Summer is around the corner, and for some, that means wearing extra casual outfits. So this week’s roundup showcases super relaxed items, ideal for casual settings. 

1. Vince Camuto ‘Lancaster’ Flat: Comfortable, breezy, on trend and I vote la creme. Fits an insole and orthotic.
2. Joe’s Kody Sandal: Super soft leather and with the oh so popular broad ankle strap. It’s very flat and lacks arch support so consider yourself warned. 
3. Michael Kors Print Flutter Sleeve Top: I saw this top on the hanger and was not all that impressed. But the fabric is unbelievably soft, so it’s ended up in the fitting with several clients. The top looks so much better on the body. It’s a great alternative to a basic T-shirt, layers well under toppers, and is forgiving on the midsection without being overly voluminous. Comes in other patterns and plus sizes. 
4. Amber Sun Tab Trim Stripe Tee: A striped tee with a difference. The raglan sleeve is fab, as is the curved heme and tab sleeve. Slightly fitted, not too boxy, and great on a hot day sans camisole. 
5. Sperry Top-Sider Audrey Boat Shoe: A nice little alternative to sneakers. 
6. Kut from the Kloth Catherine Boyfriend Denim Shorts: Size up and sport an adorable pair of baggy shorts on very casual days. Also available in a lighter wash. Read the rave reviews. 
7. Three Dots High/Low Midi Skirt (Plus): A great length and flattering fit. Great with a tank, tee or mesh sweater and wedge sandals. 
8. Allen Allen Tiered Linen Skirt: One answer to breezy casual dressing. The skirt looks particularly good on petites when matched with casual sandals and tank top, or roomy cotton shell. 
9. Free People High/Low Hoodie: More arty than sporty. Love the high-low hemline, cropped cut, roomy fit and dolman sleeves. 
10. Eileen Fisher Harem Pants (Plus): An acquired taste! Pretty fabulous with a cropped high-low top and pretty sandals. 
11. Olivia Moon Linen Bomber Jacket: An earthy take on a sporty trend. Gorgeous in linen if you make peace with the crease. Also available in plus sizes. 
12. Topshop Perforated Leather Backpack: These bring back memories of the late ’80s and early ’90s. Cute and casual for a Mum on the go.

I generally don’t make the distinction of dressing more casually during the Summer months because my lifestyle does not change. That said, I wear linen shirts in Summer, which are very casual. Do you dress more casually during the Summer months?

A slim-fitting long sleeve is ideal for sleeve scrunching because the tapered silhouette stays put against the contour of your forearms and elbow. The more snug the sleeve fit, the easier the sleeves are to scrunch and stay that way. 

Sometimes even with a relatively slim fitting sleeve the scrunch is hard to maintain because the sleeve opening is too wide with the cuff unbuttoned. One simple solution is to sew a little stitch in the middle of the placket of the sleeve. This narrows the opening of the sleeve when the cuff is unbuttoned and pulled back into a scrunched position. This makes it stay put on your arm. Snugger fit = better scrunch. 

See the photos below for one example. I didn’t have pink thread to match the shirt so I used white, which matches the textured interest in the fabric. 

I’ve used this stitch trick on a few shirts already, like my white tuxedo shirt and blue and white shirt. Some shirt styles, like the button-down shirts from Brooks Brothers, conveniently have an extra button in the position of the stitch on the placket. Those shirts also have a stiffer fabrication than most and scrunch particularly well.

Most of my clients, who represent all age groups, have added boyfriend jeans to their wardrobes as a roomy alternative to skinnies, straight legs and boot cuts. Some wear them baggy and slouchy, while others prefer them a lot more streamlined. How you’d like your boyfriends to fit is of course completely up to you. 

The styles below have been winners with my clients, and I wear three of these options myself. Most of the styles are cropped and rolled well above the ankle, but some are full length.

