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Shop the post: A very English summer



Margaret Howell SS23 ANNEMARIEKE VAN DRIMMELEN

High summer season in London – not always a great look. The tube is rammed with tourists and locals and the default girl-about-town uniform of Summer ’23 seems to be strappy mini slip dress layered over a less-than-pristine white tee, mashed-up 90s trainers (Stan Smiths, Converse, Reeboks) plus equally lived-in trainer socks. It’s aiming for a sort of Kate-Moss-by-Corrine-Day grungy romanticism but widely missing the mark.

The truth is, we do summer dressing far better when it’s a little bit cooler, when the layers are more knitwear-leaning and yes, when there’s a hint of hailstorm in the air. More Iris Palmer bucolic realness by Tim Walker circa 1996 if you will. (more…)



Shop the post: Summer flats



Mari Giudicelli summer flats

I think we can all agree that an after-effect of The Pandemic is a shift towards more stylish, comfort-conscious footwear. While I managed to swerve the pool slides craze and Crocs mania, I’m happy to see so much more choice in footbed sandals, fisherman sandals (like Mari Giudicelli’s above) and dressy summer flats.

This summer, Birkenstocks* and Tevas* are still going strong but pretty much every other brand has embraced its inner gorpcore hippie (more…)



Shop the post: Everyone’s a plantfluencer



Janneke Luursema The Planthunter

“The one thing you can’t underestimate is how fantastic it looks in a physical shop. In their purest form, nature and plants create wonderful retail theatre. You can buy a dress for the season, then stroll outside to see some wonderful plants. If you’re a lifestyle retailer, not just a pure fashion retailer, there’s an opportunity.”
Peter Ruis, president of Canadian lifestyle retailer Indigo and former MD of Anthropologie

The #plantfluencer trend has flourished in just a couple of years, making everyone fancy themselves as a bit of a Monty Don. This Drapers article highlights the opportunity for fashion and lifestyle retailers, with houseplants, garden furniture and associated accessories all there for the taking. (more…)