trench coat: Children’s Burberry, dress: French Connection, sunglasses: Marc by Marc Jacobs, bag: Gucci, sandals: New Look
When it comes to British summer, everyone knows the weather is anything but predictable. I’d love to say I’ve spent the season in vintage cut offs and crop tops, but sadly not. This year more than ever, the weather’s felt schizophrenic. One minute it’s glorious and the next, you find yourself in caught in the middle of a thunderstorm. The solution? Sandals with a little heel you can brave your feet getting wet in, light linen dresses and classic trench coats. Something with breathable fabric, that’s easy to layer, like this little stripy piece. Since the folks at House of Fraser sent me this French Connection number from their lovely selection of dresses, it’s become something of a summer wardrobe staple.
Made from a super soft cotton blend, it’s the perfect weight for a light sundress, but easy to layer up. It’s also an easy shape to wear. The drop waist gives it a cute retro feel and a slight sportiness, almost like a 20s tennis dress, so it works well with both strappy sandals or plimsolls. Paired with my Burberry trench and Disco though it feels like the perfect smart casual dress for day time meetings. It’s been almost a year since I invested in this trench and I swear it’s barely left my back since. So while we’re on the subject, I’ll let you in on a secret: it’s a children’s age 12. For those die-hard Burberry fans, the main difference between this and the adult version are the following: the storm flap is on the opposite side to the adults, it has one less button, and it comes with a detachable hood (which is actually amazingly large and handy if you find yourself stuck in freak weather). It’s also a fraction of the price of an adults. I’ve had my eye on one of Burberry’s classic trenches for years now but the cost of an adult version is actually insane! So when I spotted this one in Fenwick’s children’s department for £300, and finding it fit like a glove, it seemed too good not to invest.
Over the last 12 months, I’ve been trying to pare my wardrobe down to key staple pieces, and used the extra cash to save towards my trips. One of the biggest things I’ve realised is that I’m much happier to invest more in items I know I’ll wear again and again, like my Gucci Disco and my Burberry trench. And it’s much more realistic to do because I’m not regularly splurging on little pieces here and there in Topshop. I’m not quite at the capsule wardrobe stage yet. But I’m working on it! Call me a snob, but I’d rather pull out more cash and know that the items is well made and should stand the test of time. Plus, let’s face it, my holiday habit is definitely worse than my retail one right now.