• KUT from the Kloth Catherine Slim Boyfriend Jeans: These have been absolute winners across the board in terms of price, fit, quality and length. No tears, holes and hectic distressing. The denim is pretty thick and the fit around the hips and seat flattering. It’s been extremely interesting to see them work well on curvy and straight body types. Also available in white, a lighter wash and plus sizes. I have these in white and sized up for a baggier fit. 
• Gap Sexy Boyfriend: These tend to be baggier than the Catherines, wider on the waist, and longer in the rise. I also have these, wear them both rolled and unrolled, but prefer the fit of the Catherines from KUT. 
• True Religion Cameron Boyfriend in Defiance: These are gorgeous, full length, and very comfortable. But you have to make peace with the bulky back pocket flaps, and distressing. Runs true to size, but size down if you want them to fit in a less baggy manner.
• True Religion Brianna Slim Boyfriend in Granite: They are a narrower cut than the Camerons and a lot more distressed. They also don’t have the bulky back pocket flap. 
• True Religion Cameron Boyfriend in Pioneer: I have these and am thrilled with them. They are 100% cotton, which is rare in denim these days. The lack of stretch gives them a crisper feeling, and their full length piqued my interest right from the start. I wear mine baggier than on the model and bought them in my regular size. I adore the bulky back pockets and always tuck in a top and wear a belt to showcase their cheeky effect. 
• Ann Taylor Loft: These are super soft and run a little big. Comfy on the waist and hip. Also available in cream. 
• Old Navy Skinny Boyfriend: Some prefer the fit of these over the ones from the Gap and Loft because they are more streamlined. The price is especially appealing for a casual, kicking-around, style.

Some of my clients have created a similar boyfriend jeans vibe by sizing up on straight leg jeans and rolling up the hems. Either way, the styles that expose part of the lower leg are perfect on days when it’s too cold to wear shorts but too warm for jeans.

For my Mother’s Day post you saw me wear a flared midi skirt with a roomy crew neck pullover and unzipped bomber jacket. I finished off the outfit with white pointy toe pumps, white clutch and style constants, my gold watch and wedding ring.

Here I swapped out the skirt for a pair of full length boyfriend jeans and added a white belt to prevent them from falling down. By swapping out my bottoms, I’ve completely changed the vibe and look of the outfit. The former was dressy, modern-retro, ladylike and quite classic, while the second is casual, trendy and slightly tomboy.

Swapping out my skirt for a pair of jeans is an outfit creation strategy I use regularly when sporting a look from day to night. For example, I might be wearing a skirt during the day because I’m wearing business casual to work with clients. But will change into a pair of jeans while keeping everything else about the outfit exactly the same when heading out for a relaxed bite to eat later in the evening. I also find jeans a lot warmer than wearing a skirt with nude hose, which keeps me toasty when it cools down at night. 

The jeans are True Religion’s Cameron Boyfriend in Pioneer, and I LOVE them because they are full length and baggy. It’s hard to find a pair of boyfriend jeans that are long enough to roll once at the hems to create a cuff. Most boyfriend jeans are cropped above the ankle and rolled further up the calf and therefore too short to create this silhouette. 

I usually wear these jeans lower on the hip and on a looser belt hole than this so that the crotch point hangs down further to create a slouchier effect. Wearing roomy jeans low on the hip makes them baggy on my bottom and creates “saggy-butt”. But in this case the jeans don’t sag at the rear because I’ve fastened the belt tighter on the waist, which lifts the crotch point and makes for a more snug fit around my buns. Next time I’ll feature them with saggy-butt because that’s how I wear them more frequently. I fully support the Slouchy Movement. 

The bulky patch pockets with flaps mean that I always tuck in my top and add a belt when wearing these jeans. It makes them less versatile I guess, but I tuck my tops and add a belt to jeans and trousers very frequently anyway, so that doesn’t feel like too much of a restriction. Plus I like the pockets! They look cheeky to my eye. I can faux tuck the pullover above the belt because it has a banded bottom.

Although more tomboy than the skirt version, the white pointy pumps, lace, and shocking pink cashmere pullover are pretty elements that add the ladylike factor back into the outfit. Although my style is equal parts Ladylike and Androgynous, I want to step up the ladylike aspect of my style this year because things have been feeling a little too tomboy. Wearing pointy toe pumps has been one way of achieving my new style goal.