Spring Blues

spring smart casual

March is still a winter month

At least in Finland it is. Yes, there may be days with brilliant sunshine, but there’s still some snow around. And speaking of snow, a blizzard is not ruled out, either. If anything, March weather is unpredictable, ever-changing, and often disappointing.

Disappointing? Well, first you have one of those perfect days: sunny, temperature well above zero, and all the snow seems to have just vanished overnight. And then, the following day it starts snowing again…

trench

If you want to gain some sort of an insight into the Finnish soul, March weather is the perfect analogy: the sun might be shining, now. But you know that tomorrow you’ll be knee-deep in snow, the cold wind beating your face…

Seriously, forget SAD; you get through the darkness of winter just fine. After all, that’s what winter is: cold, dark, miserable. You know it’s not getting any better, so you just get on with life as usual.

But spring, that’s so much harder. For starters, there’s the increased daylight. And living so far up north, we really get a lot more daylight, very fast. And I mean a lot. So much that it tends to make us a bit giddy, especially if it’s accompanied by slightly warmer weather. Which explains why we tend to go a bit crazy in April and May

But first we have to get through March, with its cruel mind tricks and almost unbearable sense of anticipation. Because that’s what March does to you: it plays on your expectations, only to crush them the following day. Very depressing. There’s actually a Finnish term to describe this mental state (‘kevätväsymys‘): how spring makes you feel tired, depleted and depressed.

My darling hubby says I always focus the negative. But he’s German. And he only spends weekends in Finland. So, what does he know?

Fine, to end on a more positive note: April is just around the corner…

Outfit details:

sweater: Jigsaw / skirt Boden (old) / bag: Adolfo Dominguez / necklace: East (old) / 

sunglasses: Chanel (old) / boots: Caprice (old) / coat: Hobbs

Does spring make you feel blue?

Tiina
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PS: Have you seen the latest DILETTANTE ARTIST post? It’s another self-portrait…

Linking up with: 

Not Dead Yet StyleElegantly Dressed and StylishGaray TreasuresHigh Latitude StyleSydney Fashion HunterThe Pleated PoppyStyle ElixirGet Your Pretty OnHappiness at Mid-LifeA Labour of LifeDoused in PinkCurly Crafty MomFashion Should Be FunRachel the HatSincerely Jenna MarieMore Pieces of MeColor and GraceNot Dressed As LambStyle NudgeCoco et La Vie en RoseFashionably Employedfashion and food and other stuff 

32 Comments

  1. Patti
    20 March 2016 / 1:10 pm

    Well T. S. Eliot said "April is the cruelest month" but I agree with you – it's March! I love your colorful look, and your philosophical outlook on winter! xox-Pattihttp://notdeadyetstyle.com

    • Tiina L
      21 March 2016 / 3:09 pm

      Yes, definitely March! I looked out of the window this morning and the ground was white again, it seems that winter has decided to stay a bit longer…

  2. Suzanne Carillo
    20 March 2016 / 2:52 pm

    Ha ha! I tend to agree with you. We also have very unpredictable weather in March. This year we have been lucky, only one snowfall and it came at the beginning of March. It was 22 C ten days ago and is now -4 C. Ugh. Talk about bi-polar. I do love your bright bold skirt. bisousSuzanne

    • Tiina L
      21 March 2016 / 3:11 pm

      Wow! That's a huge difference in temperature! we sort keep hovering around 0 C, a few warmer days and then some more snow again…

  3. jodie filogomo
    20 March 2016 / 4:07 pm

    Here in Denver, they say March is the snowiest month!! But at least the other days are starting to get warmer! I absolutely love this skirt! jodiewww.jtouchofstyle.com

    • Tiina L
      21 March 2016 / 3:12 pm

      We've had some more snow, too. A few times, in fact. But at least the sun is shining…

  4. Petite Silver Vixen
    21 March 2016 / 9:27 am

    Spring is my favourite season! I love it. I don't mind the temperamental weather because that's more than made up for by the longer days – which does help my SAD – and all the beautiful Spring flowers coming out.Love the pattern on your skirt.http://petitesilvervixen.blogspot.co.uk/

    • Tiina L
      21 March 2016 / 3:14 pm

      Spring is probably my least favourite season (allergies…), but here in the north March is actually still winter. But the longer days do make it easier to get up in the morning, I have to say that.

