Summer Lookbook | 2019

Friday, 10th May 2019: from precisely 12pm, 'What Time Is It?' from High School Musical 2 began looping in my head, as I packed my uni bits and bobs away ready for summer time. Bon voyage, second year. Two days later and I'm bored out of my mind. There's three things I do when I'm bored - 1.) scroll through YouTube endlessly, 2.) make 1000 cups of tea, and 3.) spend money. It didn't take much to persuade me to put the cup of tea down, stop watching Avengers: Endgame theory videos, and take a stroll into town to treat myself. I had already picked up a few gorgeous bits and pieces over Easter, and rounded off my summer spending (for now) after a splurge in the shops on Monday. Together with some beloved summer staples that have hung around in my wardrobe for years, I've collated my perfect summer lookbook in prep for more glorious weather.  

My summer wardrobe wouldn't be complete without a cutesy summer dress. And is it really the perfect summer dress if it doesn't make you feel an incy-wincy bit like a Disney princess? This one definitely gives me Belle vibes. Or, at least, Belle in her nightie vibes. This style of dress is one that I have seen everywhere this season and I love it. Having scoured many sites and stores, I finally stumbled across this one from Pull & Bear (but ordered on ASOS). Yellow is also the in-thing this summer and I'm very much here for it - not a colour I usually dip my toe into, but when it's such a cute little summer dress, who can resist? I really like the contrast of the black sunglasses with the light outfit (these are an old Topshop pair, and also Emma's - she lets me borrow them cos I feel cool in them), but you can never go wrong with a classic pair of white Converse plimsolls to complete a light and airy outfit.

So we've had the cutest summer dress I've ever found - let's move onto the cutest t-shirt. This bad boy comes courtesy of Topshop. Two adorable little kittens have been printed onto this plain grey tee, with the white 'sisterhood' slogan written underneath. Not only is this the sweetest t-shirt on the market right now, it's also fantastic quality. For an ultra-casual daytime outfit, I've paired it with these ripped mom jeans from H&M. I can rarely find jeans that are the right length, right fit and can squeeze over my hips all at once, and I know H&M sizing can be a bit hit and miss sometimes. These are my usual size, but are very long and need to be rolled up, with the belt having to be on the furthest notch possible so they can sit comfortably around my waist. That being said, they were a good, budget-friendly find and I've been living in them since I bought them over Easter. In terms of shoes, I'm so on board with the chunky white trainer trend - but my bank account is not. I do have this pair, however: the Nike Air Force 1's. Mine have the peachy-pink logo, but I think they're discontinued as I can't find them anywhere - so here's some similar ones. All in all, an outfit has never exposed the crazy cat lady in me more.

Topshop are winning with their t-shirts and blouses section right now. In fact, they're just winning summer - I took a ginormous pile of clothes into the changing rooms with me on Monday, although decided only to buy this stunning frilly bardot. This is the ideal top for smart/casual events; it looks great with denim shorts and jeans, but equally as lovely with a mini skirt and heels. The shorts I've paired them with in this shoot are recycled Levi's jeans from a local vintage shop, but it also looks jazzy with the ripped mom jeans shown above. Again, white Converse were a no-brainer for me when it came to this look, and as for the head gear, I've been really into the headband trend recently - this bandana comes from Primark, and is the cherry on top of this earthy, boho ensemble. 

The final look is one of my favourites, down mostly to the fact I finally found a pair of culottes I like! Being a petite gal, I always find it quite difficult to find wide-leg trousers that a.) don't look like PJs and scrape the floor and b.) aren't crazily wide. But Primark pulled through, and this gorgeous rosey-coloured pair are absolutely perfect for the sunny season - whether you want something comfy to travel in, or it's not quite warm enough to don the shorts just yet. I like to pair wide-leg bottoms with a fairly tight top. This tee came from Urban Outfitters, and was purchased nearly 3 years ago now, but still stands firmly in my wardrobe as a summertime saviour - I wear it all the time (here's a very similar one from ASOS). My bag is also an oldie but a goldie from Primark - ya'll know I love anything with stars on it. The pink logos on my Nike Air Force 1's pair wonderfully with the pink trousers, as do the sunglasses, which were another fabulous recent Topshop find (not in stock online at the moment). 

I am officially set for summer now! The weather in Southampton has been stunning these last few days, so I have been able to give all of my new purchases a full-on road test. I could not be happier with the new additions to my wardrobe, and I'll be surprised if you see me in anything else throughout the summer. 

(photos - Emma Weeks)