While summer used to be about baking myself hot in the sun, getting as brown as possible, nowadays, the older, more sensible, more time-poor me no longer views it like that. In fact, what I like best about summer these days is the in-between the really hot bits…

When you can wear ‘normal’ (ie. non-skimpy) clothes with the utmost ease. By which I mean not having to worry about cold ankles or feeling chilly when you leave the house. I love how summer sandals look with regular jeans and I love just grabbing a scarf as an extra layer, secure in the knowledge that that is all you’ll need to survive the day. So as per, where to start…

I have a couple of lovely, super light and super soft cashmere scarves (by Lois Avery & Nihao Planet) but there’s something about a cotton scarf that just screams ease of laidback summer sun here I come. This handblock printed beauty from Rajasthan was an emergency buy (ironically due to hella lotta rain) at Port Eliot. Aaria Shop has only just launched on Instagram (so go give her a follow) with the most beautiful collection of pieces from around the world – all in the most wonderfully muted and earthy colours. It was an absolute lifesaver as we battled the sideways rain and chilly, albeit roomy, bell tent nights, but I would much rather put it to use as the sun goes down over a rocky beach or field full of Algarve thistles… Stay tuned, as we head out for some continuous Portugal sun next week!

Beneath the scarf is another Port Eliot festival lifesaver, so much so I wore it continuously Saturday afternoon through to Sunday (yes, I slept in it too, ahem), another brilliant jumper from Hush. Honestly their hit rate with jumpers is seriously high and this one, chiming into a new summer of love (yes please) is the softest, cosiest thing. So much so you might even want to sleep in it ;). Keep an eye for when it drops…

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Scarf | Aaria Shop

Jumper |Hush (available soon)

Now where do you sit on pricepoint when it comes to jeans? I have to admit some of my bestest (sic, silly spelling intentional) are forty quidders from Topshop. On repeat – you know, these ones and these ones. But on occasion I have splashed out and that went a little bit like this. 2012: Panic buys Citizens of Humanity maternity jeans because NOTHING ELSE looks anywhere near as ok. Mulls this over for a few years; could more expensive jeans somehow be better? Like in extreme situations? Discovers MIH. Decides the styles designed by the incredible Jessica Lawrence (Clapton local and pal, I am proud to say!) are extremely superior to most other denim out there. Buys first pairs at the £100-200 pricepoint in the sale. Treasure those jeans. More recently buy the Caron pair after trying on in my local denim shop Bad Denim (I mean every neighbourhood needs a specialist denim shop right? Although tough on the wallet!).

Then.

I receive a newsletter from Bad Denim saying they are now stocking Re/Done. Depending on how denim obsessed you are you may or may not have noticed LA brand Re/Done doing the Instagram rounds on some of the super leggy gorgeous gals and drooled over the customised Levi’s styles and then totally double taked at the price online (available at Selfridges) and thought there’s no way, just no way, for a pair of jeans you haven’t tried on, with each pair being slightly different anyway.

But.

Suddenly there they were. Just a 10 minute walk down the road from me. So of course I rushed down (even bothering the lovely Erin with her new baby to see if I could pop in when closed! Gah!). So Bad Denim are stocking two new styles from Re/Done. Not modified vintage Levi’s, but their own designs based on the best of the vintage styles they’ve been working with – from what I understand. So there’s the skinny high waisted crop (and damn the waist is good) and a wider-legged pair. It was the skinny style that looked just at home for me. And still on my 40th birthday high, I forked out the unmentionable amount. So you can see them on me here. And in another outfit post tomorrow… I will leave things here, ahem. Oh well, apart from how insanely perfect are these?

SO, MAKEUP…

So you’ll have seen NARS pop up in some recent Sunday Edits as I get to grips with some new products in my life. And although I do try things out for the blog, I tend to be quite hardcore and stick unadventurously to my core habit-formed since a teenager behaviour. But the reason I’m showing you these again is that I wanted to explain how these products have worked their way into my routine. And actually simplified it with better results. Which, in my life, is Quite. A. Big. Deal. So the tinted moisturiser which also has SPF30, I put on after eye serum and face serum. It’s slightly alarming to begin with as looks a little oranger than anything I would ever put on my face but after a few seconds settles in, providing extremely even coverage, even enough to handle a photo right there, right then. I top up under the eyes with the matching concealer and then, heavens above, I dust on a little bronzer and I feel that I have face suitable for life and yep, photos. In the many years of this blog, I have often lamented how crap I can look in photos due to a cack-handed makeup approach. And yet, this is so easy, and so effective. I have two moisturisers & concealers – the slightly darker Cuzco tinted moisturiser , Ginger concealer & Falaise bronzer for when I came back super tanned from Greece, but now that my tan is fading to my more normal colour, the St Moritz tinted moisturiser, Macadamia concealer & Laguna bronzer. Ok, that’s probably the most I have ever written about makeup. I’ll stop now.

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Jeans | Re/Done at Bad Denim

Makeup | NARS Tinted Moisturiser/Concealer/Bronzer

Woven things, in rattan or leather, just a few shades away from the sand, and ideally on the sand make me deeply happy. Both the basket and the slides are not something I would recommend in terms of purchase ease, as in import duties on both. But I’ve been prop sourcing for the sun & sand based shoot Bianca (@biancajonesjewel) and I have planned for our forthcoming this autumn Compass Collection. Byron Bay’s St Agni, it turns out, have connections with some Hackney pals which seemed lovely and serendipitous and be warned, you’ll want everythang on their site and Frankie Shop, based in New York, was another down the Instagram rabbit hole find. Another haven of most beautiful things that will definitely improve your life. The half moon tote comes with a drawstring cloth lining, and the slides (which sell out faster than you can click!) I went up a size in and so glad I did as they fit perfectly.

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Bag | Frankie Shop

Slides | St Agni

The household healthkick continues! We are all sauerkraut and black beans around here these day. And all about the right ratios of Omega 6 to Omega 3, which hemp seed oil has bang on. This coldpressed, no additives and certified organic hemp seed oil from Erbology is about as good as they come – stocked in Wholefoods & Daylesford Farm – and I’ve been mixing it up in my vinaigrette for salads.

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Oil | Erbology

Layering in the right pieces to my happy mix of jewellery at the moment… This beautiful and exquisitely unusual oxidised silver bracelet is by Brick Lane’s Comfort Station (gorgeous little shop, you must pop in if you get the chance) is part of the Women of Letters personalised collection – I had mine engraved with a ‘G’ for Gus and haven’t taken it off (well, apart from to shoot here!). Designer and maker Amy creates the most special pieces which can be engraved with anything you want – I bought one of the destination rings a few years ago (and sadly lost for a long while until Gus & Myles cleverly discovered it under the sofa!) which are tare often customised as wedding or engagement rings…

Another favourite piece new in, is this turquoise tusk (made up of the bobble chain & pendant) which was a wonderful surprise at Anneli’s quite wonderful baby shower – thankyou Missoma! I have quite a few of the lovely Lucy Williams x Missoma pieces (check out the super cute new anklet and choker) but I’ve never had anything with a stone. And on the whole I don’t tend to wear stones. But I make an exception for turquoise as it was one of my first teenage jewellery loves (turquoise with silver!) and for its calming properties and the way it hangs so perfectly with my compass, I’m thrilled to have it in the mix. Anyway, love how you can mix your own chains and pendants so you can find the stone that’s just right for you…

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Bracelet | Comfort Station 

Necklace | Missoma bobble chain & turquoise pendant

All photography on Olympus Pen F with 25mm f1.2 lens

*Some items in this post have been gifted for review; all styling and words my own.