One thing I’ve realised while putting this together is that I don’t actually have a summer style, per se. I just have lots of little styling habits that I’ve slowly picked up over the years, especially since moving to Spain.
Looking back through my camera roll, I realised I’d been repeating the same tricks and formulas over and over again without even noticing.
So I thought I’d show you.
A lot of what I’ve been wearing is inspired by my recent newsletters (or maybe the newsletters have been inspired by my outfits?... Either way, I hope this gives you a few ideas to try with your own wardrobe.
Summer dressing doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes it’s just about finding a few little formulas that make you feel like yourself, and repeating them shamelessly.
And if you're not quite sure what your formulas are yet, that's exactly what I help my styling clients figure out. Sometimes all it takes is another pair of eyes to help you see the potential in the clothes you already own.
Swap your white T-shirt for a colourful one
This one sounds so simple, doesn’t it? But you don’t understand the hold a white tank top has on me every summer.
The minute it gets hot and I want to wear a fun pair of trousers or shorts, I instinctively reach for my Uniqlo built in bra top. Mostly because I hate wearing a bra, and this solves the problem in one go.
So this summer I’ve been making a conscious effort to swap it for colourful tops instead. It’s genuinely one of the easiest ways to make an outfit feel more interesting without changing anything else.
Outfit 1
I recently bought this knitted top from & Other Stories in the colour of the moment, and I’ve been pairing it with simple basics like brown linen shorts. I love this combination, especially with the white flip-flops, which add a little freshness to the whole look.
I also added my new Bangla Begum earrings (I bought myself one pair... then my husband surprised me with another. Win-win!). They mix green and orange, so they bring in another little hit of colour without feeling too much. I’m genuinely obsessed with them.
Would I wear it again? Absolutely!, in fact I have repeated this outfit already multiple times.
Outfit 2
This red top from Oysho was originally meant for workouts. Then I realised I loved the colour too much to keep it for the gym.
It also has a built-in bra—which, as we’ve established, is one of my favourite inventions of modern times—so it’s become part of my everyday wardrobe instead.
I probably could have sized up, but honestly, I couldn’t be bothered to go to the shop. It’s fitted, but surprisingly comfortable, and I’ve been having so much fun creating unexpected colour combinations with it. This one with my blue skirt is probably my favourite pairing so far.
Would I wear it again? Probably! I might skip the shirt around the waist it it’s too hot, I got home with a pool of sweat around my tummy and backside…
Styling takeaway
The easiest way to wear more colour isn’t by adding lots of it. It’s by replacing something neutral you wear on repeat.
In my case, that neutral is always a white tank top. Swapping it for one colourful knit instantly changes the feel of the outfit, while the brown shorts and white shoes keep everything grounded.
The formula
💚 Colourful top
🤎 Neutral bottoms
🤍 Light shoes
✨ Colourful jewellery
Beach, please
This one comes naturally to me because I love anything related to the sea. I also happen to live a 10-minute walk from an incredible beach, so I spend a lot time in swimwear and beach-adjacent pieces. Let’s just say I own more shell-inspired jewellery than Ariel herself.
Outfit 1
When I put this outfit on one Sunday morning, I asked my husband, “Don’t you think this outfit is very mermaid?”He looked at me completely blank.
Then I met one of my friends and, before I even said anything, she went, “Oh my God, you look like what a mermaid would wear if she had legs.” Exactly! Someone understood the assignment.
I bought this white linen dress in the Massimo Dutti sale and was fully intending to return it. I don’t usually wear fitted dresses (and, I already own far too many white dresses). But the linen is incredibly soft, it fitted me like a glove, and once I started styling it, everything clicked.
I threw on this kimono-style jacket that I bought on holiday in Menorca and hardly ever wear (although, funnily enough, I ended up wearing it twice in the same week—see below), layered on one of my many shell necklaces and finished it with the white flip-flops that haven’t left my feet since I bought them.
I’d happily wear this outfit over and over again... until more people understand the mermaid vision.
If you’re enjoying this little peek inside my wardrobe, there’s plenty more below.
From my accidental mermaid era to the surprisingly versatile yellow shoes I wasn’t sure I’d keep, I’m sharing more outfits, the styling decisions behind them, and the little tricks that made them work.
✨ I’d love for you to join me.
