There’s a particular kind of optimism required to style a summer edit on Newcastle’s quayside when the East wind has clearly not got the memo. Linen, in May, with the Millennium Bridge arching overhead and the Tyne glowering below (the down jacket came off between shots but the goose pimples stayed put). However I’d been invited to do a John Lewis summer wardrobe edit and if anything I think the colder the shoot, the harder you dream of warmer climes – seaside, a glass of something chilled and a breeze you actually welcome. So today I’m bringing you summer outfits along with a few beauty updates. I haven’t bought any new swimwear yet this year, but I think John Lewis is one of the best places to shop for it in midlife so I’ll be pointing you that way too. Shall we?
The good thing for me about doing these John Lewis edits is that it steers me away from my go-to brands. It’s one thing having a wander around their fashion floor which is something I do whenever I’m over here but when you have the full run of the website there are so many more to choose from – they stock about 650 fashion brands in total which is huge. So let me show you what I came up with just from my online browsing – and then when I popped into store there were a couple of other things that immediately caught my eye so I’ll include those too.
We’re all trying to make our wardrobes work harder so I’ve tried to stay away from pieces that you’d only ever wear somewhere like the Caribbean and most of these things (apart from the shorts maybe) you could wear in the UK from this weekend onwards.
The big thing I’m noticing this season across most brands is detail. We’re moving a long way away from the ‘one size fits all’ clothing of the lockdown years. Instead, even at high street level, there’s a focus on fit and little elevations that make the outfit stand out so I’m specifically going to point that out as I go along.
A John Lewis summer edit
Before we get into my edit, I just want to highlight that Member’s Week has started today for anyone who is a MyJL member. There’s an exclusive 20% off selected fashion and beauty as well as other rewards – find them here.
A cleverly designed blouse & the best linen trouser fit
I’m starting with an outfit that could be styled up with a few different accessories for evening or worn as I have it here during the day. Let’s talk about the blouse first which is in a semi-sheer fabric that has a lovely lustre to it when it catches the light. Note the frilled detail just below the elbow which is designed to give emphasis to the point where the arm narrows, making the wrist look elegant and showing off any bracelets.
It’s elasticated at the waist which is a really clever way of disguising any muffin spillover at the trouser top, instead it fluffs nicely over the waistband looking as though it’s been tucked in perfectly without adding any bulk. It comes from the brand that specialises in apple shapes and it’s a great example of how much thought they put into the vanishing midlife waistline.
Linen and lyocell blend blouse(size 12 true to size)
Let’s move on to the bottom half and a recent moment of revelation for me when it comes to linen trousers. They’re something I’ve never really been comfortable in apart from during the laidback days of lockdown. The thing is that they’re one of those summer capsule essentials that fashion editors rattle on about and yet the baggy ones with the drawstring waist often don’t work on the average woman’s body. They look great if you’re 6ft tall with long legs and a wasp waist but if you’re not, the bulk around your middle and gathers over a spreading rear end don’t do you any favours. Plus as soon as you sit down they wrinkle horizontally across the stomach and thigh creating lines that emphasise the widest parts even more.
I was pondering this when we were sitting outside a cafe in Croatia with lots of elegant European women drifting past and I had an ‘aha’ moment. They tend not to wear the drawstring linen trousers or even a tailored linen trouser which can be just as difficult. They wear what I’m going to call a linen jean. When we got back I was determined to find some and there weren’t many – the UK doesn’t seem to have caught on to this as a style detail but I have some here.
They’re a great fit, perhaps not quite as long as I expected (if you’re over 5ft 8 they’ll be too short) but otherwise they’re perfect, in a soft, almost buttery lyocell/linen blend rather than the cheap scratchy kind.
Linen and lyocell blend blouse; Linen jeans (size 12 on both, true to size)
The key details that make the difference are the yoke that sits nice and flat on the lower back so that you don’t have the usual mass of bunched up fabric and also the neat, tight jeans pockets at the front. Slip pockets on tailored linen trousers just add yet more stiff, sticky out volume.
Skirts are back – in a big way
Moving on to more beautifully structured pieces – there’s just so much more thought about women’s bodies going into design this season. I’m sure you haven’t missed the fact that Topshop is back at John Lewis and it’s flying out. Once again it’s proving to have universal mother/daughter appeal. I didn’t feel it had quite hit its mark with the first drop but this next one is better and I love this top. It won’t appeal to you if you’re a natural fibres only person but I really like the texture of it – it’s almost a towelling effect but with a bit more fit. The deep ribbed hem makes it great for wearing with wide leg trousers or skirts without adding any bulk at the waistline and the deep placket gives you a slimming vertical line – even if you wear it completely buttoned up it makes all the difference.
