Spring has arrived, and with it, wardrobe overhauls. Gone are the days of elemental black and white outfits, and vibrant colors and exposed skin are here to stay. If this is your first time navigating the expansive world of spring fashion, rest easy. There are a few basic aesthetics which provide malleable templates for a variety of different springtime looks.

First up is palewave. Marked by muted pastel and earth tones, this style is enjoying its well-deserved time in the spotlight. It’s also incredibly easy and cheap to pull off, since all it requires is access to a thrift store and a working knowledge of color theory. Its broad parameters are a fun guiding principle for your outfits. Just find things that are pale and look cohesive when worn together, and you are now a certified palewave practitioner. To help you get started, here is a basic palewave outfit that you can get for relatively cheaply: H&M pale skinny jeans ($30), American Apparel two-tone tee in creme and white ($18) and a pair of Adidas Superstars ($80) should do to the trick.

Next, there’s the category of prep wear, what necessarily defines prep wear is hotly debated, but almost everyone agrees that it includes loud pastels, smart but not too-tailored cuts and a requisite formality. Some iterations of prep have been vilified, like the frat boy aesthetic, which screams either “My dad owns a boat” or “I want people to think that my dad owns a boat.” Yet other iterations have been widely celebrated, like the Wes Anderson style, which both inverts and amplifies preppiness in ways that are both unique and stylish. No matter how hard you try, it will be difficult to avoid incorporating some elements of prep wear into any spring wardrobe. Even those who despise prep culture may appreciate the aesthetic utility of colored chinos, seersuckers and bright blazers. Here is a cheap, basic prep outfit you can use to get started: Uniqlo linen striped shirt ($30), Land’s End chino shorts in white ($25) and some navy bucks (currently on sale for $50).

Last but not least, there is the sprezzatura aesthetic, which translates from Italian to “studied carelessness.” The sprezzatura aesthetic is a very distinct style: formal wear, but with softer, lighter colors. Swap out black and charcoal suits for powder blue and tan ones, and you basically get a spring version of sprezzatura. On the off chance you can actually afford suit jackets and dress pants, here are some recommendations for color schemes: a light blue suit paired with white pants, with walnut shoes to round out the look out. Additionally, tan jacket/cream pants/dark brown shoes and navy jacket/yellow pants/white or dark brown shoes are personal favorites. Feel free to experiment with your own color combinations, there is no permanent color palette.
Spring is airy and vibrant, and your clothes should reflect that. Consider the current fashions, but incorporate personal taste. There are endless directions your spring wardrobe can take. Use this column as a springboard if you need to, but otherwise, lose yourself in the spring fever.

Email Matthew Perry at [email protected].