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As the weather warms and spring cleaning commences, many of us are pulling brighter colors and lighter fabrics out of storage. We may even be looking to replace old pieces with something fresh for the new season. Today on What’s in Your Closet, Ann Dunham Rawson of Dunham’s Department Store shared the eight spring essentials for your wardrobe.

1. Basic pants. Any cut will do as long as it’s a solid color. An ankle pant is a good choice, which just skims the top of the shoe. It’s good for pumps or flats, and comes in a variety of cuts according to your preference. Ann recommends a pull-on pair (sans the fly) if you like to wear tight fitted shirts, since this cuts down on the bulk that shows through the shirt’s fabric.

2. Denim jacket. Great for layering, Ann describes this as a “24/7, 365 type of piece.” A denim jacket can be worn in any season over just about anything. Referring to our lovely model, Sara, and her denim jacket, Ann remarks, “In the winter she could wear it over a wool turtleneck, in the spring with a fancy cami, in the summer she could wear it with jeans…so it’s a versatile item you can do a lot with.”

3. Knit tops. Worn with a straight style pant, this piece is extremely flattering. A slim fit tunic is especially so, since it elongates your figure which helps you to look thinner.

4. Long skirt. This piece is great because, like most of the others addressed here, it can be worn year round. By adding boots and tights, your skirt becomes part of a winter ensemble. With sandals, however, you are ready for spring.

5. Shrug or cardigan sweater. Once again, a good layering piece, this can be found in various cuts according to your needs. Longer shrugs are ideal for those who prefer forgiving clothes that cover the waistline.

6. “Go to” Dress. Great for work, church, school or a wedding, you can wear this anywhere.

7. Dark or solid wash jeans. Dark wash is an excellent choice, because not only is it slimming, but it pulls double duty for a casual run to the store or a dressy night on the town.

8. Woven blouse/shirt. This can be thrown over a knit top, left open over a t-shirt, or tucked in with a blazer over it. “There are just so many things you can do with it,” quips Ann, “They’re timeless.”

These eight items are a great start to a fantastic wardrobe, and Ann continued by sharing additional pieces to build on the basics. Among these, she suggested a tunic-length big shirt with intense coloring to allow for more wearing options. Printed or colored bottoms are good as well, but Ann cautions that these are fringe items which may not be as popular next year.

And what about a controversial piece? “Alright, ladies, I hate to break it to you: leggings are here to stay,” Ann announces, “You’ve gotta embrace the leggings. They’re not going anywhere.” The key to pulling off the look is to find leggings which are of an appropriate thickness—more like a pant than like tights—and make certain your top is long enough to cover “the goods.” A great shirt to try might be the woven plaid shirt, which was big for fall and is trendy once again this spring.

The brands featured in today’s program include the following: Ethyl pants, Columbia, Southern Lady, Connected, Jess & Jane, and Erika. Though not shown, Dunham’s also carries Tribal, Pendleton, Carhartt, Allison Sheri, LuLu B, and Karen Hart.

Starting now and running until April 18th, there is the “April Shower of Savings” event with many new half-price items in spring fashions for the entire family. To print the ad or find out more about the storewide savings, go to http://www.dunhamswellsboro.com.