8 outfits for late summer

I’m back from a little summer break. We went on a family holiday to Tuscany, where it was hotter than the sun but also where you can buy a great bottle of Chianti for less than six euros. I’ll try to write a post about our trip if anyone is keen. We’ve been to Italy on holiday five times now and it never disappoints.

When I got back, I gatecrashed my friend’s family holiday in Ross-on-Wye for a couple of nights and made them join me on a visit to Goodrich Castle. If there’s a castle in the vicinity, you KNOW I will be dragging you to it.

Then I drove across the country to visit my friend Lisa Dawson in York, where I insisted we actually go inside the creepy doll shop. If you’ve ever been to York, you’ll surely know the one I mean. It’s packed floor-to-ceiling with quite realistic baby dolls. They’re the stuff of actual nightmares, as was the lady who answered the doorbell to let us in and promptly questioned us on the purpose of our visit. We probably won’t repeat that experience.

I finished off my two-week break in West Yorkshire by spending time with two of my nieces. We went to Haworth, which is basically a very tasteful Brontë theme park. I lapped it up like the tourist that I am. You wouldn’t think a nine- and a five-year-old would have any interest in Victorian novelists, but when we got home I was coerced into playing ‘the Brontës’ with them. While Charlotte scooted to the post office to send off her manuscripts in an effort to become more famous than her sisters, I acted the part of a drunk Branwell by lying on the floor and getting Emily to bring me sweets. A day well spent.

But it’s back to business now, and the summer is starting to fade. Never have we had a summer when we’ve longed for it to calm down a bit. Here are eight outfits to think about before autumn hits.

ALL WHITE ON THE NIGHT

We have to make the most of our nice white jeans and trousers before the rain and mud come back with a vengeance and they get tucked away again at the back of the wardrobe. I’ve recently embraced the almost-all-white look: white jeans and a white tee, but add in some contrast with your accessories. I think cobalt blue is going to be a big colour this coming fashion season, so if you’re looking for an easy update, this could be it.

JAZZING UP THE JORTS

I know jorts are very divisive, but I like the idea of a really long pair, almost like cropped trousers rather than shorts, worn with a smarter top or jacket. I’m thinking of hacking up an old pair of baggy jeans to recreate this kind of look. It could go horribly wrong, but I think you need to keep experimenting with clothes – otherwise, you risk getting stuck in a rut of wearing the same things over and over.

SWEATSHIRTS & SHORTS SEASON

This particular sartorial season is very short, so make the most of it. Don’t retire those shorts you’ve been wearing all summer just yet. We’ve worked hard on our fish-stick tans* and we still have a few more weeks to show them off. We might just need a long-sleeved top now instead of a vest.

* When the front of your legs is tanned, but the back is still pasty-white because you can never be arsed to lie on your front in the sun.

A LITTLE BIT BOHO

It feels nice to start wearing our jeans again, doesn’t it? I’ve loved the summer of shorts and actually being able to wear all those summer-holiday dresses I’ve collected over the years, but jeans (as you know) hold my heart. The only trend-led addition I would make to your fairly standard ‘nice blouse and jeans’ combo is a disc buckle belt. Celine showed them on the runway, and they’ve already trickled down to the high street. A nice affordable way to update this look.

STRIDING OUT IN SUMMER TROUSERS

You don’t need to stop wearing your lightweight cotton or linen trousers just because the weather might be cooling. Let’s face it, even the lightest of my trousers haven’t seen much wear this year, so I need to make the most of them. Pair them with your ballet flats and a cosy jumper.

A SMARTISH SHORTS SUIT

I wanted to include this one as I bought these shorts the other week and I’ve been loving them. I’m now debating in my head whether I should also get the matching blazer. Will I have the perfect opportunity to wear them together before autumn? The jury is out on that, but I’m tempted. Another easy trend I’m seeing for A/W 2026 is the Henley top. That’s basically a long-sleeved T‑shirt with a few buttons at the front. Bonus points for a double-layered version like this one.

MAYBE IT WILL RAIN

I mean, we know it will soon, if it hasn’t already by the time you read this. Yes, we’re all looking forward to a bit of rain to help those parched parks and gardens, and inevitably it will rain constantly from October to April and we’ll be cursing its very existence. But the good news is that Barbour have brought back their sell-out Audrey rain jacket. Mine has seen concerts by Coldplay and Oasis, as well as the field over the canal where I walk the dog. It’s a great jacket for all occasions and is now available in a new colourway as well as the original brown version.

MATCHY MATCHY WITH A CO-ORD

Another one I’ve put in purely for my own benefit. I really like the idea of both of these in late summer. I have a similar black co-ord from Zara that I’ve worn a fair bit, but it could do with more appearances this summer. I’m also keen on the striped Rotate top and skirt mainly because they remind me of an outfit I would have worn in the 90s, and we all know we can never truly give up who we were back then. Apart from the cigs and the Special K cider.

Next week we’ll have a look at trans-seasonal trousers and then, come September, we’ll consider new-season trends to try.

K x

WearsMyMoney

I spent it all on clothes by the looks of things...