Recently Firecracker posted about a somewhat similar pair of trousers, and it inspired me to try to find a spring top that would satisfy me. My conclusion is that these are Winter pants. The pants are made of linen, but they are very heavy linen and have an almost denim feel to them. They have dark red embroidery at the cuffs and pocket edges, so the vibe is very "folk/handmade". So, unlike Firecracker's pair, these need something simple or rustic looking to match the vibe. As a way of giving some addition context I've included the matching kimono-style jacket (which I also own. I wear that with a white tee and red cropped flared ponte trousers, or over a fitted cami and distressed fitted cropped flared jeans. I'm happy with those looks; it's the pants I stuggle with and I don't want to wear them as a suite).
The photos aren't in the order I tried them on, but the categories roughly are:
LIGHTS>
Whites:
a white tee (looks like an undershirt to me here)
a white linen loose-knit sweater (ambivalent)
a vintage 80's polyester blouse with puff shoulders and a padded neckline (this top needs it's own lab and doesn't belong here...)
Pinks:
a cropped raglan sleeve boxy pink tee (the best of the lot, I think, for spring)
a puff sleeve sweater in shades of pink and lavender (ok, but not the right vibe, too sweet, not rustic)
a button-front knitted top with a little ruffle (material too drape-y, length not right)
DARKS>
Greens:
an olive hoodie with a burgundy cami (nice, but not very spring)
a pine green thin wool sweater (a favorite, but better for winter)
Blue:
a dark navy v-neck tee (another fav, prob would wear this for a spring look)
I also have a new navy sweatshirt that would likely work, but that would be more of a winter look.
Reds:
I didn't try on any red with these, but I think they would work well. I have a red short-sleeve sweater and a multi-media tee that would work well. The richness of the red + burgundy color combination reads very winter to me, though.
Grey:
a gathered dark grey tee (like the color combo, but the vibe is wrong)
a warm light grey boat-neck tee (this one is also OK, although the material of the tee clings to my cami when tucked in, which I don't like)
I also have a simple long-sleeved scoop neck dark grey tee which would likely work in winter.
My conclusion: The embroidery, color, and weight of these, while gorgeous and much-loved, just doesn't strike my fancy in spring. I may wear some of these combinations on our cooler/rainier days, but we likely don't have many of those left this year!
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