Every spring, I have that moment when I feel convinced that I need to buy a whole new wardrobe. Maybe it’s my social media feed constantly pushing newness or just the itching that a new season can bring. The best spring outfits, however, begin with easy, effortless items that I already own. There’s something about that in-between weather that makes even the simplest outfits feel oddly complicated, but it’s really quite simple.

I just spent two weeks living out of a suitcase and wearing just one pair of jeans, one trench coat, and a few tops on repeat, and this reminded me that true personal style is in the styling. Even though I was essentially being an outfit repeater, I knew that I had packed the right staples to make every outfit feel elevated. One night, I wore the trench as a dress; on another, I wore it with a plain white tee; and on the next, I layered it on top of a statement piece.