Word on the weather street is that we are in for a bit of a good run of sun over the next few days or so. I’ve also checked the forecast outside of the south east so I’m not being a London-centric wanker here. Even those of you far up north look set for a little bit of warmth over the coming week. So to that end I’ve come up with six outfits for the sunshine. There will still be some jackets as we’re not quite Montego Bay levels of heat just yet. Don’t blame me if this forecast turns out to be completely wrong, take it out on Carol or Tomasz Schaffknackers instead.
I love this time of year for weather. It’s that perfect ‘not-too-hot-not-too-cold’ time. Where you can still throw a blazer or a denim jacket over your jeans or dress, but you could also, at a push, get the legs out, of course AFTER you’ve buffed and scrubbed and de-fuzzed. That is the annoying part – winter is a lot easier in terms of time and effort needed to maintain any sort of grooming.
In the winter it’s very much ‘au naturel’. Summer needs a little bit of planning and tanning. I know I should be a modern woman and not care if my legs are as pasty as a boiled chicken breast, but I’m not. I’m a much nicer person when I have a tan, even if it has to come out of a bottle. And with that, let’s have a look at six outfits for slightly warmer weather…
WIDE LEG TROUSERS
A good pair of flappy trousers are great when the weather gets warmer but you don’t fancy shorts or a dress. They can keep you cool by letting the breeze in, without having to do any leg maintenance. Add a cotton top and some clogs. Do we call these clogs? Or are they slides? Or just slippers that it’s okay to wear outside the house? I can attest that the Birkenstock Bostons are ridiculously comfortable for inside or out. I’ve also found some great dupes at M&S if you’re looking for a slightly more purse-friendly version.
1. Weekday Isa linen mix blazer
2. All Saints Allington straw tote bag
3. & Other Stories ruffled short sleeve blouse
4. Oliver Bonas chambray wide leg trousers
DENIM SHORTS AND EXCELLENT UNDIES
I will do a full shorts blog maybe next month as I’m spying a lot of good ones in the shops right now. Also see last week’s packing blog for more options. I wanted to mention these EXCELLENT big pants on the blog as they’ve only been on my Instagram Stories so far and maybe got lost in the Amazon post last month. They are hands down the best pants I’ve ever owned. They have a light-control top which just smooths things out rather than suck them in. No vpl, super-comfortable and come in LOADS of colours. I have just ordered two more packs and got rid of all my knackered knickers and replaced them with the wonder pants. I also bought the bras too. Decent support and also very comfy. Winners.
1. Anine Bing Jaci LA sweatshirt
2. Innersby everyday comfort bras
3. M&S high waisted denim shorts
4. Innersby high waisted slight tummy control pants
5. Nike Dunk low Disrupt trainers
SUNDRESS AND DENIM JACKET
Ok, ok, it might be a tiny bit previous to be busting out the sleeveless sundresses as we’re only in mid May, and we all know our clouts should not be cast before it’s out, but it’s always good to be prepared just in case. I just did my winter/summer switch over, and the corduroy has been hermetically sealed in vacuum plastic under the bed until September. Watch it snow in June now…
1. Tilly Sveaas gold plated T Bar necklace
2. Monsoon Mindy denim longline jacket
3. Anthropologie structured circle tote
4. Jigsaw cotton slub stripe sundress
5. La Redoute leather closed toe sandals
JUST JEANS AND A GREAT SHIRT
A few things to talk about here. I ordered these M&S jeans on the advice of some readers who recommended them to me. I was just going to try them for research purposes but they are keepers. Good bit of stretch, nice fit and l like the side piping detail. They come up slightly big around the waist for me, so you might want to go down a size. I also want to mention these Apple Watch straps I bought on Etsy: I like to have colour options to work with different outfits. Also, I spied these Nike trainers in the window of Office this week and they literally stopped me in my tracks. I restrained myself as I DO NOT NEED MORE TRAINERS, but I had to share with the group.
1. Monki nature print boxy short sleeve shirt
2. & Other Stories colour block cross body bag
3. M&S boyfriend ankle grazer jeans
4. Accessories UK nylon watch straps
5. Nike Dunk multi-coloured trainers
A LINEN LOOK
Linen. It’s one of those fabrics you either love or you think it makes you look like a crumpled mess. I’m kind of on the side of love. I mean, come on – if it’s been good enough for David Attenborough for the past 70 years or so travelling the world to hot countries, then it’s good enough for me. Yes, that’s a young Dave meeting a giant gerbil in the picture above. I am a complete stranger to an iron anyway so a fabric that is supposed to be a bit creasy works for me. Plus linen is THE fabric for warmer weather.
A crisp white T‑shirt and a pair of wide-leg linen trousers is a classic summer look. I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect pair for a while now; so far I’ve not found the ONE yet, but I have just ordered these from Aligne so I hope they will meet my exacting standards.
1. & Other Stories wide sleeve crew neck T shirt
2. The French Parrot Heliconia wicker bag
4. Aligne Fanita wide leg linen trousers
5. Grenson Flora leather sandals
A DRESS FOR ALL OCCASIONS
I know this might be a little bit dull. I promise I will do some more exciting colourful dresses next week, but sometimes you need a very useful, basic, simple cotton dress. This one from Hush ticks that box for me. Loose fitting but could work with a belt if you like a bit more shape. Shirt-dress style so should also work for my larger breasted ladies. Wear with a linen blazer and flats for an easy look that can take you pretty much anywhere.
1. Hush Clancy textured mid shirt dress
2. Tom Ford black & tortoiseshell sunglasses
3. Mango linen oversized blazer
4. Joules Atlas fishermans sandals
Next week I shall be doing outfits inspired by ‘The Split’. Those sisters all dressed so well even if their lives were falling apart. If you haven’t already seen it, you must, if only for the fashion.
K x
