As I sit here at my computer looking outside at the beautiful yet frigid snowscape, I am challenged to think of anything beyond the bundled-up final stretch of surviving the winter. I am THAT person—you all know one— who is epically cold. The irony of this is that I am also the person who choses fashion over comfort. I am a fashion stylist. This job involves everything to do with putting clothing and accessories on people: I do personal shopping and styling, closet makeovers, photo shoots, fashion shows, private parties and classes about fashion. To that end, you can imagine my conundrum: the artistic fashionista in me is yearning to explore the fashion outside my buttoned-down down coat, but just looking at the snow out there, I cannot imagine trading my wool socks for strappy sandals. Everything is just temporary, though, and as this winter weather will fade, the blooming spring will bring in a new set of trends. Speaking of blooming, one of the trends coming through this spring is another version of the typical florals we see each year during the transition from the bleak winter to the shining summer. This year, oversized, loud and fun florals are popping through the designers’ runways. For those of you who have a hard time relinquishing past fashion finds, don't worry! The vintage floral feel has recirculated! Pull out last year’s (or last decade’s) flowy, flowery prints to wear again if you are not feeling the gaudy large prints. To be clear, clothing trends are just a window of style, an opportunity to try something different for a moment in history and expand your outward expression to include something that might even seem bizarre in your current repertoire. Trends make fashion more fun and dynamic. I am a big proponent of having a well-established closet, filled with things that make you love whatever body shape and size you are, and make you feel authentic in your outward representation of your inner beautiful self. Having clothing that you love and that makes you feel great is key; even adding just a piece or two that’s trending each season will amp up your typical look. One of my favourite easy-to-wear trends this upcoming season has all its attention on the shoulders and arms: think modern and classy take on 80s silhouettes with nipped-in waists and plenty of volume from the shoulder tapering down to the wrist. There’s nothing like adding a billowy armed sweater to your favourite pair of jeans to create an intentional look of something that feels cozy and just thrown on. And if all of this still feels overwhelming, just hire a fashion stylist!