British weather is probably best described as ever changing, and thanks to this so is my wardrobe. I constantly find myself checking the weather report, endlessly gazing up at the sky from my window and hoping the rain holds off as part of my getting ready ritual. I guess I'm lucky enough to go on holiday a fair amount so my wardrobe consists of some basics that can either be worn on their own in a hotter climate or layered to give a bit more warmth of cooler days in the UK.
I'm guessing you can tell that I'm not much about colour and prefer cool, neutral tones mainly because I get quite frustrated when trying to pair an outfit so a lack of colour makes it easier. Also, I find stripes a nice addition to any neutral toned outfit to look a bit more styled or 'summery'.
The essentials go without saying, for me, my oversized grey cardigan from Masai, can easily be thrown over a midi dress or mom jeans for a relaxed and styled look whilst still being comfortable and warm for those cooler days or brisk evenings. Secondly my simple white and grey longline vests, from ASOS basics range are a staple of every outfit, I always pair them with my faded denim mom jeans, a black belt and ballet pumps. My third and final essential is my white and navy blue, almost black, striped shirt from French Connection that is a simple yet stylish addition to any wardrobe and can give a more polished and planned look to an outfit, even when styled with flip flops.
Having three solid staples of black, simple shoes in my wardrobe means each look can easily be styled up, or down. My leather ballet pumps, from Marks & Spencer, are comfy as my feet are a little bit wider and are a cute addition to any outfit; whereas flip flops, from Havaianas, are better for those unexpectedly warm summer days for a more relaxed feel lounging around the house or wandering around Colchester town centre doing some shopping. Lastly, a timeless pair of black heels, from New look, are easy to throw on with any outfit to dress yourself up for an evening out, at a bar or nice restaurant, and are pretty much a constant in my wardrobe regardless of season or location.
Although here I only have one pair of jeans pictured I actually have in excess of 4 pairs of blue jeans, mostly from Bershka and yes excessive but useful, for switching between a more boho casual look with ripped jeans or a polished classic look with fitted and neat jeans. Again here I only have one oversized pullover jumper pictured, but I have two, a simple XL bright white loose-knit jumper from Topshop that I was dying to buy for almost a year and an oversized beige fluffy-knit jumper, again from ASOS, that is a bit more relaxed and comfy. These jumpers come in undeniably handy for cooler days where you don't need a jacket but can't go in just a dress or vest and can easily be rolled up and thrown in your handbag if the sun comes out. My final addition of clothing in this list is a midi dress, the one pictured is more a mixture of a grey bodycon midi dress, from Primark, that I wear with a loose fitting jumper/cardigan for sunny days and my, again, XL striped vest dress from H&M that I pair with a black bandeau and flip flops and my grey Masai cardigan. Two dresses are all the staple I need since English weather is all over the place and neutral toned dresses can be both styled up and styled down for whatever the day requires.
Lastly, on to accessories. My Louis Vuitton is in fact not real and I have no shame in saying so since it's a better alternative to lugging around my life in my handbag than an expensive one I'd be too scared of my clumsiness to use. I bought it from a beach tout in Sardinia and have since started a little collection of cute pin badges on the front of it including a pin from Kew Gardens and a grape soda pin badge from Disneyland Paris. I pretty much throw everything inside and at the moment am using a Vivienne Westwood clutch purse that doubles as my travel purse and day to day purse for keeping money and essentials in. Not particularly my 'summer wardrobe' my rings are a collection of market purchases from Camden and Athens and gifts from my parents, while my Tiffany Key necklace is again something I wear all the time. But, bear with me as this is my first time making one of these and I needed to fill space!
An umbrella is an undeniable essential in England, whether it's a bit cutesy one like the one pictured or a crappy fold away umbrella (that I always seem to break) purchased in absolute desperation, you can't go without one because you'll never know when the heavens open. On the flip side, sunglasses are always lurking around my bag - not good quality expensive ones since I always lose or break them - but a silver pair of aviator style sunglasses to grab if I need them and chuck bag to the deep depths of my bag if I don't.
New to me this year are scrunchies since I always throw my hair up in a messy bun or ponytail scrunchies are a cuter alternative and more kind to my hair than normal hair bands and well, they're just too cute I love them.
Lastly is makeup, which I only included a few items since otherwise my makeup remains the same year round aside from changing shades of foundation. My Bobbi Brown bronzer is an absolute essential in the summer, it's the only one I find with the right undertone that doesn't make me look like I'm burnt turning to tan or orangey-yellow. It's the perfect midway between warm and cool tone, a great formula and works well on top of all foundations, although right now I'm yet to purchase another one since I smashed my last one due to clumsiness. The MAC mineralise skin finish in soft & gentle was my highlight for last summer, in Greece, since it's such a natural, beautiful, lit from within finish and likewise was pulled out again for this year as I find it preferable over a silvery, white highlight that doesn't seem as natural on my skin tone. My eyeshadow palette is was a limited edition Bobbi Brown release but is very similar in tone to the Urban Decay Naked2 palette with hints of pink and a collection of natural warm brown shades. And finally, my all time favourite lipstick is Chanel's Rouge Coco Shine Hydrating Sheer Lipstick ( an absolute mouthful, pardon the pun) in the shade 'boy', which is such a natural easy shade to wear every day which for the evenings sometimes I swap for 'Deauville'.
This concludes my British Summertime Wardrobe roundup, which is my first post of this kind. So I hope it wasn't too much of a mess and you enjoyed it to some extent! I've attempted to list all the brands throughout this post for reference, although some are from SS17 ranges as oppose to SA17 ranges which will be in shops/online now. I'm hoping to keep this style of post up for Spring, Summer, Autumn/Winter seasons each year so let's see!