With spring's arrival, many women are looking for ways to update their wardrobes.

Whatever you buy, don't rush back into black, said Charla Krupp, a More magazine columnist and author of "How Not to Look Old."

Kathryn Finney, of the Budget Fashionista Web site, advises a dress in a soft spring color such as tangerine, yellow, emerald green or sea blue. It's good for your psyche as well as your looks.

Yellow is one of the hottest shades this season - from canary to taxi cab - and color experts say it sends an optimistic, sunshine message.

As a result, designers have given women plenty of options in achieving a sun-kissed look.

Yellow patent leather pops your whole closet. A big yellow tote to see you through the season is a perfect accessory you can buy on the cheap. To play it up even more, Finney buys silk flowers from a discount store for a few cents and makes her own flower pins.

With bright being the new black this season, shoe lovers especially are doing a bit of sole-searching.

And while it's true that yellow can be a hard color to pull off, it's not impossible. One of our favorite looks includes a pair of patent yellow heels, worn with dark denim jeans, a crisp white button-down and an armful of gold bangles. Or jazz up a basic black-and-white dress with a rousing pop of color below the ankle. Another hot look is nautical, balancing the simple allure of navy and white with a kicky splash of yellow.

What you most definitely want to avoid is looking like a certain beloved Sesame Street character of the winged ilk. Head-to-toe anything is never recommended. With yellow being so brilliant, please don in moderation.

"Yellow shoes work best as an accent and should add a pop of color to complete your look," said Shari Shakun, chief merchandising officer of SmartBargains.com, an online, off-price shopping site. "Stay away from mixing yellow and pastel colors or you run the risk of looking like an Easter egg."

You'll also want to avoid pairing yellow shoes with your beloved black.

"That just conjures up an image that you're heading back to the hive," said Gregg Andrews, a fashion director for Nordstrom.

This story contains information from The Kansas City Star