I like cropped pants all year round (and have held forth more than once on the appeal of wearing them with boots) but this time of year is when they really make the most sense. I always feel like a crop just makes my whole outfit feel more together and tailored somehow, even if the pants in question are on the casual side. I like pairing them with clogs, of course, for a little height, and even sneakers sometimes, if I’m just kicking around.

White army pants are kind of a revelation, and I like the twisted seam.

Just a rather perfect pair of skinny pants, simple as you please. (And here’s your cheaper-and-quite-similar option.)

These just look like fun, and I like the elastic at the ankle.

An elegant pleated navy pair that tapers down nicely.

These are quite similar, but they’re black.

Since I’m in a camo mood lately, I had to include these.

And these pants just tickle me, what with all those adorable dots: they’re a good choice if you’d like to try a pair of pants with a print but the prospect also scares you, because the dots are pretty subtle.

These are quite nicely tailored, and I dig the army green.

I have been looking for a spring jacket that’s on the longer side—I’m feeling larger than usual lately; butt-coverage has become a priority—and this chunky wool sweater coat from Everlane is just the right weight for those spring days when a super-light jacket isn’t quite going to do the trick.

I am so desperate for this pink-and-grey-striped shirt—part of a collab between Clare Vivier and Steven Alan—that if it wasn’t so crappy out today, I might be heading right over to my local CV outpost on Elizabeth Street to make it mine.

Oh, these are crazy, I know. And they once again confirm my brother Mike’s assertion that my taste in shoes is too tricky. But they are just so good.

Behold one Capucine Safyurtlu*, my style obsession of the moment and a French fashion editor, because of course she is. Check out how she rotates the same cornerstone pieces into her outfits repeatedly:  the studded belt, the gray trousers, the black top. Google search her and you’ll see the black pumps get quite a workout too.  It can never be said enough: this kind of reliance on fewer, better pieces really is how you create a signature style.

1. Organic by John Patrick 2. Nordstrom scarf 3. Nili Lotan tuxedo top 4. APC jeans 5. IRO belt 6. 3.1 Phillip Lim pencil pant 7. Etro crepe top 8. Helmut Lang pump 9. Clare V duffel 10. Loeffler Randall boots

*I know, the cigarette. Awful. Let’s  chalk it up to Frenchiness and hope she accessorizes with a nicotine patch some time soon.