Freshening Up Your Style for Spring

By CHERYL LU-LIEN TAN

Deborah Lloyd, co-president and creative director of Kate Spade New York, begins thinking about her spring wardrobe while it's still winter.

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Anders Overgaard

Deborah Lloyd, co-president of Kate Spade New York.

To plot her strategy, she takes a look at her clothes from previous springs. "Anything that was too fashionable or really too of the moment" from a previous season "I won't wear," she says. She sometimes makes an exception if she can alter the look. For instance, she's keeping her favorite Marni trapeze-style dresses from recent years; she's planning to wear them belted with cardigans so the dated silhouette isn't apparent.

Ms. Lloyd then thinks about what spring colors and looks are drawing her attention. "You just get a general feeling from exhibitions, books, magazines, flea markets and things," she says. "The new colors that I'm loving this spring are lilacs, fresh greens, citrus yellows, anything with a pop of fluorescent."

As spring approaches, she starts working some of these colors into her winter wardrobe as accents. Ms. Lloyd will pair an acid-greenish yellow scarf with a gray coat, for example, as a "fresh nod toward spring." A handbag—for instance, in cream, a black-and-cream pattern, or a bold color—can also do the trick. "You want something that's a little happier and brighter and gives it that little twist," she says, noting that she sometimes uses chunky, bright-colored necklaces for the same effect.

This year, Ms. Lloyd has a few key items in mind to give her spring wardrobe a lift. "Cute short jackets in tweed with a little embellishment" or small accents of color can be worn to work or paired with a tank top, jeans and high heels, she says.

Also on the list are spring dresses with big, watercolor-style prints, which she plans to ground with a solid cardigan. "The color can pick up on a color in the pattern of the dress but should be just a shade off," she says.

Ms. Lloyd is also gravitating to clothing or accessories in gold or other metallic colors, which she says go with everything. And when winter rolls around again, many of them will work with darker ensembles.

Write to Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan at cheryl.tan@wsj.com