Red fitted polo top; White panelled skirt(Size M top, size 12 skirt true to size)
Skirts are big this season and I mean that in both ways. They’re back in fashion, very much replacing the dress, and they’re voluminous. Now look at the detail on the waistband of this one – once again it’s been thought through to add volume in the right place (ie.not at the midriff). There’s a lot of this Tudor/Mediaeval panelling coming through in dresses and skirts this season and we’re going to see even more of it in autumn/winter. This crisp cotton skirt hangs beautifully – and it has deep pockets.
John Lewis have some of the best bags in terms of quality/price and this red one (also available in ivory or black) adds the finishing touch to this outfit, keeping it modern and away from any 50s retro styling.
Red fitted polo top; White panelled skirt(Size M top, size 12 skirt true to size); Red bag (Size M top, size 12 skirt true to size)
A beauty need to know
Ok, let’s take a little break from style and move onto beauty because if you’ve not yet had a proper poke around John Lewis’s revamped loyalty scheme, it’s worth a look – particularly if beauty is where your indulgences end up. The new MyJL Beauty layer sits inside the existing My John Lewis membership so there’s no extra card to faff with, you simply swipe as usual and the beauty-specific perks quietly start to accrue. Spend £200 or more on beauty and a rather generous Edit Box (worth around £240) lands on your doormat, featuring reliably good brands – Medik8, Elemis, Trinny London, Clinique…
There’s a monthly “Win Your Wishlist” draw for up to £500 of products and a £90 voucher towards a Clarins Wellness massage which feels like a properly grown-up touch. It all forms part of John Lewis’s wider £800m company transformation with beauty sitting at the very heart of the investment. 20 new Korean skincare and haircare brands are now online and Skin Cupid (the UK’s leading Korean beauty retailer) is opening shop-in-shops in Cambridge, Kingston and Leeds, giving us direct access to Korean beauty gurus.
There’s also going to be a rollout of The Beauty Society, their brilliantly impartial in-store advisory service where a make-up artist will give you a makeover selecting products that are exactly right for you from all kinds of different brands across the store. In short, the new MyJL beauty rewards scheme is less about points and more an invitation to treat the beauty hall as a destination again – which for those of us who rather miss the ritual of buying skincare in person is no bad thing. If you look at this graphic it shows that John Lewis is focused on being the UK’s leading beauty retailer.
A dressed up outfit to take you places
Let’s get back to style. John Lewis is continuing with its support of small British brands and these trousers come from a relatively new one. It was founded in 2022 by two midlife women who originally met at Brighton Uni, went on to grow their careers in fashion and have now launched their original dream together. They’re beautifully made, slinky and flowy but with a lining so that they hang well and don’t feel thin. Paisley is a key trend for this season and next but I also think it’s timeless and as someone who is cautious about pattern, it’s one that I always love.
They fit beautifully in a size 12 and for me they’re exactly the right length to wear with a slight heel – bear in mind that I’m a regular leg length. I can imagine these working for a wedding, a graduation or on a cruise for that slightly dressed up summer look that isn’t overdone.
Palazzo trousers; Crochet top (Size M top, Size 12 trousers true to size)
There’s a matching top but that would have been too overpowering for me so I teamed them with this short sleeve crochet top. It’s the sort of thing that will be really versatile because you can wear it on its own like this or you could use it as a cardigan – I can imagine it looking great with a bold colour underneath peeping through the crochet holes. If you look closely you can see it has tiny gold sequins scattered through it, they’ll sparkle when they catch the sunshine.
La Dolce Vita
And now I have a dress that gave me a bit of a shiver as I slipped it on. It fitted so beautifully that it felt like it had been made for me. The workmanship is beautiful, if I had a graduation, a wedding or any kind of dress occasion at all this summer then this is what I’d be wearing. Once again it’s from a small British brand led by two midlife women who are managing to build a label at a high street pricepoint.
Thinking back to the white skirt I showed you further up do you remember when I said that Tudor/Mediaeval panelling was really coming through? Well we see it here again and it’s unbelievably flattering to the female form, it flattens out the rounder parts of you and allows the rest to billow. The cut on the bust is good too – it pleats softly for those of us who haven’t been blessed with a glorious bosom but for those who have, it will cup you beautifully.
