A summer wardrobe that works for you!

Summer wardrobes can often be a hard one to get right- let's face it, as this year has made us very aware, the summer wardrobe season can often be a short one! It's very easy to invest in a gorgeous jumper or a fab pair of trousers knowing that you will always get your wear out of them, but with the summer season being a shorter one here in the UK it's important to consider those summer wardrobe purchases to enable you to get the most out of them.

After years in the industry, we've compiled a list of things to consider to help you make the right purchases and most importantly get as much wear as possible out of your summer wardrobe.

1. Buy less, buy better- We're definitely all thinking about this a lot more than ever before, and we think with a summer wardrobe it's even more important as you want those pieces to come out year after year. Buying less of the throwaway summer pieces and focusing more on the points below is not only a more sustainable approach but ensures you are really getting what you need for your summer wardrobe.

2. Focus on quality- If you're not careful about what you choose, often clothing for the summer season can be low quality whilst on it's quest to be lightweight. The key here is to focus on natural fabrics such as linens, silks, cottons and viscose (a man made fabric made from natural materials) and remember not all cottons and linens are created equal. Stick to a high quality version of these fabrics and you will have pieces that will not only last you from summer season to summer season, but will also fit much better and make you feel amaxing. We carefully select our summer collections here in store to focus on that quality. We can't help but be amazed by the workmanship of Weekend by MaxMara pieces which really are such a beautiful quality and fall in love with the original prints and easy to care for fabric from our Pom Amsterdam collection.

3. Focus on versatile pieces- With the summer season often being a short one, the key is to get as much wear as possible out of your pieces throughout the season. With that in mind when we're purchasing our own summer pieces we like to think of as many different ways to wear the pieces as possible. Choose pieces that look equally as great with flat sandals or trainers as they do with a heeled shoe and bold accessories for the evening, pieces that can be mixed and matched with other items. A great lightweight jacket (we have some beautiful ones from Marc Cain) will help you to get more wear out of those summer dresses and short sleeve tops.

4. Choose pieces that will fit into your existing wardrobe- We're all guilty of having those pieces sat in your wardrobe that never get worn, and we don't know about you, but that is definitely more of the case with our summer wardrobes. Something we like to do at the beginning of the season is put together outfits with our existing wardrobe, that way we can see if there's anything we're missing. Perhaps a top to go with a skirt you already have, perhaps you are short of summer trousers, or even your wardrobe might be missing a great daytime dress. American Vintage is great for basic yet beautiful quality tees to pair with your outfits.

5. Pick something you really love!- One of the things we've noticed over the years of having the shop is how often people come in and say things like, 'I still wear a dress from you that i brought 10 years ago!' Part of this obviously goes back to our point about quality. But we think a lot of it comes down to how you feel in a piece, trends do come and go, but if you feel great in a piece from the moment you put it on then you know you'll be wearing it for years to come. Don't impulse buy, especially in summer, pick something you truly love even if you don't have the ocassion for it right now, that ocassion always comes up and there is nothing worse than desprately searching the shops for an outfit last minute!

Now let us share with you some inspiration following these principles from our summer collections, all of which are available in store now!

The statement Marc Cain trouser suit. Made of a linen mix which feels light and summery, but aids with that creased look linen can often had. We love how veratile this suit is. Wear as a suit with a silky top and heels for a special event, pair with a tee and trainers for a daytime look, or wear the pieces separately. The jacket looks fab with jeans, as do the trousers with a vest or tee for a daytime look.

And continuing on the versatile theme, these linen pieces from Ecoalf are just that. Made of a mixture of sustainably sourced and recycled linen they drape beautifully as they have been so well cut. Wear as a matching set with the shirt tucked in for a jumpsuit like look, wear the shirt open over a vest, or even a swimsuit. Wear the shirt as a cover up over your swimwear or with shorts on the beach and wear the trousers with a simple vest or tee for a relaxed, cool and easy daytime look.

Another gem from Ecoalf, this crisp cotton dress is as much at home on the beach thrown on over your swimwear as it is paired with a denim jacket and a crossbody bag for a daytime look. We think this is such a great holiday piece to save space in that suitcase.

