Have you got your summer style sorted?
Photos: Matt Monfredi. Hair & makeup: Anna Durston
What’s your season? And I don’t mean that in a Colour Me Beautiful way. More of a ‘when are you happiest in what you wear?’ Chatting to one of my neighbours recently, she commented, ‘ You always look good in your summer dresses.’ How kind ( I was in Cos at the time). It is so nice to receive a compliment – but that’s another feature. I thanked her and said that I always feel like summer isn’t my most stylish season. I’m much more comfortable in a uniform of jeans and a shirt, or jacket. Spring and autumn are when I reach Peak Wardrobe Happiness.
In the Guardian, a couple of weeks ago, Jess Cartner Morley wrote a feature on the perfect summer dress. She categorised the different styles of dresses and the type of people who gravitate towards them. I laughed when it came to the bit about shirt dresses and the summary said:
‘If your most beloved summer frock is a shirt dress, the truth is probably that this is not, in fact, your favourite season to dress for. You are not the let-it-all-hang-out type. You’ll be happy when September rolls around and you can unroll your knitwear and zip into knee-high boots. Until then, you’ll lean into crisp shirting… to show you can do summer. You also like wearing linen.’
This is true. Shirt dresses, tick. Linen, tick. And, summer is not my favourite season. So. What I have been trying to do this year is to find a hot weather version of dressing that I’m comfortable with. Outfits that capture the way I feel in my jeans, jackets and jumpsuits – rather than settling for a second-best dress because it’s too humid for anything else. This is not the way to instil fashion confidence. Time to get my summer style sorted. To transfer my trademark TNMA look into an outfit that feels like me, on a hot day.
How to do this?
Fit is the most important thing
I know I repeat this ad infinitum… but fit (in all senses of the word) is the most important thing. Prior to this outfit, I tried on a linen trouser suit and striped T-shirt. It didn’t feel right. The trousers weren’t quite slouchy enough and the whole ensemble felt a bit too neat, a bit like one of my Telegraph columns. It didn’t fit my aesthetic or my body.
Switch to a more relaxed outfit, one in keeping with my usual look and I’m instantly happier. Casual and summery it has a ‘Lucinda Chambers en vacances at her holiday home in France‘ vibe that I admire. The shirt is easy-breezy and the COLOUR is magnificent. The wider leg, seersucker cotton, striped trousers replace heavier jeans or cargo pants and add a little jaunty-ness to the proceedings. Ditto Penelope Chilvers snazzy spin on the Birkenstock mule, and the gorgeous, zesty orange leather tote. All of these elements come together to create a winning combination.
Take a proper look at the clothes that make you feel good
Either take them out of the wardrobe and place them on the bed, or hang them on a separate rail if you have one. What is it about these clothes that makes you feel happy and confident? Is it the colour or the shape? Is there a design feature you like? I love a Super Shirt, I’m more comfortable in non-crotch-bothering trousers with pockets and blue is my colour – is it any wonder I feel confident in this outfit?
Whose style do you admire?
Above, I mention Lucinda Chambers, the cool-as-you-like fashion queen who always looks chic. If summer is not your favourite season, clothes-wise, then have a look around at what other stylish women are wearing. Figure out why it works and if there are elements you can adapt for your own wardrobe. I’m not advising everyone turn into a copycat – it’s important to wear the shapes and silhouettes you feel comfortable in – but there’s no harm in looking for inspiration and then maybe adding a new twist to an old favourite.
Know how you want to look
Remember the three adjectives! If summing up how I want to look, I’d say ‘cool, relaxed and chic’. The aim is to feel comfortable in my clothes – which is why shirt dresses are good because I’m uneasy in anything too faff-y or flouncy. I’d much rather be pared-down and clutter-free. I want to look like an elegant gentlewoman, all summer long.
A quick reminder that you can shop all my outfits by signing up to LTK – and there are lots of cool summer pieces (I’d be happy to wear), in the TNMA SHOP.
SUBSCRIBE TO THAT’S NOT MY AGE
If you’ve enjoyed reading this feature, please consider becoming a That’s Not My Age subscriber. Those who have signed-up are supporting That’s Not My Age in its entirety. Every subscription is valuable for the future of this site and will go towards creating engaging content to inspire and empower women of all ages. More details of membership benefits HERE.