Honestly I felt a bit like a Hollywood star as I walked along the quayside in this with people stopping me to say what a fabulous dress it was (I didn’t disappoint them by telling them it was only on loan!).
Blue panelled dress; Blue cardigan; Gold shoes; Sunglasses (Size 12 dress, Size 41 shoes true to size)
Here’s a detail shot of the panelling, it’s so good I feel as though all skirts and dresses should have it.
I even managed to find a cardigan that matched perfectly but size right down if you’re going for this outfit. I have a S/M here and it drowned me which is why I’m shoulder-robing it, I would have needed the XS so you need to go two sizes down. It’s beautiful though, soft and fluffy but still light enough to work with summer outfits.
Blue panelled dress; Blue cardigan; Gold shoes; Sunglasses (Size 12 dress, Size 41 shoes true to size, cardigan vastly oversized)
Finding good shorts in midlife
Last of all for my try-on – shorts (and not even for you was I going out in the whistling winds wearing these!). I had so many messages on Instagram about shorts when we were in Croatia a couple of weeks ago and yes, I do believe you can still wear them in midlife. We all have wrinkly skin on our legs, especially around the knees but if we keep hiding it we do no favours to the women who are ageing behind us. Shorts are comfortable and practical, especially when you’re doing a lot of walking or getting on and off a boat.
You don’t have to settle for the practical rambler look though, they can still be nice and these are a great choice for midlifers. Why? Because they have a scalloped hem so you don’t have a straight line across the thigh. You know how we often talk about using asymmetry and other lines in an outfit to stop the gaze settling on a specific point? Well these fit into that theory. Plus they have soft pleating at the waist so they’re more comfortable to sit in than straight leg shorts and they won’t ride up too high when you sit down. The final thumbs up is the gingham which is a trend every summer but particularly high this year.
Another little trick is to wear a comfortable low block heel with shorts just for the leg lengthening factor. These sandals have a vertical line in their straps rather than one that crosses your foot and makes your legs look stumpy. You wouldn’t think that they came from a comfort shoe specialist would you? And the straps are adjustable, I should have tightened them to fit. They’ll look great with dresses and jeans too, sandals that you’ll wear for summers to come.
Red polo top; Gingham Shorts; Patent Sandals (Size M top, Size 12 shorts, Size 41 sandals all true to size)
A wander round the store
So that’s my summer edit for John Lewis – there were just a couple of other things that I spotted when I went to pick these samples up in store so here are some quick snaps (and I think you can tell we’d had a late party night the night before – excuse the puffy face). First of all this is a great jacket for this time of year and then again in early to mid-autumn when temperatures are unreliable. It’s available in navy…
Navy boucle jacket (Size 12 slightly big)
…and ivory…
Ivory boucle jacket (Size 12 slightly big)
And I spotted this dress which isn’t my colour at all but once again there’s fantastic curved detailing at the waist, made with the midlife midriff in mind I suspect.
And just look at how pretty the new lingerie collections are.
John Lewis summer edit – swimwear
As I mentioned at the beginning, you can’t beat John Lewis for swimwear which is always tricky to buy. As well as the tried and trusted brands such as their own John Lewis Range and Seafolly they have new brands this year. Cleonie is an Australian brand prized for its eco-conscious sustainability, especially its super-stretchy, body-flattering, eco-crinkle fabrics. It has a slow fashion principle so it’s often in high demand.
Also new is Naia Beach, founded by Tess Daly and a friend which prides itself on being created by women, for women with an aim of being ultra-flattering for every body. Rather than being a crinkle fabric Naia aims to provide a second skin feel with features such as built in cups and tummy control ranging from size 8 to 18. There’s a co-ordinating beachwear collection so that you can shimmy down the beach wearing a complete look.
So, as always, there’s a lot going on at John Lewis and don’t forget that Member’s Week has started today with exclusive discounts and offers – details here. It’s been a busy week for me too as it was my birthday on Tuesday which, as you know, always makes me think. We’ve spent the last ten days in Newcastle, working during the week and having a lot of fun at the weekends at various events – we danced from 12pm to 12am last Saturday hitting 33,000 steps. I’ll be back next week with a more reflective post – I am, after all, entering the last year of my 50s. Enjoy your bank holiday weekend, it looks as though the sun is going to shine on us all for a while. We spent the last one doing DIY so I’m determined to let my hair down and have fun this time!
