It happens every year: as soon as tends to back its lively, decorative head, I’m instantly at a total lost at what to use. Like Claudia Winkleman, who has claimed to be “allergic” to the beautiful month and after branded summer attire “a disgrace”, I am not a summer people. I am incredibly similar. In an old-school English pub with fairy lights and laughing, enjoy cozy nights by a roaring log fireplace, snuggled up in a roll-neck jacket and thick boots, and hot strawberry collapse and custard. That’s my comfort zone, my glad spot, where I’m meant to be. Much hot days in the garden, a bright red strappy dress colliding with my tanned pale-person shoulders, god forbid playing some kind of ball game, not so much. Like Claud, I also have a border. Simply put, summertime is never our thing.
In order to stop the yearly pull this year, I made the decision to change who I am and have an indecipherable style in the summer. So I sent an SOS to Sinead McKeefry, the famous designer behind all of Claudia’s most remarkable appearance in an effort to create a warm-weather clothing that really feels like me. Consider her always vampish, mostly black, often sparkling Strictly Come Dancing get-ups, and those punked-up history chic we all went crazy for in January (I wanted every one piece, but especially the trendy suit + pants + Doc Martens combos). If there was anyone who could give me advice on how to translate that rocky, gothic, jewel-toned lean to my fashion taste into clothes I won’t suffocate in during a heatwave, it had to be Sinead.
Thankfully, she agreed to help, as did Red Fashion Director Oonagh Brennan and Fashion Editor Jodie Dunworth (both fellow fans of Claud’s aesthetic). So, if you’re also not-so-secretly looking forward to digging out your favourite faux fur coat and oversized scarf, you’re welcome. Here’s how to do ‘winter person’ in summer, while always keeping it chic.
Don’t be afraid to wear black
Let’s rip that one out of the rulebook, though three of the most fashionable women I could ask have already told me that wearing it in the summer is weird.
“When I go to India, I immerse myself in the colours and the culture”, says Sinead. Nobody would believe that I have the wardrobe there because it’s so enjoyable. I had an idea to wear one of my Indian dresses to a wedding I’m attending soon because I’d love to see someone walking down the street wearing one. – but it’s just not me. So I know what I’m going to wear – and it’s black. Black is so chic in summer”.
Oonagh also advises wearing raffia and choosing broderie anglaise or linen as a lightening option for summer black. Choose interesting necklines and silhouettes to add some edge and embellishments for added interest.
Make your shoe choice wisely.
She told me that her style was “pretty but ballsy,” which was exactly what I wanted for my wedding flowers to be. It’s the approach Sinead takes, too. “It’s about mixing the femme with something more rocky”, she says. Consider pairing a girly pink dress you like with gladiator sandals or a black leather cuff to make up for it, says one woman.
She finds a heavier-looking shoe essential, so she prefers the Mint Velvet dress above, either in black or white, with cowboy boots. I’m looking for jewelry that Isabel Marant might create, such as rivets or chunky buckles. I adore the two-strap, gold hardware, and black leather Birkenstocks.
The brown jersey dress below, which is currently on sale, and Sinead has also been paired with this summer! with gold Nike sliders and lashing of jewellery. That dress with those shoes is super cool for going out for drinks or visiting the park, she says. “I love how blingy they are, they’re really quite wrong but it just works”.
Don’t dismiss all prints
If floral feels too twee (I don’t wish to generalize, especially having fallen in love with RIXO’s new, but I do hate what I call ‘obvious little flowers’), then expand your print horizons.
Oonagh says that “bold stripes are a great substitute for the cheesy summer floral print.” “Look for black and cream, or chocolate; it’s a great substitute if you want something new.”
To lean into the, she suggests looking at Marant-style batik prints (Claudia has professed herself a fan of the French designer’s “whole Parisian boho vibe”, and I’m very much another). Combine a white frilly top with a pair of Western or bohemian print skirts for a winning combination, and you’ll have black leather Greek sandals.
However, as Jodie says, “If you don’t like print in winter, don’t try and force it just because summer has arrived”. It might not be for you full stop – and that is, of course, fine. Instead of wool or black, make simple, subtle adjustments, like adding one lighter color, such as a fantastic pair of thin cotton white or palazzo pants. If you love brown, add in avocado green or soft lilac. Love nautical navy and white? Throw in buttery yellow.
Go big on accessories
Sinead makes it abundantly clear that she is all about accessories, especially statement pieces, because they give your style a seasonal continuity. “I have my favorites on rotation,” she says. “Claudia actually gave me a really lovely Hermes cuff with a gold clasp that will keep me on top of every day of the year,” said Claudia.
For jewellery, and Kirstie Le Marque are favourites – “they’re more expensive but you can wear them all year round” – while Claudia has previously shared her love for British designer Solange Azagury-Partridge’s investment treasures, especially the iconic ‘Love’ ring which her husband gifted to her.
Sinead regularly visits Mint Velvet’s jewelry collection, which is jangly because she has no commercial ties to them. “I have this one in my office, it’s fantastic and also comes in silver”, she says. “Wear a sleeveless black T-shirt with a round neck, not a V, and simply put, wear that one necklace over the top. I always prefer sleeveless to look cooler. Just swap in a polo-neck for winter.”
This woven hobo style is a great example of a simple design that is elevated by the subtle knot on the shoulder strap, according to Sinead, if you’re looking for a summer bag. She advises that you “think about the details and bear in mind that things like this will really pop against the black.”
Her final accessory advice? “I love wearing printed scarves round my neck, or tearing them up to tie around my wrists for that authentic rock’ n’ roll’ look”, she says, praising Zara’s affordable options.
Get a fresh mani
Sinead is a strong advocate for the power of fresh nail polish in lifting any outfit, and no, pastels are not required. “I love a really dark nail polish in summer, like OPI’s midnight-purple Lincoln Park After Dark”, she says, adding that she’s also a fan of the chic peachy pink Bubble Bath, corals and warmer tones of red.
Buy clothes you can style transeasonally
Yves Saint Laurent was onto something when he famously said, ‘Fashions fade, style is eternal’. When I see something in a store, I want to think, “That’s so Jess,” immediately. I don’t remember who I am as of the beginning of the summer and I wonder what I’ve become.
So, Sinead advises, put your priorities on purchasing lightweight dresses that you can wear all year, like lightweight dresses that she can wear over polo necks and under jumpers in the winter, and pair with sandals as well as boots. “I love Rixo for these”, she says. The Amina dress’ black lace neckline is what I’m looking forward to.
If in doubt, find a uniform
Hot, bothered, and determined to keep this summertime fashion trend as simple as possible until mercury returns? Honestly, most days, same – and Jodie’s got a top tip to end on. ‘Find a uniform,’ she says. ‘No matter how difficult I try with city or another, I always come back to the same simple formula: a maxi skirt and tank top. I simply update it every year to keep it feeling current (I’m loving tank tops this season), which I’ll tuck into my favorite fail-safe. It makes summer dressing a breeze.’