As much as I like to wear colours and patterns, I also enjoy wearing solid light and dark blue with shades of white for mild and hot weather. Very few of my items are form-fitting. Most are fluidly tailored, or very fluid for comfort, breeziness, and ease. 

Here are items from my wardrobe that I combine to create simple, solid, loose, and neutral outfits for Spring and Summer. I’ve added very narrow blue and white striped shirts because they look solid light blue from a distance, and are more of a false plain.

Here is how Scandinavian COS does it:

On to some outfit ideas. They are solid and neutral because that’s the point of the formula. But feel free to combine the silhouettes in colours and patterns of your choosing.

1. Flared Skirt and Big Short Top

Combine a neutral flared midi or midaxi with a voluminous short top that showcases the hips and lower waist of the skirt. That way you’ll visually temper the volume of the top by showcasing a bit of the structure of the skirt. A short top also lengthens the leg line from the hips upwards. This top has a high-low hemline that is not essential. You can get a similar effect by semi-tucking a voluminous top. The gigantic puffed sleeves are on-trend. Flat black espadrilles and clutch finish off the look, and match the model’s top and hair.

2. Cropped Pants and Roomy Tank

Combine a roomy woven tank top or shell top with a pair of wide cropped pants. Leave the top untucked. You’ll achieve a longer leg line if the top isn’t too long. The pants are chartreuse, which is not a neutral, so imagine they are olive. The white and green separates create a high contrast, which accentuates the horizontal line across the thighs. Keep the items low-contrast neutrals if you prefer a more subtle horizontal line. Finish off the look with neutral Summer slides. These dark brown ones bookend the model’s hair. White slides to match the top would be great too.

3. Unstructured Dress

If you bat for Team Dress, wearing a frock that is relaxed and fluid is a great way to wear the vibe. Choose one in a neutral, add comfy Summer footwear, and Bob’s your uncle. Here, the model wears a boxy navy shirt dress with flat sandals. Add a tie or belt to the shirt dress for some waist definition if you like. The effect will still be loose and simple, just not as unstructured.

4. Wide Pants and a Belted Flowing Top

There are ways to add a bit of structure to the fluidity of the outfit if that’s more your cup of tea. Here, a pair of wide cropped linen pants is paired with a soft and flowing cape-esque silhouette blouse. It has a tie to create waist definition which adds structure to the look. Dainty black strappy sandals match the top and the model’s hair. A brown bag can work well here too. Add jewellery, watch, and headgear as desired.

I’ve been collecting interesting articles across a range of topics that are good to share:

• How upcycling food by-products and waste for beauty products could help combat global warming’s effects.
• I loved this article (and the photos!) on the fashion in the new Downton Abbey movie.
• “How to Know Your Buying Quality Clothes?” I especially liked the info about seams.
• “Why the ‘ugly’ clog is the style statement of our times.“
• New Zealand fashion designer Maggie Hewitt discusses the complexities of pricing responsibly made clothing.
• Garment workers are trying to change a long history of wage theft and sweatshop-like conditions in Los Angeles garment factories.
• Fashionista reports that the next generation of plus-size fashion brands aren’t on the runways, they’re on Tiktok.
• Over at Refinery29, four women entrepreneurs share how going blonde changed their lives and careers.

Fab Links from Our Members

Indigoprint enjoyed Alyson’s post about fisherman sandals, and adds: “She includes a picture of sandals with socks that I found quite appealing.”

Runcarla thought Lisa Eldridge’s tutorial on how to create happy lips was brilliant.

She also liked this video showing how two designers completely reworked a piece created by the other: a wedding dress and Rihanna’s 2018 Met Gala Pope-inspired Maison Margiela look.

This very tongue-in-cheek article in The Atlantic about the current ‘Coastal Grandmother’ trend made Silver laugh.

Angie enjoyed this article with fun and interesting facts about the first Downton Abbey movie.

About six months ago I decided to grow out my super short pixie. A few months later, my hair had reached the length where I wanted to enhance its natural waves. I needed to find the right product.  Who better to ask for advice than a curly hair expert. As it happens, our dear friend Phoebe Ash created and runs Curly Sister, a service dedicated to helping people to style and maintain their naturally wavy and curly hair without damaging it.

Phoebe was spot on with her recommendation. In one quick text she recommended I use Innerscense Organic Pink Himalayan Salt Spray to create easy beachy waves. The spray does just that and I like the results. I spray it onto wet hair, scrunch the wave, finger curl the waves in front, and leave it to dry naturally. My hair is fine, so it dries fast. When it’s dry, it’s wavy and voluminous, much like I’ve been on a windy humid beach all day. Sometimes I leave it like that, and sometimes I neaten up the top waves by using a curling iron.

The waves last well, and I’m impressed with the product. My hair feels soft, and looks shiny too. It was nice to hear hubs Greg mention how healthy my hair looks, and that he likes the wavy change.

I mentioned in this year’s trends post that lower rise bottoms are coming through as a nod to late ‘90s fashion. They are achieved by wearing bottoms with lower rises, or by wearing slouchy higher rises with waistbands that rest on the hip bone. High and very high rises are strong, but mid rises and low rises are once again gaining momentum. It’s the first time that multiple lengths of rise are on-trend.

My guess is that we will all find our desired rise length — lower or higher — at retail and at thrift stores from now on. Take your pick! It’s good news because there is something for everyone.

Here are some examples of the lower rises hitting retail at the moment.

Low rises are generally 8 inches in the front rise. Mid-rise lengths are between 8.5 to 11 inches. High rises are typically 11 inches and higher. Of course, rise lengths are relative. What is low, mid, and high rise for one person, is not for another.

Mid and ‘not too high’ higher rises are the most popular with my clientele. They like their waistbands a little below the waist, or on their natural waist. Because body types vary, this can mean anything from a 9 to 13 inch front rise measurement. In short, we tend to enjoy a similar waistband position on pants and jeans, but it takes a range of rise lengths to hit the sweet spot.

Personally, I enjoy wearing low, mid and high rises. That said, I am relatively short in the rise, so low rises aren’t that low, and mid rises are higher on me than most. I enjoy a 9 to 10 inch rise best, which is on the high side on me, but mid rise for many. I also don’t mind an 8 or 8.5 inch rise, and will wear an 11 to 13 inch rise that has more of a dropped crotch point. 

Over to you. Which are your favourite rise measurements? After many seasons of higher rises, how do you feel about the increased availability of lower rises?