The List
Oh no I didn’t…… (Oh yes I did) Here’s the first List of 2022. Colourful accessories, the perfect black swimsuit and the fruit bowl that proves you’re approaching 40. Let the shopping commence!
From left to right; Click images to shop.
Oversized Denim Shirt, Arket, £69
If you’ve reached ‘jeans and jumper’ fatigue (and let’s face it, who hasn’t?) an oversized denim shirt is just the thing to layer over a basic tee with your favourite jeans or trousers. So 90’s, so easy, so what I feel like wearing every day right now.
Leather bowling bag, £99, COS
When your wardrobe is 90% neutral, colourful accessories are an easy way to change things up a bit. I don’t think too hard when it comes to bright colours- I go with my gut and buy what I’m instantly drawn to. As long as it goes with your most-loved basics, you can’t go wrong. This COS bowling bag is the perfect combo of a classic shape in an unexpected colour.
Leather rope slider, £110, Jigsaw
Which moves us nicely onto these bright blue leather sliders. The same principal as the bag in terms of an instant update by way of colour, but also of these seasons move towards anything square-toed and a bit chunkier in silhouette. Jigsaw is having a bit of a moment (in my eyes) and if you know what to look for there are some great finds hidden in amongst rows of floral midi-dresses…
Jeans, £168, AGOLDE at Free People
I went on a jeans finding mission last week (more on that later) and one of the unexpected heroes was this Cross front pair. I was looking for a looser leg (but not too wide) with a high waist and this was one of the pairs I fell for. If you love the Levi’s Wedgie Icon like I do, but are after a bit of a change (It’s not you, it’s me) then these could be right up your street.
Kaftan Dress, £34.99, H&M
Good high street prints can be really hard to come by in my opinion. They’re either on the slightly dated/Debenhams vibe, or they’re good but become so ubiquitous you start to feel like you’re in a weird cult whenever you wear it. (that Zara polka dot dress anyone?). So when you see a good one, snap it up stat. This H&M dress has a vintage feel about it, and the oversized print hints at a much heftier price tag in my opinion.
Swimsuit, £230, Matteau at Net-a-Porter
Yes, this is eye-waveringly expensive. But if a black swimsuit is your thing, you’ll never regret investing in one that is just right (and made to last). It has to be lined. It has to be the perfect cut on the leg ( no Love Island high-leg’s here, but no vintage brief feel either thanks), and it has to have enough about it that it’s not mistaken for something you’ve chosen to wear because you don’t know what else to wear. In short, it has to be perfect. Matteau has good swimwear in it’s DNA being Australian, and the super-low, lace-up back on this style make it Just. Up. My. Street. Now must just re-mortgate so I can afford it in time for summer…
Cropped Trench Coat, £135, COS
The classic Spring jacket, but make it shorter. The cropped length proves the perfect partner for a wider leg trouser, while the goes-with anything shade is the perfect base for all those colourful accessories I’ve convinced you to buy.
Oversized Shirt, £213.75, pre-loved Loewe @ HEWI (RRP £725)
I ummed and aaah’d about including this as I really want to buy it, and if I miss out to one of you then I’ll be really sad. But then I realised I can’t afford to buy it right now anyway, so I better participate in positive fashion karma and pay it forward. I LOVE the colour palette in a classic gingham, the oversized shirt silhouette, and the asymmetric buttoned collar. I’d wear this over a swimsuit on holiday, or with jeans and Birkenstocks at home. Swoon.
Bowl, £38, Anthropologie
How to you know you’re about to turn 40? You start searching for the perfect fruit bowl. I don’t even know how to excuse this kind of behaviour, so I won’t. But if you too are looking for something interesting but not eye-wateringly expensive to put your 5 a day in, then look no further.
Dry Shampoo, £20.50, Philip Kingsley at Cult Beauty
Once upon a time, I worked with a fabulous Beauty Editor who was very big on due-diligence when researching her pages. The subject matter was dry shampoo, but as she was lucky enough to receive daily blow-dries in W1 as part of her job, the task of road-testing was passed on to me. It is no exaggeration to say I tried 10 different dry shampoos, each one for 3 days at a time. And THIS was the clear winner. That was about 15 years ago now (sob) and I still have never found better. No white residue, doesn’t leave your hair with that weird coated feeling, and it’s the only one that actually (if applied properly: read, sprayed all over with head upside down and brushed through from root to ends) makes it look as if you have just washed and dried your hair. The discovery of a decade. Thanks Alex.
Sleeveless Knit, £139, Whistles
Just when I’d about given up on Whistles, in comes a new campaign that has made me look twice. Size up in this sleeveless knit for a hand-spun Seventies vibe and wear it over a relaxed pair of trousers as pictured.
Birkenstock Boston, £90, Net- a- Porter
I vividly remember my Mum wearing these in the 90’s, and I vividly remember thinking she was so embarrassing. (Spoiler: I was wrong, and she was extremely stylish) Fast-forward 30 years and I found myself adding them to basket on Net-a-Porter after an inexplicable urge to wear something clog-like took me. I can’t really explain why I like them. They just feel right, for right now. And that’s good enough for me. Prepare to see them all over this summer…
Kx