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New Home Tour
Winter dipped us in silk and returned us genteel, refined in our longer lengths but flirtatious in our liquid movement. Have you ever seen an arse more beautiful than an arse draped in satin? We got to see a lot of beautiful arses this past season. But with the creeping suggestion of summer tickling the napes of our necks, a little bit of restyling is necessary. The faithful chunky jumper/chunky trainer combination must make way for something cooler and less restrictive - something less likely to leave your feet in hotbox hell, or your eyebrows sliding sideways down your face. We’ve rediscovered an entirely new chocolate box with the arrival of the slimline midi, so the shape and style is certainly set to stay, but when it comes to wearing these shapes in spring/summer? As always, I say keep it simple.
(PSA: I’m not a stylist so there’s nothing revolutionary here - just a little info on how I style my midi skirts to feel comfortable and put-together. Any outfit for me must be comfortable and practical, so hopefully the bits and bobs I'm wearing below will feel accessible for any kind of lifestyle. Affiliate links used throughout.)
Fresh Basics.
If, like me, you’re a person who builds their wardrobe around basic pieces, then simply switching up the foundations can breathe new life into your A/W midis. For me, it was the most rudimentary of adjustments: off with the darker tees, and on with the lighter. Picking up short sleeve tees or vests in the colours of the season is an affordable way to stay “on trend”, too, because you can usually bag them for £10-£20 and you can wear and rewear with jeans, shorts, skirts, under blazers, over maxi dresses knotted at the front to give the illusion of a two-piece, as a beach cover up, in bed, with your silky midi - the list goes on. My default for S/S is always white, but pale pastels such as lemon and pistachio flirt with neutrality whilst still being “of the moment”, and you could try tie-dye too if you want to go hell-for-leather. Pop a maxi trench over the top and you’re good to go.
Coat - Mango
Tee - & Other Stories*
Skirt - Realisation Par
Mules - Zara
Bag - X Nihilo*
Big Boy Blazers.
And just like that, we were all channeling somebody’s Mum from the 80’s. The last few months have seen a massive boom in the popularity of boxy blazer, and they’re big - literally. Although mine is a designed-for-women number, you could definitely get away with borrowing one of these from a dad or brother or boyfriend or best friend. As long as it teeters the line between you’ve-just-sized-up and why-are-you-drowning-in-sleeves, you’re good. The vibe is vintage, borrowed, big but chic, and the shoulder pads are necessary for creating structure and shape so they're non-negotiable. For me, balancing out the traditional femininity of a floral skirt with the boxy shape of a blazer helps to make the overall look feel fresh and smart, and the mixing of longer lengths makes the whole thing look more expensive. I’ve opted for black here because, hello, it’s me, but a beige or baby blue or pastel yellow would have looked just as lovely (and potentially more in-tune with the ’spring vibes’). This is great for making your midis and maxis work in an office environment, too.
Blazer - & Other Stories*
Tee - Topshop
Skirt - & Other Stories*
Bag - J.W. Anderson
Shoes - & Other Stories*
90s Accessories.
We’re getting our blazers from the 80s and our accessories from the 90s - let’s pray that we don’t have to start getting our hair trends from the 00s (although now I think of it, what even were the hair trends of the noughties? Blonde on the top layers, brunette on the bottom? Or was that the 10s? The mind boggles). Swathes of tuck-it-under-your-arm-and-go handbags have hit the high street over the past few month, with more expensive reimaginings coming in the form of the Fendi Baguette and the Dior Saddlebag. The high-street versions are just as good though, plus you don’t have to spend your life-savings on something that probably won’t hold much more than your purse and phone (which, actually, could work in your favour, since you won’t have any money left to carry anyway). Tartan is traditionally a winter print, but I love the shape and fit of this midi and so I didn’t want to see it go to waste. In lieu of a chunky trainer I opted for a strappy sandal, (another accessory of the season), adding a cropped utility jacket and my trusty 90s bag for a revival from the confines of winter wear.
Jacket - & Other Stories*
Tee - H&M
Skirt - H&M
Shoes - & Other Stories*
Bag - ASOS