City Tweaks
It's Mid June and thus far except for a single fleeting scorcher we haven't been blessed with much of a summer, but like all good Brits, I live in hope. Preparation is key and for the next 400 words that means making sure you have outfits ready for when the sun finally makes an appearance for long enough for us to call it summer and allow us to transition our wardrobes without fear of wet toes and cold shoulders.
If our summer is to be short then all the more reason we need to get smart with our summer wardrobe and ensure the pieces we do have get the wear they deserve, If you keep your holiday wardrobe tucked / packed away and only reach for it when a heatwave strikes then its likely you are missing out on making the most of your summer garb. Small styling tweaks are how to feel summer ready.
We need to make our high summer clothes work for city living and styling them this way not only increases your price per wear but also makes the seasonal transition far more seamless. Shall we start from the feet up? Thong sandals and flip flops, they are the footwear of choice for the cool girls when they cast aside their trainers in the warm weather, If your rubber thong flip flops only see the light of day on the beach you are missing a trick, Haviannas, Sleepers, Ancient Greek, you choose. plain simple rubber flip flops in black. Leather if you never step near sand.
Going up, Trousers, Linen trousers automatically look less beachy and more polished with a belt, brown leather, nothing bohemian like coins or rope detail, a simple brown leather belt makes black, white and brown linen trousers instantly more wearable (providing they have belt loops and not an elastic waistband. This is also where you can employ a bit of fringing, as if you haven't noticed, it's a thing, fringe scarves worn as a belt could quite possibly be the easiest way to make an outfit look Vogue-fresh in 2026, when i say belt I mean almost sarong over trousers.
Crochet, Embroidery Anglais and open work pieces, especially in white rarely get enough airtime and are often kept for destinations only, but what if I told you the dress over jeans trend was back? Long white crochet and embroidery dresses worn over jeans are the influencer trend du jour, tips to making it work would be to remember proportions, the dress needs to be a minimum below the knee, calf ideally and the jeans, mid blue denim, straight must be fully visible so the layered look is intentional and not accidental.
Jewellery trends have finally gotten more interesting, I love gold, I love layered (or should I say stacked) gold when they are personal to the wearer but I don't like generic packs of layered jewellery as peddled by fast fashion but they have been our go-to for years so the return of fun beads, long string necklaces and chandelier earrings makes me super happy, see Chanel, Ralph Lauren and Saint Laurent SS26 catwalks for Inspiration, the vibe is if it sparks joy, adds colour or interest then wear it, think shell pieces you bought on holiday, wooden beads, raid those wardrobes and free your costume jewellery, its time for its moment in the sun - when it finally arrives.
