Welcome to a new month. I love May. It brings with it a feeling that summer is fast approaching but you can still wear some nice layers. My hayfever has usually dissipated. The garden is starting to look better. There are two bank holidays and the mud on daily dog walks is finally drying up. What’s not to like?
As ever on these monthly round-ups, I am basing these outfits mainly on things I already own. Some are old, in which case I’ve sourced similar items, and some you will have seen before, because when I like something I tend to wear it quite a lot.
GET THE DENIM SHORTS OUT
I’m fairly certain that by the time you read this, the spell of shorts weather we have had over the last week will be over. BUT it’s not too early to start thinking about your summer wardrobe (she says, as she still hasn’t taken hers out of the vacuum-packed bag under the bed). However, I have just ordered these shorts from Mango because they seem like the exact pair I’m after: not too short, not too long, nice and wide. I’ll attempt to dress them up a bit by adding my cream blazer. I tried this Prada top on at a MyTheresa event I went to last month and now I ONLY want to wear Prada. I feel like I say that a lot these days…
- Kimorn Rectangle Sunglasses
- M&S Single Breasted Blazer
- Prada Striped cropped cotton polo shirt
- Reiss Horseshoe Belt in Tan
- Zara Mini City Bag
- Mango Wide Leg Denim Shorts
- Hush Metal Detail Flat Sandals
BOILER SUIT BLISS
I bought this Levi’s jumpsuit last month and have already worn it four times. The ease of putting on just one item in the morning is often too much for me to resist. Plus it’s had quite a few surprise compliments. Even the man who takes Thomas Frank (the dog) to a big field with ten other dogs on Mondays said I looked very smart – although, to be fair, despite the fact that Thomas Frank has been going to doggy daycare every Monday for about three years now, I still forget and end up answering the door in my pyjamas, so anything is going to look better than that. I have the jumpsuit in a medium and I’m a 10/12. I’d recommend sizing up one size if you don’t want it to hug you too tightly around the mid-section.
- Oliver Bonas Cat Eye Acetate Sunglasses
- Anthropologie Shell Pearl Necklace
- H&M Twill Overshirt
- Levis Iconic Lightweight Denim Jumpsuit
- Scott Samuel Geometric Leather Bag
- Uniqlo AIRism Camisole Bra Top
- Adidas Spezial Trainers
ORANGE YOU GLAD IT’S MAY
Because we always need a splash of colour somewhere and orange is as good as any. This cardi from Beaumont Organic is a recent addition to my spring wardrobe. I do love a bit of cotton knitwear at this time of the year. I will wear it with white jeans and coordinating nail polish. I might have mentioned this before, but I am loving the NailKind polishes. They last really well and contain less nasties than a lot of other brands.
- Beaumont Organic Organic Cotton Cardigan
- Zara Tahir Jewellery Iris Necklace
- Hush Avant Gardener Graphic T‑Shirt
- ME + EM Ecru Striped Denim Tapered Jeans
- Casetify The House That Lars Built Phone Case
- Penelope Chilvers Biscay Leather Sandals
- Nailkind Burnt Orange Nail Polish
JEANS AND A NICE WHITE BLOUSE
This has been a spring favourite of mine for almost as long as I can remember. Well, thats not quite true, as there was a time when my spring favourite was a ra-ra skirt and mismatched neon socks, but you catch my drift. Jeans and a nice white blouse is a very easy, failsafe option when you can’t think about what to wear. Add your bargain basement Amazon sandals (surely you have these by now) and some kind of shacket. My favourite is the Sézane Will jacket that comes in multiple colours and fabrics.
- ME + EM Cream Crochet Lace Cotton T‑Shirt
- Sezane Suede Will Jacket
- Fangirl Unauthorised Pearl and Gold Bracelet
- Citizens Of Humanity Ayla Jeans
- Free People We The Free Baby Emerson Tote Bag
- H&M Patterned scarf
- Amazon Essentials Leather Flat Sandals
BLACK BUT MAKE IT TEXTURED
If you love black but you worry about looking a bit flat, go for something with a bit of texture and shape. A crochet or lace top will fit the texture bill nicely, and these wide linen culottes from COS are a step up from your regular pair of trousers, giving you a more edgy look without having to add any colour at all.
- Mango Short-sleeved crochet cardigan
- Oliver Bonas Sebria Chunky Silver Tone Necklace
- Monica Vinader Nura Reef Medium Hoop Earrings
- Zara Linen Blazer with Printed Cuffs
- Dehanché Hollyhock leather belt
- COS Black Linen culottes
- Mint Velvet Black Leather Studded Bag
- Grenson April Leather Sandals
THE WIDE LEG TROUSERS
I do love a good pair of wide-leg trousers, and I’m looking forward to getting my more colourful pairs out and about this month. When I say ‘colour’, I really mean various shades of brown, but I do have a pink striped pair and a burnt orange pair that got put away for winter and now need to come back into circulation again.
- Mango Ramie shirt with embroidered pocket
- M&S Oversized Mask Sunglasses
- H&M Zip Front Denim Jacket
- Mint Velvet Brown Studded Suede Belt
- Toast Cotton Linen Poplin Wide Leg Trousers
- Free People Suede Caravan Tote
- Grenson Susanna Leather Moccasins
BERMUDA SHORTS RULE OK
I had to add one more pair of shorts, seeing as I’m a shorts fan. We will have to do a full shorts post soon – maybe next week – though will that tempt fate and cause the temperature to drop back down to single digits? That’s why I’m reluctant to do the wardrobe switch-out as I feel sure that as soon as I pack away the chunky winter knits, they will be needed again. By the way, there’s 10% off at Scott Samuel this month – they sell excellent leather bags, some of which are ‘homages’ to a few of your favourite designer styles. Use code KATE10 for a discount.
- Love Lori Michelle The Drip Earrings
- Missoni Square Sunglasses
- Uniqlo Zip-Up Short Blouson
- COS Boat Neck Striped Cotton Jumper
- Scott Samuel Woven Leather Basket Bag
- COS Tailored Linen Blend Long Shorts
- Mango Natural Fibre Ballerina Flats
Here’s hoping we really don’t go back to winter too soon!
K x