Thank you so much. Your contribution is crucial.
STYLE NOTES
Crinkle cotton relaxed shirt from NRBY. Striped cotton trousers, Jigsaw. Brazilian Stripe Mules, Penelope Chilvers. Leather tote bag, Mimi Berry (check out the collection, the totes are quite reasonably priced given their size and some are in the sale, all made in the UK). All items loaned for the shoot (though I may have held onto the super shirt and trousers!)
That’s Not My Age is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.
Discussion (26 Comments)
lizzie g says:
You look energetic, relaxed, comfortable and happy. Summer fabrics, but in strong colours are the way to go. And the blue is great for your eyes.
Patrish says:
Your information is always spot on. I laughed at the dress thing….I hate myself in one and don’t own any. Separates in the same color fill in that blank spot.
Fit, yes. Proportion, yes. No color wheel here. I know what works and stick with it. I want to feel comfortable, ‘me’ and chic. So many women are terribly insecure because they try to fit into a style that does not suit them. Look in the mirror. If you don’t like what you see, wear something you like and feel comfortable in. Comfort makes confidence. Not what anyone else is prescribing for you to do. The compliments continue so I must be doing something right. Keeping it simple helps. Your observation suggestions are also key. If someone turns your head think about what they are wearing, or how their hair is cut. Style.
Thank you, as always, for your intelligent guide to life.Thank you for your lovely comment, Patrish. And, ‘ Comfort makes confidence.’ I like that! So true.
bev says:
I am always at my happiest in loose, creasy, floaty, unstructured layered clothing and detest anything fitted or tight. I am a size 12 and 5 foot 7 inches so often appear bigger than I am! Consequently I LOVE summer and loose linen trousers and tunic/short linen dress/big linen shirt top with Birkenstocks but equally enjoy the Oska-type balloon trousers (corduroy – nice and soft) and big baggy jumpers in winter with an enormous scarf and a battered pair of Blundstones. Generally I just go with the layery thing!! No-one would know if I actually had a body or not!! ps you look great in blue, I wish I did but with sallow skin it makes me look like a lemon!
Bee says:
It is not often a problem about seasons where I live in Scotland, four seasons in a day! I wear the same jeans, blouses with long sleeves so the midges don’t bite as much and a jumper. Thicker if it is cold, finer if it is warm! Rarely seen in sleeveless or shorts or even skirts here…….and always wearing socks! Midges again! I love colour and texture and would love to wear a few more elegant clothes now and then but there are no events that need them. It is interesting to read about the thought processes that other women have about their clothes and of course access to what people in cities are choosing to wear. Even when I worked I had to wear a laboratory coat over my jeans and shirts, so my clothes were rarely on show. I am 76 years old and look it now after recent brain surgery for twelve hours. What I need is to feel comfortable, cosy and safe in my clothes, so love my stretch jeans, soft brushed shirts and sloppy jumpers even more. And today, it is cold here so I need them! Enjoy the summer sunshine if you have it.
You are 76 and alive after gruelling surgery. Comfortable, cosy and safe is a great way to go. I wish you continuing good health. Clothes Do Not Maketh Man! We all witter on about clothes but most of us who read this blog KNOW that there are much bigger issues at stake.
Thank you SO much. I feel very lucky to walk, talk, see and have my intellect still. 🙂
Mrs Tonia says:
Much that I agree with here. I like shirt dresses with long sleeves, rolled up or short rolled up sleeves. I’m more a dress than separates person. I prefer longer skirts to cover up my less than slender legs. So I’ve enjoyed the milkmaid type dresses which have been around. I’m also a wearer of linen : dresses, tops, t-shirts, dresses. For my height under 5’5” with a bust I think I look better in a semi-fitted shape, not too voluminous with a tie belt in matching fabric or a thin leather one loosely belted.
Like Alyson I admire the aesthetic and style of Lucinda Chambers in her Marni and Vogue days particularly. Though I wouldn’t wear the trousers under dresses or any of her recent designs in collaboration with Jigsaw. The mixed pattern and stripes with other patterns which go together tonally. Yes not the fabrics all synthetic or the prices for the quality.
