

Now that spring has arrived, I am thrilled to get to pull my cooler clothes out of my closet.

Spring is one of my favorite seasons. Granted, my allergies are not a fan of all the blooming trees. I, however, love the sunshine, warmer weather and getting to wear my spring clothes.

I wear black all the time and am excited to put away some of my darker clothes and bring out my bright colors. The sad part about spring is that I have to put away all my colorful scarves. I guess I will have to transition to wearing my statement necklaces for a little extra color.

In search of more springtime clothing I went shopping last weekend to the outlets in Livermore. Sometimes I find tons of things I love and other times I barely find one item. Last weekend I was thrilled to find two things I liked and bought them both.

I was more than excited to see how many variations of navy blue they had in stock. Navy blue is a great color because it is a great contrast like black but also adds a little extra something to your outfit.

I must have tried on five different navy blue items and fell in love with a pair of shorts and a polka dot dress. The navy polka dress, pictured, caught my eye and I was so excited when I tried it on and it fit.

I couldn’t wait to get it home and throw together an outfit. I added my favorite denim jacket over the dress because there was still a chill in the air. I decided to throw on my cowboy boots and make this a country girl outfit.

In addition to loving navy blue, I am also a huge fan of pastel colors right now. Pastel colors are great for transitioning from your dark winter colors to the bright colors of spring and summer. If I am headed into the office, I will normally wear light-colored pants with a neutral-colored top.

For a casual day I tend to wear dark-wash denim jeans and a pastel-colored top. I figure if I wear these lighter colors the whole month of April, people won’t be so shocked when I start wearing my really bright colors in May. Seems like a pretty good system but maybe that’s just me.

While transitioning your clothes from cold to warm, it also presents a great time to clean out your closet and get rid of all the clothes you won’t wear.

I have one simple rule for this seasonal purge, if I haven’t worn it in six months, I won’t keep it. That helps keep my style relevant and my closet less full. I tend to be a hoarder of clothes so sticking to this rule is easier said than done.

However, I always feel so relieved when I get rid of clutter and excess clothing that I don’t need.

This story was originally published March 27, 2015 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Michelle Oliver: Spring colors can be reflected in your wardrobe."