What's so great about the Blazer?

Spring time. It has always been my favourite season. It's the time of year we witness the first bursts of colour within the boughs of trees and the buds of plants and everything seems to be reborn and rejuvenated after months of hapless hibernation.

It is also the time of year we begin to realise that we have nothing in our wardrobe except woolly jumpers and cardigans. With that all-too-familiar feeling we find ourselves suppressing the desire to raid Primark and Zara, grappling for the nearest T-shirt within our reach because we just have to have it, even though, if truth be told, we don't really need anything at all. It's just that nothing we own seems to look any good twelve months later.

But if there's one item of clothing that I'm always glad to dust off come the spring, it has got to be my over-sized blue blazer that I bought from Primark already three years ago. Comfortable and versatile, it can be worn with anything. For an every day look, pair it with jeans. For a bit more glam, roll up the sleeves and wear it over a dress for the evening. Can be worn to work and on interviews as well.

I honestly never thought the blazer of all items of clothing would be one of my wardrobe's most prized possessions. It revives awful memories of a dreary school uniform that I, along with some fifteen hundred others were unhappily compelled to wear for seven years full of lessons, recs and detentions. Back then I abhorred the very sight of it yet now the same garment (albeit with a few nips and tucks, I admit!) has risen to something of a warbrobe classic, a staple that no female should ever find herself without.

And to that I have to agree. It is one of the few items of clothing that has the power to render sublime even the dullest of outfits. There is no limit to the clothes you can match it with and with the medley of colours, deigns and cuts available, this should never be a problem anyway. Buy one and you will be making an investment...not bundling it off to the charity shop the following spring.

The Ulyana Sergeenko Lookbook: Spring 2013

Ulyana Sergeenko, thirty-two year old Russian model, photographer and blogger, only until recently made her debut into the fashion world. At first renowned for her unique Anna Karenina street-style aesthetic, she then launched her eponymous couture line in 2011, which has only garnered more adoration for her sumptuous outfits.

Sergeenko's creations appear to be a halfway point between a marked nostalgia of old-world Russia and her own personal street-style. They are unashamedly reminiscent of the decadence of Russian aristocracy under the Tsarist regime yet all seem vaguely familiar when we remember the clothes that she herself used to sport when snapped by photographers on the streets of Moscow. "They are clothes I love to wear" she says "but they are also for every woman who wants to be beautiful."

Beautiful, indeed, is the word to describe her Spring Collection, which, this season took a turn to the West, remembering in more ways than one the classic American tale Gone with the Wind. Although retaining traditional Russian roots, Sergeenko's full-length corseted gowns, frills, crochet embroidery, velvet capes and hand-painted porcelain buttons, adorned with straw hats and parasols sparkle with the evocative romance and theatricality of the folktale. The meticulousness of detail that she pays to every item along with her innate ability to transport the wearer and the observers to another time through the power of clothing demonstrate that she is definitely one to watch for the seasons to come.

Inspire me: The Cardigan

I know you must have felt it by now. After one and a half months of ostensible "spring" it has finally arrived! Admitted, we're not quite at the shorts-and-flipflops stage yet but nevertheless the light rays of sunshine and slight increases in temperature tell us it's definitely time to leave our gloves and woolly hats in the cupboard to gather dust for another year. 

Right. So no flip flops, no gloves. Then what? To this problem I have found the perfect solution for the springtime: it's the cardigan. Flexible and practical, with jeans or dresses, maxi or mini, it is an essential item for your closet this season. Add to it for a layered look on a cold day or you can wear it with a light top underneath if it's more humid. Make sure you buy at least one size larger than your actual size if you intend to layer. Otherwise it will look like you've borrowed from your nine year old sister.

But enough with me, do you like it? Find the best of our street style below. Any favourites?