Summer is here. With a capital ‘H’. It’s set to be 40-ish degrees on Saturday, and already the telltale signs of a scorcher of a summer seem to be there. So, I’m somewhat romanticising the reflection of my Spring wardrobe, and the items I wore the most. Largely because I know that the days of layering – for the most part – are probably going to be pretty limited in the months to come.
Transitional seasons always tend to be my favourite. Objectively, it’s when we have the most options from our wardrobe. Layering becomes a bit of a sport; not the sort you fatigue of after a few serves (aka winter), but the kind that makes getting dressed feel exciting, as every day offers up a new playing field.
A few things I noticed from spring?
- I started to play around more with revealing a bit of skin in my outfits. This is pretty new for me as in the past I would have never.
- Full length silhouettes are my happy place. I see this as being partly reflective of having young kids. It’s a way to feel feminine, while still feeling like my outfit is practical.
- When you find the right basics for you, they never fail you. My continued love of the Ceres Life stepped hem tees, and Everlane a-line denim shorts being testament to this.
- Trends I leaned on skewed classic. Chocolate brown hues and ballet flats came out on top.
So let’s run through the most worn pieces of the season…
MOST WORN TOP | Ceres Life tees/DISSH racerback tank
An equal tie between two much loved basics. Perhaps the one thing that has remained constant over the years, has been my reliance on a loose fit tee, or some kind of sleeveless tank. Regardless of the season. Both options are great by the way, but also highly recommend this oversized tee from UNIQLO, and these ribbed tanks from H&M (which come in at under $15 – US link here).
MOST WORN KNIT | Marle black capri cardigan
The cardigan which for me is a bit of a statement. A hero piece in of itself. The white fabric loops create visual contrast. The pearlescent oversized buttons add a touch of luxury. But the thing I like most about this cardigan is that it reveals a bit of skin. Unexpected is what comes to mind. And actually, it’s kind of how I’ve broached wearing it. With just a little bralette underneath, so you have little bare bits of skin peeking through. The style, when paired with longer silhouettes doesn’t feel overtly sexy. It’s restrained and I think it’s these details which are what make it feel so chic (and fun) to wear.
MOST WORN DRESS | DISSH/Sezane/Everlane
Not playing favourites here but an interesting insight for me this season was that I either reached for a mini dress, or something that was essentially full length, skimming the ankles. Nothing in between. This felt like a striking element of my spring wardrobe wear count, because of the contrasts between short vs long. I found I was rotating through my wardrobe pretty consistently over the season, with my most worn being the DISSH Shannon maxi dress, the Sezane Pippa dress, and the Everlane Dream Shift dress. All solid options, and common denominator being that they’re easy to care for.
MOST WORN SKIRT | DISSH Maxi Skirt
An attempt to add a bit of elegance into my outfits, was how I recall feeling each time I wore this maxi skirt. Full length skirts tend to give me this sense of drama; there’s weight to it, and a layer of formality, no matter how easy the skirt itself is. It makes sense that a full poplin skirt would look great when “sandwiched” between a casual tee and sneakers. Because it’s toned down. Friction is added in. Balance feels met. Anyway, on this skirt. I love it. The colour is a soft grey sandy beige. The cut is on the bias so it looks flattering. And it’s also lined. Bonus points. I do think it’s shrunk up ever so slightly since being laundered, but that’s not a deal breaker for me – better that the hemline doesn’t *quite* graze the ground.
MOST WORN SHORTS | Everlane denim shorts
If you expected any other pair of shorts to show up here, you’d be mistaken. My beloved a-line denim shorts from Everlane taking this top spot for another year running (and suspect my summer wardrobe will look much the same, FYI). The reason why these shorts are so good? The a-line fit. Nice wide cut across the thigh which doesn’t dig in. These run large in my experience so would recommend going down one from your usual denim size. I’m a size 26 typically, and wear them in a 25. Denim quality is superb, too.
MOST WORN TROUSERS | DISSH/Mo&Co
An even split between my DISSH Rowan trousers, and my Mo&Co triacetate pair. Which makes sense. The DISSH pair feeling a little more throwabout, I have no qualms popping them in the wash. They’re reasonably robust, though will require some upkeep as they’ll pill a bit (a fabric shaver like this is a lifesaver!), and in the black will pick up a bit of lint. I’m willing to overlook those two things because the cut is perfect, and I’m not worried about my kids ruining them. True wash and wear pants. The Mo&Co ones are a little more delicate. The fabric is slinky and the matching belt has an elevated feel. I reserve these for work days or if I’m headed out somewhere nice as they’re a dry-clean only trouser. Both function similarly in my wardrobe, in that a great fluid drape black trouser is a must. And notably, a wide full length trouser was the style I reached for most over spring. If I had to pick just one pair? It’s the Mo&Co for me.
MOST WORN JEANS | Arket faded black jeans
I’m always a little surprised when I see a reasonably new wardrobe addition has made it into my most worn. It’s a litmus test for good wardrobe essentials, and the “rose” jeans from Arket have passed with flying colours. I purchased these as a bit of a replacement for my much loved Toteme cropped jeans. I was accidentally sent the full length version, not quite knowing at the time what I should expect. So I had them tailored rather than returning to exchange for the correct style. And after a number of years, the denim isn’t sitting the same anymore and if I’m truly honest with myself, they just fit a little bit small. That said, I still have a lot of love for the straight leg cropped jean. And I liked that the Arket pair had elastane in them. Makes them wildly practical, and the fit and cut is pretty great. As far as my wear count for the season goes, the Levi’s ribcage (in the colour Ojai Shore) weren’t trailing too far behind.
MOST WORN SHOES | Everlane Day Ballet Flats
Actually just ballet flats in general. But the Day Ballet flats I wore close to 30 times over the three month period, which says a lot given shoes are a serious soft spot for me when adding to my wardrobe. These are one of the most comfortable pairs of shoes I own. They run wider than Everlane’s Day Gloves, and have a leather sole rather than a rubber sole (downside being they’re a little slippery). Not a lot of support but you could easily slip in an insole. I love these so much that I actually decided to order them in the black earlier this week – prompted by Everlane’s 30% off everything sale ending. Chic, minimal, classic and comfortable. Not gotten a single blister from these. Runs true to size.
MOST WORN BAG | St.Agni/Sezane
Always interesting to see how colour trends filter into your wardrobe. There’s something undeniably chic about a cocoa brown hued bag, too. Richer in quality and more nuanced than a classic black bag. Another tie here, this time between the Sezane Claude Bag, and this cute woven shoulder bag from St Agni. Which in of itself is pretty telling. Both have a common denominator; they’re visibly textured. Claude has a glossy mock croc finish which adds shine and dimension. And the St Agni shoulder bag looks luxurious with the woven design.
Fashion basics are a must-have. You can always build upon them.
Gorgeous. Love the St Agni bag and I’m so grateful someone else has said yay to elastane in their jeans!! As a mum of 3 littles I could not conceive wearing 100% denim and feeling as comfortable as I do in my elastane added denim 🙂
simple yet comfortable. that’s the best to wear.