What to wear this season, with a little help from the archives.

March, it is said, comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. What does that actually mean, food chain downsizing aside? It means that while we can finally put aside our winter warmers, we’re not quite ready for full-on summer dressing. Springtime style is all about lighter weights and layering as the evenings get longer and the mood gets just that little more languid. Scroll down for some style icons who’ve got quintessential spring looks down to a T – or, in some cases, a tee – as the mercury inches its way up.

The archetypal suave English gent, Mr David Niven proves equally adept at nailing unbuttoned springtime chic thanks to his expert deployment of that hardy seasonal perennial, the chambray shirt. Its azure tones complement the cloud-thinning skies, and it’s versatile enough to be dressed up (with a blazer and chinos, as Mr Niven was wont to do) or down, as here, where Mr Niven and Ms Jane Seberg, his co-star in the 1958 movie Bonjour Tristesse, are content to accessorise with enviably suntanned pins, radiant smiles and rakishly upturned collars. Bag your own version, and it’ll be au revoir tristesse and bonjour bonheur.

Ah, an alfresco café table, an espresso, a copy of Paris Match, a Gitanes, and a masterclass in spring layering. Mr Jean-Paul Belmondo gives it the full je, ne, sais, and, indeed, quoi, by teaming a light-toned blazer and box-fresh white shirt with a contrasting fitted V-neck and tie to show that a warmer-weather tailored look can be as fresh and unstuffy as the season it’s celebrating. If the words “smart” and “casual” in conjunction still strike dread into your heart, look no further for style counsel. What’s that? Our order? We’ll have what Mr Belmondo’s having, thanks.

Mr James Coburn’s cocksure swagger isn’t just down to his flaunting of a private jet – though any-time Speedy Boarding is certainly worth shouting about – but also because he’s nailed one of spring 2018’s foremost trends: workwear. The switch to lighter jackets will see the stylishly utilitarian Harrington come into its own (it’s named, incidentally, after a character in the TV soap Peyton Place, played by Mr Coburn’s contemporary Mr Ryan O’Neal); Mr Coburn offsets his come-fly-with-me sky-blue number with a pique polo shirt and some Riviera-ready white jeans. Follow suit, and get ready to take your seat – 1A, of course.

Mr Sidney Poitier, on the set of The Slender Thread in 1965, showcases his own seasonally appropriate slender threads: the Ivy League look that he made his own. The reason this abidingly sharp option is a springtime winner? It’s down to the 1950s-tinged colour palette, with blazers and chinos in sandy shades of brown and beige and fashioned from lighter, more breathable wools or cotton/linen mixes. Mr Poitier pairs his with a classic crisp white shirt and skinny tie, and we’d bet that his feet are clad in approved Ivy style, ie sockless loafers. If you can similarly offset the outfit with a prime 1960s convertible, so much the better.

Mr Yves Saint Laurent had more reason to cultivate warmer weather looks than most, with his seasonal boltholes in Sardinia (as seen here) and Marrakech; he comes up trumps with an outfit that works as well for the siesta-ready slouch as it does for a stroll to the souk during l’heure bleue. A boat-necked, long-sleeve tee gets the tricky warmer days-cooler evenings balance just right, while the pressed white chinos pair equally effectively with suede slip-ons or poolside slides. As Mr Saint Laurent (almost) said, fashions fade, springtime style is eternal.

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