  5. señora Allnut
    21 March 2016 / 12:05 pm

    oh yes, March is an unpredictable and cruel month, and asthenia is just hitting many of us too!. But you look fabulous in your blue and print ensemble, and it's lovely to see you walking in the sun!besos

    • Tiina L
      21 March 2016 / 3:15 pm

      Thanks! The funny thing about March in Finland is that there might be snow, it might be cold, but the sun will be shining…

  6. Andrea
    21 March 2016 / 1:07 pm

    Hope you'll get "real" spring weather soon! :-)Beautiful blue outfit! I love the pattern of the skirt!

    • Tiina L
      21 March 2016 / 3:15 pm

      Thanks! Well, it should get warmer in April. I hope.

  7. MushroomStew
    21 March 2016 / 3:40 pm

    Oh the print on your skirt is FABULOUS! It's such a perfect pattern for March weather — still dark enough for the winter-days but vibrant and lively enough to remind us spring is coming!Xoxo,Ashley || Sed Bona

    • Tiina L
      22 March 2016 / 4:37 pm

      Thanks, Ashley. As far as I'm concerned, spring can't get here soon enough…

  8. Natalia Lialina
    22 March 2016 / 11:03 pm

    Fantastic skirt, Tiina! One of my favorite in your wardrobe. 🙂 I remember some people around me hated March back in Siberia. For me, the anticipation of coming Spring was what made it a happy month. It might be still cold, but air changes – the light and even the smell changes… though I sure know how tiring all this cold season is. I'm wishing you to have a warm and sunny weather soon!!

    • Tiina L
      23 March 2016 / 7:27 am

      Thanks, Natalia! The skirt is one of my favourites, too, and has been featured on the blog before (though not recently).

  9. Shybiker
    23 March 2016 / 12:21 am

    What a beautiful outfit. The skirt is a work of art.

    • Tiina L
      23 March 2016 / 7:26 am

      Thanks, Ally!

  10. Jill James
    23 March 2016 / 8:59 am

    Always love you in your blues and that geometric print skirt is a stunner.Spring here is always so unpredictable, no snow usually more rain.I have been looking at current European Spring temperatures , still cool more like our Winter than Spring.

    • Tiina L
      23 March 2016 / 6:49 pm

      Thanks, Jill. Blue and green are definitely spring colours for me, perfect for a sunny day. Yes, southern Europe may be enjoying warmer weather, but here in the north it's still (or again) winter: snow one day and then it's gone the following day.

  11. Jacquard Flower
    23 March 2016 / 11:09 am

    Great outfit. I love your skirt the pattern is so vibrant. Gemma xwww.jacquardflower.uk

    • Tiina L
      23 March 2016 / 6:51 pm

      Thanks, Gemma. it's a bit retro, this print. It sort of reminds me of kitchen curtains from the 70's, but at the same time I love it.

  12. Pam
    24 March 2016 / 11:41 am

    Cute outfit! I love your bag. I've been thinking I need to update my old Target purse with something more sophisticated.

    • Tiina L
      24 March 2016 / 6:17 pm

      Thanks, Pam! Handbags are my weakness, definitely. I think a handbag should be good quality, never mind what else you're wearing.

  13. Sheela Goh
    24 March 2016 / 5:56 pm

    Hahaha and we say March brings with it an air of madness and an insatiable need to sneeze. Clearly, allergies provoke the latter but I wonder if there's some truth in what you wrote when it comes to the madness 🙂 in other news, though, I do feel that your skirt is a glorious profusion of print and colour, so lovely.

    • Tiina L
      24 March 2016 / 6:22 pm

      Thanks, Sheela! Spring really brings a lot more daylight very fast here. In winter we had about 5-6 hours of daylight, and now the sunrise is hours earlier. And in two months we'll have about 16 hours of daylight. So, lots of catching up to make up for the winter darkness, thus the madness…

  14. Doused In Pink
    26 March 2016 / 2:14 pm

    That skirt is so fun! Love the print! This is such a pretty look!JillDoused In Pink

    • Tiina L
      26 March 2016 / 6:05 pm

      Thanks, Jill!

  15. Nicole Mölders
    26 March 2016 / 3:07 pm

    Thanks for linking up to Top of the World Style. Cool skirt!

    • Tiina L
      26 March 2016 / 6:06 pm

      Thanks, Nicole!

  16. No Fear of Fashion
    28 March 2016 / 12:39 pm

    I love this outfit. It shows off your hourglass figure so well. The skirt is modern with that fun pattern, the colours suit you very well, the necklace is lovely and the bag perfect.A definite winner in my book.Greetje

    • Tiina L
      29 March 2016 / 7:02 am

      Thanks, Greetje. This is one of my tavourite skirts, I just had to yave it when I saw the pattern

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