An easy wardrobe solution for a wet summer

It’s a quick one today because it’s one of those days when work has to come before pleasure. This post was prompted by a distress call from an old schoolfriend. She defected to the south years ago and messaged me last week because of the rain. You see she’s been away so long that she’s forgotten how to dress for a summer that doesn’t turn out as expected. She needed a wardrobe solution for a wet summer; her words were “before I build an ark, tell me what you’re wearing, I can’t cope with this endless @#$%&* weather.”

So, I reminded her that it’s all about wearing something light that covers you all over. In my case that’s basically trousers and a blouse which I find works well in air-conditioned buildings in the summer too. But then we went into detail and I realised that for me it has to be a particular type of blouse. I don’t often wear cotton or linen for work because neither give me the fluid shape that I want. I also have a funny relationship with cotton and linen shirts, they’re high maintenance so the laundry gremlin’s usually muttering away in my ear when I’m deciding what to wear.

For me viscose is the answer – it’s breathable and yet it drapes well. I like silk too but I know I’ll find myself keeping it for best because of the extra laundering factor. The cut of the blouse has to be slim so that it works well with a blazer, I prefer it to be collarless and if it has tiny buttons with rouleau loops it’s even better.

Blouses like this are the perfect solution to the current trend for high waisted silhouettes. They work well tucked in to both wide trousers and tailored ones, adding very little bulk and you can wear them with a camisole (or even a thermal) underneath if you need an extra layer but… they’re hard to find. Silky blouses are nearly always made from polyester, even designer ones but I’ve found a few that aren’t. Before I show you though, I need you to use a bit of imagination – they’re garments that only come to life when they’re on the body. When shown flat and limp like this they look like something your form teacher used to wear with a sensible skirt.

An easy wardrobe solution for a wet summer

The one I’ve been wearing a lot is this one – you’ve seen it before and it’s in the sale.

Ditsy blouse (also available in blue)

It’s such a hardworking blouse, I wear it with the neck open rather than closed and generally add flats if I’m working from home or a low heel if I’m out and about going to meetings. By the way I know the flowerbed needs weeding – I’ll get round to it soon.

Blouse & trousers (gifted SS19); Boden shoes

I must just remind you about the trousers too (above and below), they’re both flattering and really comfortable to wear. The camera hasn’t picked up the leg-lengthening detail of the stitching down the front which makes them feel like the ultimate Audrey Hepburn cut. They’ve almost sold out in the navy but they’re still available in khaki. They come up big though so size down and bear in mind that they stretch – mine are a size 10 and as you can see, they’re still quite loose.

White Company gingham shirt SS15; Navy trousers (gifted SS19); Navy and sky blue slingbacks; Pop of colour bag (only 2 left in red here)

Hardworking summer blouses

Here’s a further selection of summer blouses for you to peruse (remember you need to imagine them tucked in to trousers and worn with an open neck):

Red snake print blouse (bang on trend)
Yellow ditsy blouse (with a brown pattern which will work well next season too)
Cream wildflower blouse (this pattern was hand-painted in London)
Navy star anise blouse (switching up the classic polka dot)
Black tie-neck blouse (wear the ties loose or tied lower down with an open neck)
Feather pattern blouse (a piece of art)
Yellow silk blouse with deep cuffs (machine washable, also available in black)
Orange collarless blouse (also available in navy, pale pink, lavender and white)

Candy coloured stripes with patch pockets (reduced to clear – good for a small bust)
Navy mixed print (my favourite)
Tie waist (good if you like to disguise your midriff)
Pink and white ditsy blouse (jersey so super comfortable, also available in blue, cream or khaki)
Letter print blouse (unbelievable bargain, nice straight cut with tiny letter instead of spots, more stock here)
Green blouse with pleated front (reduced to clear, good for a fuller bust, also available in navy)
Polka dot blouse (hand washable silk)

So, I hope that’s solved a wardrobe conundrum that should be temporary – summer must be coming soon. In the meantime here’s a picture from Saturday at our village gala when it most definitely wasn’t sunny. It was such a shame but… it did mean we had a good run at the plant and the cake stalls!

Jacket (gifted SS19); Maison Labiche Breton (sold out); Trousers (gifted SS19); Wellies

And that’s it for today, back to the grindstone I must go. Have a good week and I’ll be back on Friday – oh and by the way, the summer sales are staring so here are the ones I’ve found so far.