Designasuit

I, like many others I’m sure, find myself jealously surveying people that have seemingly chucked on a basic white tee and a pair of well-fitting jeans and manage to look incredible. Of course, it helps if you’re lucky enough to have been born with ‘clothes horse’ genes, which guarantee a willowy frame that can pull almost anything off, but effortless style is also a definite skill. The catwalks are full of these willowy beauties and increasingly, designers are coupling extravagant one-off pieces with a celebration of the most accessible trends, including a range of plain coloured perfectly-fitted vests and t-shirts, basic nautical pieces, soft tailoring, subtle floral prints and of course, everyone’s staple item, a pair of jeans.

This Spring/Summer the shops are full of simple, feminine pieces in pastel and nude shades, following the catwalk shows at Paris, New York and London fashion weeks. Fashion this Spring is a far cry from the Bohemian luxe look championed by designers and chic celebrities such as Sienna Miller and Kate Moss back in the early noughties; gone are the bulky gladiator belts and heavy layers of knitwear; instead, in their place soft neutral shades, floaty fabrics, delicate lace and simple, pretty detailing.

The heavily structured power shoulder, so evident in the Autumn/Winter lookbooks has given way to the Spring staple: the feminine shoulder with pretty embroidery, shimmery beads and fragile lace detailing, while heavy duty military and biker trousers have been replaced by luxurious feeling harem trousers, chic summer dresses and simple, stylish skirts.

This Spring/Summer the designers and high street stores seem to have captured the laid-back, effortlessly cool vibe of California and combined it with the genteel appeal of the English summer and the cliché romantic ideal of running through meadows of wild flowers before sitting down to a glass of well-deserved homemade lemonade; add in a subtle pinch of military and nautical influence and the look is complete.  

The message this season is clear, it’s time to get back to basics and keep it simple; often the most straight-forward outfits are the most stylish, so make sure your chair/floor/wardrobe are covered in beautiful basics and essential pieces and be that effortless style icon everyone looks at so enviously.