Spring (Shirt)dressing: How to Dress for Those In-Between Days

Ahh, England in May; what a beautiful temptress she is. Spring is playing its usual tricks of luring us in with gloriously sunny days one week, and then – just when you’ve fallen madly in love with all those blossoms and blue skies – surprising us with frigid temperatures and blustery showers the next. All this makes knowing what to wear each day a tricky game of wardrobe roulette, and because I’m a foolish optimist and pack away all my winter clothes as soon as the first blossoms appear on the trees, I’m often left shivering through my determination to dress for the season rather than the weather forecast.

So while I’ve mostly been living in my favourite summer jeans teamed with a white blouse, some days only a dress will do. Although I refuse to wear tights after April, I still want some coverage until summer kicks in (I’m optimistic, but not crazy), so it’s all about the dress with sleeves. Much like pockets, a ‘machine washable’ tag (please tell me I’m not the only one who forgets that I’ve dropped clothes at the dry cleaner…), or a subtle ruffle, sleeves are almost guaranteed to make me like a dress more. Especially good if, like me, you spent the winter hibernating and forgot to do any push-ups.

I love the effortlessness of a cotton shirtdress; just throw it on, dress it up with pearls and heels, or down with a belt and trainers, and you’re done. I used to have a white version I wore to death, so had been on the hunt for a replacement for this spring.

I must have ordered 15+ versions in pale blue from at least five stores – some just right on the fabric but wrong on the cut, or vice versa (too flimsy, too sheer, too short, too frumpy…) – so knew this was the best of the bunch. A total bargain, and bonus points for the peplum frill (so you needn’t worry if everyone can see your knickers at the back) and the fact it looks even better a little crumpled as the day goes on. When the clouds look ominous I just throw a beige trench coat over the top, and I’m ready for just about every situation: meetings at the office, brunch with friends, or a day of running errands around town.

Spring dressing at its simplest!

Wearing: Vila shirt dress // J.Crew bag (+ in plain blush here) // Mulberry shoes (old, but similar style here) // Kenneth Jay Lane necklace (similar style here) // Louis Vuitton brooch // Celine sunglasses c/- // BHLDN earrings.
Beauty: Charlotte Tilbury ‘Red Carpet Red’ lipstick // Clarins blush c/- // Deborah Lippmann ‘Blue Orchid’ nail polish.

What are your wardrobe staples for this sartorially confusing in-between months?

Love, Miss B xx

Photos by Joe Galvin