Spring has various possible start dates. There is a meteorological beginning to spring, that is unrelated to the weather at any given time. There is the astronomical beginning to spring, which has no effect on anything, not even your grandmother’s horoscope. There are, of course, those whom decide that spring has sprung as soon as they see the first flowers of the new year. All fair enough. However, the truest, finest, and most human way of determining whether we are still in winter or whether we’ve made it to spring is to turn on the TV, flip to the news, and see whether they are already reporting on some town you’ve never heard and how uncharacteristically warm it is there for this time of year (Spoiler alert! Something vague about climate change! that you had better believe is going to be inaccurately and misleadingly referred to as ‘global warming’ by a 24-hour corporate news cycle that is as uncaring as is the world we live in). This will then all be followed up by footage of various other places that are warmer than expected.

In the commandments of spring reporting, number one has always been and will always be: Show some people wearing sunglasses, usually staring directly into the sun. [NB: in any normal year, the recommendation would be simply ‘Don’t look up’. However, this year, we here at Maximilian Mogg feel a moral obligation to add: Don’t bother watching Don’t Look Up. Your time would be better spent staring directly into the sun.] The other accoutrement that is absolutely compulsory in this little meteorological slice-of-life production is a can of beer in the hand of every sun gazer.

However, as you know, we sartorialists cannot afford such arcane methods to determine the weather. We must be prepared. Hence why you are reading an article in January with clothing recommendations for March. Either way, if, like us, you over-indulged during the festive period, you’ll need to visit your tailor soon to get all of your clothing adjusted to compensate for the weight gain. A little piece of advice before we get started on our recommendations: Don’t Look Down. You won’t be able to see your toes anyway and it will just make you sad.

Sports jacket in a sky-blue Tweed from Fox Brothers (480 g/m)

This is not your father’s Tweed. We live in the city. We’re not going hunting. This Tweed is urbane and sophisticated, like we pretend to be. Hence why we’ve decided to forego the traditional greens and browns and opted for a sky-blue. For the jacket, we’ve gone three-button with hacking pockets. No frills. Match the overcheck on the fabric with a burnt orange roll neck sweater to keep you warm and finish the look off with a pair of beige cavalry twills. For the trousers, go casual with a plain front, belt loops, and jeans pockets. Think of them as your formal track pants.

Suit in an icy-blue flannel from Standeven (370 g/m)

Similar in colour, if different in personality, is our option for an icy-blue double-breasted flannel suit. The grey-ish blue will match the blue skies that the weatherman forecasted but we will never experience because we live in Berlin. In spite of the difference in colour, use this suit as you would a navy business suit. It’s your all-rounder. Whether you’re sipping coffee in the office on Monday, wishing you were at a bar, or whether you’re at a bar on Friday, wondering what has happened to your life (it’s definitely all her fault). Furthermore, this suit is incredibly easy to mix and match. You could wear a pink, a yellow, or even a multi-coloured shirt (with or without white collars and cuffs) and the tie of your choosing. This suit will even go beautifully with your sense of impending doom.

Dinner suit in a black barathea from Dugdale Bros. (480 g/m)

Even in spring, everyone needs a dinner suit. Black barathea, grosgrain silk facings, double-breasted 6×2. Our signature Maximilian model in all its glory. Add a white dinner shirt with a ruffled front and French cuffs. To round it out: golden cuff links, mother-of-pearl shirt studs, a red boutonnière, and our Mr Lush pocket square. Feeling regal? Don a pair of opera pumps with a silk bow (grosgrain, of course). For a more louche look, polish up your horse-bit loafers and take them for a spin. JoLo/DC/KP