In the Mood for Spring 2025

Is it time for a refresh?

As the weather warms in the Northern Hemisphere, I’ve been mulling over refreshing my wardrobe. With my Tibi addiction almost fully cured, and very few additions to my wardrobe over the last six months or so (nine months since the last Tibi purchase!), I’ve now started entertaining the idea of bringing some freshness into my closet. I realized that some wishlist areas for my wardrobe are:

• Cropped summer jacket: I loved wearing a short jacket for summer last year with everything.

• Dresses: A cool dress for daily wear—errands, meeting friends—and a business-ready warm-weather dress.

• Jeans: Non-high-rise jeans that accommodate bloat, ideally in white or cream.

• Skirts: A casual summer skirt or shorts, and a business-ready summer skirt.

• Daily slides for summer (although I could probably survive with what I have).

As a result, I let myself indulge in a few items from the Tibi outlet - the coveted Newman jeans I’d been dreaming about for a year, a skirt/shorts piece, and an older snap dress version.

Tibi outlet picks: Viscose Plainweave Asymmetric Flap Snap Dress, Acid Iceberg Denim Newman Jean, Eco Poplin Double Layer Mini

As a side note, I looked at the latest Tibi summer collection and barely found anything to wish for - mainly because many pieces just don’t suit my body type. I have a chest and prefer slightly oversized or shaped tops paired with slimmer bottoms (hence the Stellas and the majority of the skirts are out for me), and midi dresses that cover the shoulders - which are rare in Tibi collections.

On the bright side, I realized it's also a blessing: I can pick only pieces that truly fit me from Tibi - and there are few - which helps me build my wardrobe slowly and thoughtfully (e.g. this Dries-like skirt).

I also built a wishlist of other items that could meet my needs, and I’m sharing it with you. I’m still debating how much I really need these items, but it’s good to have them in mind.

Cropped summer jacket

One way to work with an hourglass-leaning body type is to emphasize the waist - but doing that in a modern way is tricky without feeling tight, too belted, or simply dated. The answer: a cropped or bomber jacket. I had one last year from Tibi that I loved—unfortunately, the camel color didn’t love my skin tone, so I ended up selling it rather than walking around looking sick :) Nevertheless, I'd rebuy it immediately in a different color. Here are some other available options:

Top left to right: Uniqlo jacket, Bitte Kai Rand cardigan, Bitte Kai Rand jacket, Tibi bomber blazer, Tibi raglan sleeve jacket.

By the way, a cropped jacket can easily be worn over a dress, making dresses much more versatile. Irene Kim recently did a roundup of what jackets to wear with dresses, and aside from her excellent advice, I think a cropped bomber is also an amazing option.

Dresses

In theory, there’s no shortage of dresses out there - but hear me out: I want something that covers the shoulders, is elegant but casual enough that I don't feel overdressed in my tech world. It must account for a chest and hips (no shapeless "bags with armholes"), accommodate a bra, ideally not be black, and still feel modern (not “dowdy” - that perfect English word for dated/conservative).

With these constraints, here are some finds:

Top left to right: Kowtow, Sezane, Studio Nicholson, Modern Citizen, The Curated

Meanwhile, my Tibi order has arrived - and the viscose dress looks amazing. When Tibi’s design works for my body, it really works - effortless, elegant and almost sporty. I wore it that same evening to a dinner date with my husband.

Tibi Asymmetric Flap Snap Dress

Jeans

The Tibi order included the Newman jeans, and it felt like Christmas - especially after nine months without a Tibi purchase! That said, a white or cream pair of jeans feels so quintessentially summer that I’m considering getting a pair just to enjoy that beautiful, summery vibe. I usually go to Arket or COS for jeans, but I also saw this beautiful "Ruthe" silhouette from Studio Nicholson, which could be something new to try.

Top left to right: Cos, Arket, Studio Nicholson, Arket.

Skirts

When summer arrives, my go-to switches from sweatpants and jeans to skirts and dresses. Somehow, I barely have any summer skirts (or at least none that I’m excited about), which is something I’d like to fix - perhaps during the next Tibi sale?

Some excellent Tibi options: Zipper skirt, Green shirred paneled skirt, Brown blue skirt (my favorite!), Bio Twill Riding skirt.

Summer slides

I currently have a pair of Jil Sander slides that I picked up on sale at SSENSE, and while I wasn't entirely in love with them - they sometimes give me blisters and got dirty pretty quickly with my sandy lifestyle - I can still live with them and carry them through the summer. At the same time, I’m mulling over whether I need an upgrade. My go-to brand is Gia Borghini; I’ve worn their slides for years and still wear them around the garden - they’re extremely durable, high-quality, and feature modern designs. They’ve released new slides in their latest collection, and a few have caught my attention.

Gia Borghini latest summer options

So these are the pieces on my wishlist, but to be honest, I'm not yet sure if I’ll be buying any of them. I’ve found that waiting and considering for a longer time - and then investing in a higher-quality item more rarely - brings me the most joy of wearing the piece in the long run. What are you looking forward to this spring/summer season?

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