General fashion

Late summer – how to liven up your wardrobe

Late summer – how to liven up your wardrobe

How to liven up your wardrobe in late summer. I am beginning to feel a little tired of my summer wardrobe. We have had fairly continuous sunshine here in London since the beginning of July so I shouldn’t really complain.

White has definitely been the front runner in my wardrobe this year. I seem to have been wearing it on repeat with a few accents of pink and navy.

What has really kept me going are my accessories. I find that a brightly coloured scarf or a colourful necklace helps to ring the changes even thought the base of the outfit is simple.

I have not made many purchases this season. All my white trousers are a few years old. I have bought a couple of new white tee shirts. White tees never seem to last more than one season. These ones from Cos are my favourite. Chevron stripe scarf Chicatanyage shop.

For a lunch in Shoreditch with Susan of Unefemme and her husband, I added a pink jacket and a brightly coloured scarf to my neutrals. I bought the jacket at the beginning of the season and wore it repeatedly until the weather turned too warm for jackets. I will be wearing it again this Autumn. Embroidered geometric scarf Chicatanyage shop.

How to transition slowly into a new season:

A good way to transition slowly into a new season is to wear your lighter colours from the summer with the new darker autumnal tones. I will be swapping the silver sandals for ankle boots and changing my cotton scarves for some lightweight wool ones.

A classic South of France look. In my opinion what really lifts an outfit is the addition of accessories. Scarves and necklaces are my favourites and of course not forgetting my hats. It is very important to wear a hat in strong sunlight as if your hair tends to turn a yellowy tone as mine does the sun’s rays make this worse.

This jacket has been in my wardrobe for many years. It is such a classic that I am sure it has many years of wear to go yet. Navy blazer by Theory.

I have not worn my navy skirt as much as I anticipated. Probably because I’m a bit lazy as doing the “leg tan thing”. I intend to wear it throughout the autumn and winter with a pair of knee-length boots and a chunky sweater. Skirt still available 60% reduction in the sale now £38. My ivory tie front top is also available in the sale.

My tropical leaf scarf/pareo is available at Chicatanyage shop.

More ideas of how to use accessories to get the most out of your wardrobe here and here

Do you wear lots of white and light colours in the summer months or do you find it impractical?

Summer in white:

Chicatanyage

I write a fashion and beauty blog for women over 50 with the aim of inspiring mature women to continue to enjoy and have fun with their fashion choices. I have spent most of my working life in some way connected to fashion. I started my career in Fashion PR and then trained as an Image Consultant when my children were young. I subsequently worked in the corporate world running seminars, doing private coaching and speaking at conferences. I started my blog in 2009 as I wanted to share my years of experience working in the world of fashion. I truly believe we can continue to have confidence in the way we present ourselves. Our style may evolve with time and changing lifestyles, yet with a little knowledge and inspiration, we can all continue to have fun with fashion. As women of a certain age we are a growing demographic let us prove that we can also be a chic one.

View Comments

  • Hi Josephine, yes I love my white pants, I have a couple of pairs, one pair of slim leg and one pair of wide leg linen ones, which I wear with different coloured tops. Sometimes I put the wide leg ones on and find they dont look right with the top I have chosen, so I will change to the slim leg and perfect, that happens vis versa too. I'm glad I have the two different pairs. I dont know about you, but I can put something on one day and it looks awful, but another day, and it can look great. I have been known to not wear an outfit for a year, and then bring it out the year after, and wear and wear it !!

    • Hi Lynn
      Yes I do find that I have never been able to expain this phenomena. I think it might be something to do with the mood one is in that day.

  • Living in a hot climate, white trousers are my staple, usually crops for every day plus one long wide legged pair for evenings. I was surprised by your comment about white tees not lasting more than a season though ! Surely this is a little bit fast fashion ? I find that white clothes last a long time if you care for them, my above mentioned trousers are ancient but still wearable and the same goes for white tops. Just wash them on 40 degrees with a little no-chlorine whitening powder.

  • Hi Maisie
    I think it depends on two factors the quality of the tee shirt I have one from People Tree (sustainasble) that has lasted three ears. It may be because I have three small grandsons and despite wearing a pinny I often get stubbon stains on my tees, which despite spot remover I can't get out.

Recent Posts

Our exciting adventures in South Africa

We had the most wonderful trip to South Africa. Initially I stayed with an old…

4 weeks ago

The joys of summer kaftans

The joys of summer kaftans. In my opinion a kaftan is one of the most…

2 months ago

What I wore in France – holiday styles

What I wore in France - holiday styles for Summer

3 months ago

Books and films I have recently enjoyed

Books and films I have recently enjoyed

4 months ago

Our journey through France and overnight stay.

Our journey through France and overnight stay.

4 months ago

Preparing for your summer holiday

Preparing for your summer holiday

5 months ago