Summer Style - London

When summer strikes it's time to whip out your brightest garb and frolic in the streets. At least, that's what James and I have been doing!! We moved recently and were without wifi for three weeks and thus haven't been able to post as regularly as we would have liked, but now we're -more or less- back!

Our first outing was to the Pergola and Hill-Gardens in Hampstead Heath.

James: I opted for a very classic and traditional summer look of a crisp white three-piece suit, paired with a blue shirt and yellow tie. The outfit was given a more 20's summer vibe with the addition of two tone shoes and a straw boater. Perfect for wandering around this hidden paradise of a garden.

Jeordy: I finally got the chance to wear this heavenly vintage 1970s dress! It's a cream dream, drizzled with velveteen red flowers. I don't often wear maxi-dresses, so strolling along the pathways of the gardens in this full-length beauty added to the romance the Pergola emanates.

For a day spent exploring the Museum of London, we decided to take a spin in casual 1960s garb.

James: When I think of the 60s the first thing that comes to mind is great music. My outfit was channelling Rock 'n Roll's greats such as Jimmy Hendrix, the Beatles and Mick Jagger, all of whom were known to casually sport military jackets. My jacket is a part of the King's Own Royal horse Artillery uniform and its gold brocading makes it bold and perfect for a 60s look. I paired the jacket with a flamboyant salmon coloured shirt, tight pinstripe trousers, black boots and a silk neck scarf. If anyone has seen the Boat That Rocked, my outfit was also heavily inspired by the character Gavin.

Jeordy: While James went for rock and roll, I opted for a 60s pop-inspired aesthetic. For this look I wore my baby blue 1960s shift dress. Its cream satin buttons and collar trim add to the sweetness of the ensemble. I paired it with opaque pink tights, patent leather 1960s reproduction shoes, cat eye sunglasses and bold Twiggy-Inspired makeup.

While meandering among the shops and vendors of Columbia Road Flower Market, pink and white took the stage.

James: For a day perusing florists in the hot sun I chose lightweight materials with a white waistcoat and trousers paired with a dark blue checked jacket. I attempted to tie the colours in by adding a dark blue tie in the same shade as the jacket, while using a white silk flower lapel pin to tie in the white on the dark jacket. To add a little more colour I used a pink shirt with a pink pocket square. The pink and indeed the white matched perfectly with Jeordy's outfit.

Jeordy: I chose to wear what I had previously condemned as the 'Minnie Mouse Dress,' a vibrant and fun handmade 1950s style pink and white polkadot dress. The light material and fun design redeemed it for me. I cinched it with a Vivian of Holloway belt for a contrasting pop of colour, and accessorised with brown heels and a brown and white 1960s purse.

We wowed the Dulwich Villagers with our style while exploring the quaint and colourful neighbourhood.

James: On a particularly hot day I created a more classic very Mediterranean look. Though I wore dark blue suit trousers, I chose a thin pale blue shirt that matches the colour of the checks on my trousers and a pink linen jacket. People often ask me how I manage to wear suits in such hot weather, the answer is linen. Linen is the perfect suit fabric for hot weather, it is light, comfortable and breathable. I finished the outfit off with a dark blue and white tie and blue silk flower lapel pin. The dark blue in both the tie and the pin allowed the dark trousers to not be too striking against the other lighter tones.

Jeordy: Playing along with the same Mediterranean vibe as James, I chose to wear this stunning Emily and Fin dress. It features a print with grecian houses, and the cut simply declares summer. I wore the straps off the shoulder and paired it with sandals, sunglasses and a floppy straw sun-hat for maximum easy-breeziness. Just visible is my sun pendant choker from Ana Karuso. A day of tasty Italian food, strong iced coffee and vibrant colour had me feeling sassy.

Hopping between Broadway Market and Victoria Park Market in search of lunch left us thirsty!

James: For a slightly cooler day perusing food venders I chose a more casual three piece brown suit. I added a little colour by wearing a purple shirt and an orange and white floral tie, with a matching pocket square. Conveniently I even managed to choose a smoothie that would match my tie, just to tie everything together.

Jeordy: You might be thinking that this outfit looks familiar, and that's because it is indeed a repeat. I didn't get to wear this combination (dress, belt, purse) for long enough the first time around, so I wore it again. Yes, outfit repeats happen! This time I added a 1940s bolero jacket to fight the breeze, changed necklaces and switched out my heels for more comfortable heeled sandals.

