Walking into office today with the sun shining, blue skies and the crisp air made me think of all the great new season product that I am going to be able to start wearing as we transition out of winter and into spring.

Looking through my Mr. Porter Wish List, it is refreshing to be able to start clicking on the lighter fabrics and more colourful pieces.

What is key though, is to stylishly adapt the trends and incorporate these into strong transitional outfits to wear through March, April and May until the summer sun arrives.

Practicality and style are the important factors here, making sure there is just enough warmth and protection whilst representing the new season’s trends.

I like the weight and versatility of this navy Jil Sander raincoat; light, easy to carry and throw on in the event of an unexpected shower in between buying appointments.  Dress it up with a crisp white Thom Browne oxford shirt, great-fitting pair Slowear chinos, and punctuate with a colourful sneaker, a key trend item. Common Projects are one of my favourite brands, in this fresh blue suede.

 

The suede bomber is another notable spring trend item, casual in shape but luxe in texture, particularly this one, created by Bottega Veneta, the ultimate craftsmen when it comes to leather pieces. This version, super soft in a rich brown colour, works so well with those classic staples like the white t-shirt and blue jeans. To keep it new-season, wear without socks (important!) and with the Gucci loafer, paying homage to this classic moccasin, which celebrates its 50^th anniversary this year.

It is also the right time to buy true summer fabrics (before they sell out!) and cleverly layer your outfit to make it more practical. Embrace the check trend with this Boglioli linen blazer and wear with a colourful cashmere sweater over and button down shirt to soften the effect. A good pair of dark denim jeans with an oxblood brogue makes this outfit the perfect transitional look.

Another fabric that is right on a fresh day is denim. It is one of our essential items, especially in this season’s trend of indigo. I think the denim jacket looks best when worn a little smarter, so team with a cotton trouser (another Bateman sartorial rule: No Double Denim!) and a good derby shoe. This over-dyed Jean.Machine jacket with a pair of NN.07 chinos and J. Crew’s classic Harrington suede derbies is a great off-duty look.

And finally one of the truest signs that winter is over is the colourful suit. Not nearly as intimidating as it sounds, this is one of the key trends that is all about toning down with the right pieces to make it cool, not comic. We have seen this in reds and cobalt blues but my favourite is Gucci’s green catwalk suit, featured in our Style Wherever You Are global ad campaign. It’s the perfect colour to signal spring, and is very fresh. This should be worn with a soft chambray shirt and a suede shoe to take the power down a couple of notches and to ensure you look truly relaxed and “Riviera” at those spring events and summer parties.

(Editor’s Note: if this has given you any inspiration, we would also like to note that Mr Porter.com has launched free shipping to Hong Kong starting 6 March 6, 2013.)