Over Dress

The first heatwave of summer always catches me off guard. Friday night I had a night out planned and nothing to wear. Except I did, I just couldn’t rely on my usual tools to make me feel good. No throwing on a leather jacket to add edge to a feminine dress. My baggy jeans, heels and simple black knit were out of the question, as were some of my favourite dresses due to the long sleeves or heavy fabrics.

1, I’ve ordered this Embroidered Fringed Skirt to team with relaxed long sleeve tees on holiday. 2, As a notorious over-packer, July’s Trunk Collection is ideal for my travels - inspired by the 70s, it looks super chic and has all the features July is known for (silent move wheels, 80/20 lid opening and a compression system strap). 3, If money was no object, I would be dripping in Lucy Delius jewellery.

1, Hailey Bieber reminding us that the simplicity of jeans, tee and flip-flops is the ultimate effortless spring outfit. Try this Tee from Weekday, Vintage Levi’s and Toteme Flip Flops (or these Arket ones) for a similar look. 2, Massimo Dutti’s Suede Jacket would be the perfect addition to the outfit I live in - jeans and a tee. The button detail is so chic and I’ll never be over suede, such a classic despite it being on trend.

In between seasons, my favourite time for dressing - you don’t have to think about practicality, you can finally wear your jacket collection, more shoe options, flip flops with knitwear, it’s safe to wear suede - I love that mix of seasons. You can’t beat a simple sweatshirt and relaxed denim look, especially with flip flops. The Navy sweatshirt is Reiss and such a good fit. Sweatshirt (M) | Denim | Flip flops | Bag | Sunglasses | Earrings My favourite combo - white trousers teamed with black.

This sunshine has me craving a little colour but I've learnt that adding too much colour, or the wrong piece, and I'm off it fast. I tend to stick to a neutral-ish wardrobe and lean on textures more than colour with the odd pop of red but feel there’s something missing lately so I’m going to fix it by adding a few simple tees to team with my go-to formula of denim and leather. First up, the baseball tee. Pairs with everything from denim, to a skirt to relaxed trousers.

1, I wore these Cargos this week from Citizens of Humanity and it reminded me of an outfit I used to wear in the 90s (with Timberland boots instead of ballet pumps) I wear a 27. 2, I’ve been on the look-out for some vintage tees for spring summer and found a couple of good UK sellers on Etsy - here and here, and a US seller here. Love this New York City one. 3, I love a simple slip on shoe to wear with relaxed jeans or joggers, these ones from UGG look great for spring.

An outfit I definitely wore in the 90s. I love the relaxed fit of these Cargos, I’m usually a 26 in jeans and took a 27 in these. Teamed with a double layer Tee from Zara and those Dune Ballet Flats I can’t stop wearing. A simple every-day outfit.

After a Good Friday spent editing my wardrobe, I’ve come to realise what my dilemma cycle looks like and why it bites more at this time of year. I’ve worked hard over the years on curating a wardrobe that works for me and how I like to show up, effortless with ease and a little edge, plus works for my lifestyle. I’ve got my formula down and apply the sliding scale method regularly to make the pieces I own work for any occasion.

From my experience, what people struggle with most when it comes to occasion wear is staying true to their style. It’s easy to overthink it, to feel like a wedding demands something you wouldn’t normally wear, and there’s nothing worse than spending an entire day feeling uncomfortable. I’ve pulled together the three formulas I tend to stick to when approaching wedding guest dressing.

The change in season can sometimes throw me, one minute the weather’s good and we can ditch the layers and get excited for spring, the next day we’re back into second winter and pulling the big coats out of the wardrobe. These are the formulas I turn to when I feel a bit lost with how to dress. An animal print layer is such an easy way to create a low effort look with maximum impact. I’ve thrown my Charlotte Simone one on with off-white Levi’s 90s Jeans and Ballet Pumps.