Alice Catherine

I think most people have a go-to outfit that they feel most comfortable in when the weather heats up – mine tends to be a blouse and some sort of denim piece. The typical British Summer can be famously unpredictable – meaning that little tea dress you put on in the glaring sun at 10am, can leave you feeling like a total idiot by a 3pm thunderstorm. It’s this sort of weather that has us Brits feeling like we need to be prepared for whatever the day ahead brings, or, to just stop caring and not let the climate dictate our wardrobes…

For me personally, I like to dress in a state of ‘in between’ if that resonates with any of you at all. By this, I simply mean dressing half ‘hot Summer’s day’ and half ‘this is Manchester, let’s be realistic here’. After all, I don’t want to feel like I’m missing out on all the pretty warm weather attire, but I also don’t want to feel like I’m uncomfortable/out of place. With this in mind, the above outfit is typical of the type of thing I’ve been wearing over the last couple of weeks. I haven’t always worn it with sandals and sunglasses, sometimes it’s been Converse and a Khaki jacket thrown over the top. That’s what makes it such a great base combination though, I know that it works for me, and can be switched up in a matter of seconds depending on the weather, or just my mood that day.

Sometimes it’s way too hot for jeans, but I don’t find that those days are all too frequent over here. We normally have a few days of sporadic heat and then it’s back to a slightly humid/rain situation. Anyway, enough of the boring weather chat (I’m becoming that person!). Another British induced predicament come summertime can often be footwear. Personally, as soon as mid May comes around, I dig out the Birkenstocks. It’s also not unusual for me to sport them with a pair of socks when I rush out to meet the postman. A very strong loungewear look in my opinion – especially when you’ve forgotten to remove your face mask…

Birkenstocks are great and I constantly recommend them to anyone who will listen/is after a reliable Summer shoe. Without sounding like a grandma over here – they really will stand the test of time, and I’ve never had any issues with them hurting my feet. They are perfect for festivals, travelling, basically any situation where you’re on your feet all day but still want to look good. I know a lot of people can’t stand them – some might consider them the crocs of the sandal world. I strongly disagree – I love an ugly sandal and I think they have a really cool scandi vibe to them. A white t-shirt, some jeans, and a pair of black Birks will never fail you. I’m a big fan of this Mayari style as I have always found they are more flattering on me than the popular Arizona design. I’ve also been eyeing up some ankle strap ones for a Summer holiday, so I’m sure I’ll be documenting them on here at some point if I manage to get my hands on some.

I also have to mention this little polka dot blouse – I came across this a while ago on the Urban Outfitters website and instantly added it to my bag. FYI, there’s one on the Reformation website that’s exactly the same for over double the price, so as you can imagine, it was a pretty proud moment. Always a fan of saving myself a few pounds, and this top is so well cut that you wouldn’t know the difference. I love this v-neck style, I find it flattering on my body shape, and the little tie sleeves just add something extra to the outfit. Again, it’s those feminine touches in comparison to the boyish sandals and frayed jeans that makes me feel at home in this ensemble. A definite life saver right now, and something that I have been reaching for religiously (in between washes of course)…

What’s your go-to Summer uniform if you happen to have one? I’d love to hear in the comments below if you have any tips/tricks when it comes to dressing for unpredictable weather…

Alice x

Photography by Adriana

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