Another space saving, versatile piece that really makes a statement. This Pom Amsterdam jumpsuit can be worn with some heels (we think a platform would look fab) and gold accessories for a fun look for a special event or evening out, but pair with a denim jacket and some sandals and you have a great daytime look, with minimal effort.

Simple, elegant and the most beautiful quality, these trousers from Marc Cain are a great alternative to linen for the summer. A great shape that will stand the test of time and will pair with so much in your wardrobe. Here we've teamed with a gorgeous cashmere cardigan also from Marc Cain, a piece that will work so hard in your wardrobe as a perfect little cover up on a summers evening, it's shorter length means it pairs really well with dresses. We've also styled it with a skirt from the Marc Cain collection below for an elegant tonal look. As you can see below we've dressed the trousers up with a beautiful silk shirt from Marc Cain, a great piece for an evening that will make you feel so special. Wear as a shirt as we've done here or open in a jacket style.

A classic dress but with that extra something special, the fabric and detail of this Weekend by MaxMara dress is really something special. Here we've put it together as a daytime look, but team with some high espadrilles and you've got a great outfit for an evening out. A piece that will be in your wardrobe for years to come.

The statement print of the season from Weekend by MaxMara is this absolutely stunning orange print. There's a few things that to us make this print really special- the colour combination is not only unexpected but means that the print is so easy to pair with so many different colours, perhaps it could pick up on a colour you already have in your wardrobe? It's also a larger, bolder print and very abstract, a print that could not easily be replicated by the high street and so makes it feel extra special. And finally the cotton fabric the print is made from means that it can be worn both in the day and evening, giving you so many outfit opportunities. Above we've paired the top with some tailored linen trousers from Weekend by MaxMara which you'll see feature in a few outfits below as they're just so versatile. We've also picked up on the yellow in the print and teamed them with some wide legged yellow trousers. Both these looks can be great for both day and evening when teamed with the right accessories.

Showing the versatility of the Weekend by MaxMara linen and yellow trousers (both of which are impeccably tailored) we've teamed them with this fun knitted top also from Weekend by MaxMara, giving you two different looks. You could also team this top with a pale boyfriend style denim jean and chunky sandals for a more relaxed look.

The skirt version of the print from Weekend by MaxMara really is so special, a soft cotton which makes it great for boith daytime and evening and a gorgeous wrap style which gives it that laid back elegance. We've teamed with a contrast stripe shirt for an on trend statement look (incidentally, this shirt is a versatile piece in itself, worn open over a vest with denim, done up with some linen trousers for a more tailored look, a great shape and wardrobe staple)

Here we've teamed the skirt with a Weekend by MaxMara white tee with stunning arm detail for a daytime look. The top also looks fab styled with dark denim for an instant update on a white tee and jeans look.

Picking out the blue of the print in this lightweight linen knit top, also fab paired with white jeans or linen trousers.

A dress to take you from day to evening. Wear with trainers (we've worn with these crisp and fresh Marc Cain pair), with flat sandals or dress up with statement accessories and some espadrilles for an evening. Add a chunky belt as above or wear with it's own tie, this dress is so beautifully made.

A classic Breton is a staple in any summer wardrobe but we love this green colour way from Weekend by MaxMara which gives it that extra something special. Teamed with a silk scarf also from Weekend by MaxMara to immedietly elevate the look. We've also teamed the breton with a tailored jersey jacket from the collection below for a smarter daytime look.

A classic white linen shirt is always a hard working piece in a summer wardrobe, and this version of a classic by Dea Kudibal has all the right attention to detail to make it feel extra special. It's a great longer length teamed with statement trousers, but is also lovely worn open over a camisole or swimwear.

From day to night, this Dea Kudibal dress feels amazing to wear. Team with flat sandals and a raffia bag in the day but add heels and pick up the red for accessories and you can head straight out for an evening. This dress really is such a beautiful shape with attention to detail like no other.

Not forgetting those summer accessories, a summer bag is so hard to get right but Weekend by MaxMara has done it just so with these two offerings which are just the right mix of summer and style without being too beachy. And for those wanting to protect your face from the sun, why not do it in style in this beautiful hat by Marc Cain, it is such a great shape and offers brilliant coverage to protect from those rays, a piece that will come out your wardrobe from year to year.