As Alyson has long advocated try everything on, find colours and shapes that you feel good in. Have minor alterations to enhance feel good factor. Add pops of colour to the mix in choices of footwear or a colourful tote like the orange one with blue or a small coloured crossbody handbag.Sara says:
Great post, Alyson. I always think you are so good at knowing your style and, indeed, the photos demonstrate this really well. I’m in a bind about summer: I love the warmth, long days, sunshine (when we get it….). Less so the humidity and the pain of trying to match clothing to unpredictable and changeable weather. It’s often less what I want to wear and more what I have to if it(inevitably) rains. Having said that, my favourite this year is my gorgeous deep, bright cornflower blue t-shirt dress from Cos; it is HUGE so size xs for me (and I am really not that minute) but with a crisp cotton skirt, t shirt fabric top so easy to wear and loose enough to be cool in every sense of the word. It’s my version of your shirt dress. My last favourite was from Cos, too, about 3-4 years ago, still very much going strong, same colour, same fabric, theoretically culottes, long, wide and looking more dress-like but comfortable and survived a glass of red wine being thrown down it!
Quick add: Bev’s comments always make me smile! In between your column, which really encourages all of us to find our own style and Bev’s take on this, lovely read for the day.Lu says:
That blue with a pop of orange looks great on you, and yes, absolutely true to your style! I think it’s not just comfort that shoes, it’s feeling comfortable in the look as well. A successful summer outfit is one in which you always feel appropriately dressed for the occasion (or lack of it) because you feel like yourself. I live in Italy, and can’t abide the heat or the sun in the summer, so finding a wardrobe that works for me has been key.
I have ended up adopting a uniform, but it’s one that I feel great in: I found a cut and weight of trousers that work for me (straight cropped cotton/wide loose linen), bought them in a few colours, and then did the same with tops, and added chunky sandals. I know I can breathe and move in the clothes, and they are appropriate for work/casual coffee dates/smart restaurants, and having different colours to choose from means I don’t feel as though all my creativity is crushed, and I still look recognisably like myself, instead of someone who is wearing a random assortment of weather-suitable clothing. What is interesting to me is that while I initially felt a bit stifled by the simplicity of my summer wardrobe, I notice that the more minimal aesthetic it is beginning to carry over to the colder months too.Robyn says:
Please continue with summer outfit inspiration. I for one don’t like summer dressing at all. I live in the southeastern part of the US. It’s hot, humid, full of mosquitoes and lasts well into October. Plus, I’m outside a lot for various things-mainly pets, plants and yard. When I’m home my main goal is to be cool, not have my clothes cling to me, and be shielded from mosquitoes. As much as I dislike shorts I do wear them at home. I also wear a lot of line. Several years ago I purchased a navy shirt dress from J Crew which I wear out and about a lot. And this year I bought a black linen wrap dress from Etsy which is beautiful, and the quality is amazing.
Karen Miles says:
I love summer dressing! Pretty dresses are what I’m most comfortable in (sans tights), with white Keds on my feet and a cardi tucked in my bag for when the A/C is too high. I’m confident in my summer dressing and lost the rest of the year. I’m determined to sort it, though, and you’re helping!
Shirt dresses, and linen dresses both with a definition for a waist, that’s my summer outfits sorted.
Can’t say I have much of a waist but all these frilly, flouncy maxi dresses just adds volume where I dont want it or need it.
I was hoping that this year, they would have faded into the backyard off the prairies where they belong. Not so, cant move in the shops along the Kings road for them…
Anyhow, rant over.Sandra Marshall says:
I always hated summer clothes. I was allergic to sunlight until the menopause, still allergic to insect bites, overweight, and spend most of my time arse up in a flower bed, so not sure why I care, but my 3 words would be cool, comfortable and contextual. I like tshirt dresses., with a shirt. Sorely tempted by some Japanese trousers on Amazon. I love colours but I’ve realised that the cool bit comes easier with a restricted palette.
Julie Seddon says:
I usually avoid wearing the same colour head to toe as I like to mix different colours but the first picture with the lovely blue shirt and stripy trousers is an inspiration! I’ll be looking out for similar styles from now on where I can do this. Thank you Alyson.
