'You want clean lines and a pretty colour – a coat that almost thinks it's a dress'
Spring is a tantalising concept long, long before it blooms into reality. Every year without fail, it gets to March and we're all like, OMG, it's not pitch black at teatime any more! I took my gloves off and didn't get frostbite! Let's have a picnic! And – maybe this is just me, because I am in fashion and therefore shallow, but I don't think so – by this time of year I really hate my winter coat, however much I loved it back in September. No offence. I am just over it.
Add the recent meteorological evidence that an increasingly unpredictable climate may soon throw centuries of vest-wearing wisdom out of the window, and the answer – to the what-to-wear part of this problem, I'm afraid: I haven't cracked the climate change stuff – is surely to make your first spring purchase one that rings the changes, without exposing you to the elements.
In other words, you need a spring coat. The good news is that there is no shortage of choice. The fashion industry has its faults, but climate change denial is not one. Right now, the number one must-have piece being promoted on the catwalk – not just in London, but in New York and Paris as well – is a coat.
Traditionally, this is the time of year when you switch into a shorter jacket, but this spring's most fashionable top layers are definitely coats. (There is also a humdrum retail-schedule reason, which is that the concept of a spring/summer collection is outdated now that The Customer Desires Newness is the industry's Lord's prayer and what used to be a spring/summer collection is now a spring collection, with new stock arriving in June.)
The spring coat needs to be a contrast to your winter coat. Less warm, obviously, and more upbeat and carefree: you don't want hoods, or lots of hardware on the fastenings, or bulky pockets. You want clean lines and a pretty colour: a coat that almost thinks it's a dress is what you are looking for. And you want to suggest skin, without necessarily showing it, so choose a shade that's a bit blush or nude, or push the sleeves up to your elbow, or wear it open, or something. But not too open; you don't want to catch cold. It's just fashion, kids – it's not actually spring.
• Jess wears coat, £68, by asos.com. Dress, £149, hobbs.co.uk. Shoes, £350, bally.com.
Hair and makeup: Sharon Ives at Carol Hayes Management