We only had a few hours to run errands and enjoy Notting Hill on this day out, so functionality was key.

James: This effortless outfit of suspenders and a bright pink stripped shirt was perfect for a humid day running around Notting Hill taking photos.

Jeordy: As I knew I would be going to What Katie Did to get fitted for a corset, I busted out one of my favourite dresses, a gorgeous 1940s red number. I had work at the library beforehand, and this ensemble proved versatile. Flat two-tone shoes made it comfortable, while the red dress and contrasting navy blue belt kept me feeling stylish.

We spent one warm sunny day sauntering through Highbury and stuffing ourselves with fried chicken.

James: Looking a little like a 50's detective on this day I wore a plain white shirt with a double breasted grey and red checked suit. I finished the outfit off with a floral tie and brown fedora. The red in the tie helped to compliment the red in the suit.

Jeordy: I also wore a plain white shirt, tied at the waist just above my lovey blue and white striped, nautical high-waisted skirt from Collectif. It was a warm day so the thin skirt and top suited me fine, and my blue suede heels pulled the look together.

A dear friend, vintage lover and photographer visited from Pittsburg, so we embarked on a photoshoot in the stunning local nature preserve.

James: For a summery day in the nature park I opted for white trousers and waistcoat to keep me cool. I then wore a darker maroon jacket with a purple shirt. The outfit was accessorised with a golden pocket watch chain, a yellow tie and matching pocket square. These golden yellow accents matched with the yellowish tone of my waistcoat buttons. Finally a purple-pink flower plucked from the meadow matched with my shirt and also was a combination of the maroon and the white. For me the colours of this outfit portrayed those of an English Summer meadow. The white emphasised light and whiter petals, the maroon portraying the darker qualities of nature such as berries, the pale yellow to resemble hay, straw and other grasses, while the pink/purple highlighted the more delicate colours of flowers that English meadows will soon lose come winter.

Jeordy: I struggled to decide what to wear for our photoshoot with Gabriela, but I finally settled on this dress. Yes, I had already worn it a few times this summer, but it deserves more love than it gets! In this photo you can really see the details which make it spectacular: the buttons, the shoulder details and white trim on the collar, the soft pleats, and unseen but all-important, pockets. I wore the navy belt again, matching it with my navy suede heels, and furthering the red and white dualism with white pearls, red lips and a candy cane striped hair scarf. I knew the red would stand out from the greenery well, highlighting both itself and the scenery around it.

To celebrate the end of our Bachelor's degree and a successful move we dressed to impress and treated ourselves to dinner at the one and only Brasserie Zedel.

James: Unfortunately the light in the bar makes it hard to see, but on this evening I wore a red velvet tuxedo jacket accompanied by the classic style of black trousers, a black bow tie and waistcoat. The main reason I dress the way I do is to express myself and choose my favourite aspects of fashion and put them together, I love classic styles but because of this I like my fashion to be a little bit different or colourful. The issue I have with men's black tie is that in a crowd, black tuxedos can all look the same, it is therefore important to me to have something a little different and a mildly, though not too vibrantly, colourful tuxedo jacket is perfect.

Jeordy: As it was a night out to celebrate, we opted for formal. I chose to wear a tight-fitting black satin dress with gorgeous beaded trim. It is the dress I bought for New Year's Eve 2017, so I was very pleased to have found another occasion to wear it. The dress very much speaks for itself, and I didn't want to muddle it so I chose simple accoutrement, including my black 1960s purse, brown heels, and a necklace which emphasised my décolletage.

We went for flashy while frolicking in the streets of Notting Hill.

James: A perfectly two toned outfit for wandering around the brightly coloured Notting Hill. Wearing a white shirt, trousers and pocket square I added a brown jacket to make a two toned outfit that would match my shoes. I paired the simple look with an intricate paisley tie to add some complexity and I was good to go.

Jeordy: Notting Hill is famously colourful, so I decided to join in. I wore this multicoloured diamond print dress from Emily and Fin, paired with neutral heeled sandals and a vibrant yellow purse (which is actually a notebook!). To complement other colours in the dress I chose a rosy pink 1920s necklace and earrings with teal stones.