Lanie says:
Thank you for this post!
I am not a fan of heat, so summer dressing is hard for me. I’m often uncomfortable without the layers and structure of cooler-weather clothing. I love the outfit you’re wearing (blue on blue, dreamy). Scrolling through the insta. profiles of the women you highlighted is inspiring me too!Nicola says:
I love dresses at the moment because they are so easy to wear. I love maxi dresses that are loose and wafty- and can be teamed up with Birkenstocks or trainers (or even boots and a sweater in cooler weather). They cover up my middle aged tummy and less than perfect legs and work in the hot climate I live in. But if fashion swings around and suddenly everything is short and tight then I won’t love dresses ( I heard some style podcasters bemoaning ‘prairie’ dresses and saying they hoped that fad had passed- I hope they are wrong).
Lee Ann says:
So interested in all these viewpoints. Thank you, everyone, for chiming in. I’m another reader from the Southeastern US, and I struggle to find appropriate clothing for work (fundraising) that keeps me cool and still looks decent enough to wear for appointments. I’d love to build a capsule wardrobe, but instead find I need many wardrobes : a) work clothes; b) casual clothes that are cool and comfy for post-work social events; and c) “round the house and yard” clothes suited for messy tasks that are cool and comfortable. And I wonder why a capsule wardrobe won’t work for me! LOL!
Sarah P says:
I lived in Florida for a while. At work there was a/c so I often needed a jumper inside. My work clothes tended to be wideleg trousers or a dark coloured dress just longer than my knees.Linen-mix crumples less than pure linen, so IMO it looks a touch more professional. Silk shirts and dresses are also pretty cool (though may require a silk camisole). At home I lived in shorts and t-shirts. IMO wearing the same clothes at home as at work does not work for the majority of people, so ignore the unrealistic capsule proponents!
I think seasonal dressing is an interesting and under-addressed topic. An American blogger I used to follow recommended “dressing for your dominant season” by which she meant building the majority of your wardrobe around the climate where you live. In the UK that means we’re normally dealing with moderate temperatures, but it obviously varies a bit e.g. from Aberdeen to Penzance. So saying, I find that clothes need washing more often in the heat, so I have more hot weather clothes than you’d expect given summer is only 3 months. I’m in London and I live in a Victorian house with poor insulation (it is in a conservation area where changes are very restricted) so I am usually dealing with temperatures from 12 to 25, but it now gets up to high 30s in summer. Most of the year I live in jeans, v-neck tees and a jumper. In the very hottest weather I opt for ultra wide-leg linen trousers and a linen tank, or a linen dress. My favourite dress is a racerback trapeze midi dress from Whistles, so it is airy, shows off my shoulders and doesn’t cling to my menopause-tum. I bought it second-hand and I wish they would re-issue the style so I could have more colours! At home I wear Birks all year: leather clogs from autumn to spring, and sandals in summer.
Salad For Me says:
I struggle with clothes in every season. Each year, I think I am going to begin gathering pieces that I will continue to build on but the reality is, by the time the season rolls around again, “I have nothing to wear”. Part of the problem is that I don’t think of layering – just wearing the piece as is. I have always liked dressing simply – minimal jewelry, sort of functional, comfortable but with a bit of an edge. My long, strong legs are the feature I feel confident and comfortable baring – whether in a t-shirt dress or shift/sheath dress in summer or leggings with tunics in winter. I love my short, gray pixie. I don’t like my hanging belly or my flat butt (working on both!). I am not super feminine in my fashion style but I tend to look sort of masculine in my body – wide shoulders/back, large forehead (I have Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia), and just ageing in general. Although I admire your “gentlewoman style” in many ways, it is not for me. I wonder – are there other sort of style categories such as this that one could check out online? Kind thanks!
Great read, Alyson! It’s always refreshing to hear different perspectives on seasonal fashion. I completely agree that fit is paramount, and I love your approach to finding a hot weather version of your style trend. Your tips on taking a proper look at the clothes that make you feel good and drawing inspiration from admired styles are spot on. Thanks for sharing your insights!
Natasha J.
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Alyson, great post. I am not a seasonal dresser – I wear what makes me feel and look amazing. I agree fit is the most important thing when wearing clothes.