This spring has redefined the concept of high/low dressing: one day you’re clothing yourself for temperatures in the 80s, the next you’re layered up for the 40s. For many of us, it has been one big roller coaster of winterizing summer pieces and “springing up” fall ones.

I was trying to hit reset here while still using a fall piece. This Suno dress caught my eye in the early fall and I bought it on sale at Saks Fifth Avenue in late December. I could have easily winterized it with a pair of pumps or boots but I never had the chance. Instead, I lightened it up with these satin d’Orsay Manolo Blahnik sandals that I also found on sale at Saks this past December and this green Prada bag, which I always pull out in the spring.

This Prada coat is hands-down one of my favorite sale purchases of all time. It is so versatile and I wear it constantly in the spring and fall. It’s plenty warm without being heavy, can be dressed up or down and is both a neutral and a statement. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it on deep sale at Neiman Marcus a few years ago (there were actually two!). MAJOR SHOPPING TIP: If you are in or around Chicago right after Christmas, it is completely worth going into the major department stores to see what’s on sale. You’ll find pieces like this that are not sold online and are really not found elsewhere: definitely not in NYC or LA where women are crawling over themselves for them, and not in a lot of other places because the Chicago stores pull from all around.

How have you been dealing with this crazy transitional weather?

Photos by the stylish Ashley of Sed Bona.