Several people have asked how my very wintry-themed Urban Snow Queen persona was going to transition to spring, and I’ve alluded to having a new idea up my sleeve, so here it is.

For Seattle’s “cold spring” season I am hopping on this year’s Fishermancore trend. I am not angling for the preppy/New England version of this aesthetic, and the warm-weather/holiday in Corfu version isn’t practical for my climate. Instead I will be channeling a persona I’m calling Fisherwoman of Northern Seas.

Here are some inspiration photos (1-5: miscellaneous inspo) and style elements I’m interested in playing with over the next couple of months:

• Slouchy jeans
• Chino pants, maybe also canvas pants–workwear with a twist?
• (6-7) Nautical stripes (of course)
• (8-9) Cable/textured knits (also of course)
• Barn/chore jacket or plaid shacket
• (10) Slip-on clogs (“off-duty fisherwoman”)
• Henley tops
• Lantern pants? Like a Japanese pearl diver?
• (11) Wide-leg cropped pants in a substantial fabric, like corduroy
• Overalls
• (12-14)Fair isle, Nordic/patterned knits (also, pattern-mix with Breton stripes)
• (15-16)Small-scale plaid/gingham
• Color scheme: base of navy, black, white, light gray, and teal, especially a particular bluish shade of teal that I am calling (17) Gansey blue
• (18-20)Also utilitarian items/styles in “springy” brights/pastels (that light green wool sweater with the killer whale print, I am dyyyinggggg)
• (21-22)Vest/waistcoat/short-sleeve or sleeveless sweater? (I always struggle with finding the right temperature for this, but the look appeals)
• (23-24)Braids/messy updo
• (25-26)Scarf worn like a bandanna
• (27)Hair scarf/kerchief
• (28-29)Layered outerwear
• (30-32)Occasional “pop” of modern gear
• Bum-bag worn crossbody??
• (33-34)Boro & visible mending
• (35)Fingerless gloves
• (36)Also…a creel-shaped bag?
• (37-38)Loose dress with utilitarian layers/accessories
• (39-42)Floaty skirt + chunky sweater (column of color or at least column of value – dark or light)
• (43-44)Abalone, baroque pearls, blister pearls
• Also sea-themed jewelry: fish, seabirds, whales
• And finally…hear me out here…daytime sequins for a fish-scale effect???

Some of these elements carry over from my Urban Snow Queen persona and the eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that there are even some inspiration photos that I’m reusing. That’s deliberate! The idea is not to have a completely different wardrobe or style for each season but just to use many of the same items in different combinations or put them in a different context to switch things up a bit.

The idea is also not to adopt a different “-core” trend next spring or whenever Fishermancore becomes passe or whatever. Rather, a lot of my longstanding enthusiasms and preferences fit with this aesthetic, so I thought it would be fun to leverage the trend to gather inspiration, hone my ideas, etc. Cast my net while the fish are running, as it were.

I have struggled with dressing for cold spring in the past. One thing I’m excited about is that the color scheme here fits well with what actually exists in my closet (I have a tendency to accumulate blue tops!) in a way that my past spring schemes haven’t. On the other hand I notice that my toppers tend to be either cropped, long, or with a fitted, blazer-style cut that isn’t quite right here. So that’s a bit of a conundrum.

Another spring pitfall for me has been bringing in springy colors (brights, pastels) but then finding the effect a bit too sweet, twee, or preppy. The idea of deploying these colors in items that also have a utilitarian vibe in some way (think henley tops, fingerless gloves, or my pale pink puffer vest) seems like a really key insight, and I’m excited to play around with it!

Also excited to hear your thoughts and questions. Thanks for reading!