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Tina, here.

"Greenery" is the new "Rose Quartz." Wallpaper is the new paint. Rams horns are the new stag horns. The Cotswolds are the new campgrounds, calico is the new plaid and battenburg is the new crochet. Welcome to the Romantic Countryside.

It's almost Valentine's Day. Hold on before you grab your lace dress or crochet tops to wear tomorrow night. I have an idea for how you can update your romantic outfit. (You can shop at the end of the post.)

Welcome to Country Glam. The campground has given way to the countryside.

Campy fashion marked by prepster flannels, plaids, boho crochet and stag horns is being turned out to pasture for the romantic English countryside with sweet florals and calico prints, eyelet and battenburg lace, botanicals, and yes, bunnies and lamb. You've got the lace dress or top already in your closet...toughen it up with boots and a hat.

Add a new lace applique skirt or dress . And that little touch of leather goes a long way to keep your country glam look from going Holly Hobbie.

Are you wearing hats yet? Come on. You can do it. My bolero hat from last spring will still serve me well this spring. Also called a matador hat, it has a flat crown. (Insiders, watch our video on how to choose the right hat for your face shape.)

Grab your pitchfork and head towards the nearest hayfield. You'll look so authentic. A schoolgirl turtleneck with a Tess of the d'Ubervilles lace skirt is full of mystery and promise. But seriously, you can drive the carpool in this. So what have we done with crochet? We've moved over to battenburg and paired it with more traditional pieces like rather than trendy ripped jeans or ankle booties. Things are a little quieter out on the farm.

Liberty of London and calico prints conjure up memories of picking sweet English wildflowers along the hedgerow. What? You haven't done that? Get thee to a country lane asap! Smaller florals can be easier to wear. Don't get me wrong, we're still seeing splashy florals, but these more twee prints are kinder to all sizes and shapes.

Brogues have been staging a comeback for several seasons now. Sooo British. So hipster-gone-glamping. Or boho-grown-up. But yet, they are difficult to find in women's styles that aren't too manly. I think women have just found that wearing loafers is easier. But don't shy away from either of these sensible and traditional shoes, like these Cole Haan wingtip sneakers. (More on spring shoes coming this month.)

 

Feminine blazers and jackets that recall great British romantic style, with a touch of a garden theme, are so country glam. My friend Deidre (you know, Deidre) tried to get me to go glamping this month on the beach. It looks sooo fun, but the bathroom issue was the dealbreaker for me. We couldn't find anything about them anywhere in the brochure or online, which tells you everything you need to know. I'll need a proper bathhouse, and a valet and butler would be nice, too.

Part of the English country sensibility is creating a magpie of patterns. You can wear gingham and plaids together, and even gingham and calico print as long as the scale is different. So like a larger gingham with a smaller calico print, and a larger floral with a smaller gingham. It's oh so very Haversham and Grey Gardens by mixing florals with gingham tops.

This country glam trend, as costumey as it may sound, is not an outlier. It's a growing trend and you can update your spring wardrobe with a fresh romantic touch here and there. I've put together a few of my favorite shining stars from the spring round. And Insiders, you can shop the full story in our Spring Must-Haves Vault.

 

Thanks for reading!

Best,

Tina