Spring is relief. Taking a breath after being submerged in the inky, winter sea. Winter’s blues, blacks, and grey, pinstripe and sequins, melt off our skin when it is just about warm enough. As much layering fur in the winter is a survival instinct, so is shedding it. The spring is emerging from the depths, returning to life, and leaving the worn-out skin behind. Spring is rebirth.

Premature shedding, revealing the spring florals, lace, blue denim, and bare limbs, may bring about second glances from stuffy couples, feeling the chill as their little dog sweats in a teeny boiler suit. But there’s no shame in dressing in full bloom before the trees are green. As someone who struggles with seasonal depression, as soon as I can trick myself into the early impressions of a warm, summer glow, I will. Donning sunset pinks, yellows, and orange or white monochromatic looks treats my outlook as well as any pill. The knots in my shoulders begin to untangle when they can be exposed without goosebumps.

As the world around us is reborn, we too reawaken to the innate beauty around us and within ourselves. When we decorate our bodies in prints and colours that demand to be heard, we reaffirm our place in the cycle of things. We step out from the permanent winter night into a fresh spring morning in flowing skirts and crop tops. And with that comes the acceptance that though this vibrancy is finite, this does not limit its power within the moment. Using the first chill-abandoning spring day to wear something bright and sleeveless is part of the awareness that this relief is temporary.

Image: Pixabay