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The Great British Bank Holiday style guide… find everything our fashion editors are wearing this weekend for both style and function.
DINAH VAN TULLEKEN
Next week’s Spring Bank Holiday is the one we’ve been waiting for, eyes glued to the weather forecast. With sunshine at least possible, thoughts turn to the first BBQ of the year, a long local hike to the pub, or a proper getaway to a sparkling coastline.
I’m risking the eight hour round trip to North Norfolk. Whether a relaxing walk on Holkham Beach will compensate for the hours spent stationary on the M11 remains to be seen, but to really enjoy myself – with three children in tow – I’ll need a wardrobe that’s both functional and fashionable.
That floaty summer dress won’t work for a blustery bike ride down sandy lanes, so swap it out for a practical pair of jeans – straight leg and high waist are my personal favourite – a relaxed loose-fitting cotton t-shirt and a classic Breton stripe. Throw all your essentials into an oversized canvas tote – LL Bean do an XXL with long straps which is essential with children.
A ‘wear-anywhere’ dress is a must, and they don’t come better than Me & Em’s simple jersey design (only £95 and available in multiple colourways including black). Style it by day with a baseball cap and trainers and dress it up with a long silk scarf and chunky leather sandals for sundowners at Brancaster Staithe.
I’m hoping a jacket won’t be necessary, but my brown suede with contrast collar from Albaray will be travelling from London with me – a piece that works just as well in wide-open countryside as it does on the London Underground. Sunglasses, prescription from Cubitts, are obligatory whatever the weather – I don’t get enough sleep.
With the Sandringham Estate nearby, you never know who you might bump into strolling around Burnham Market.
KATHERINE SPENLEY
Come Saturday morning I’ll be barrelling down the M40 from London to the Cotswolds. I’m lucky enough to have family there, so this is a weekend escape I make every couple of weeks, and I’ve picked up a few style rules along the way.
So, how to fit in with the Glossy Posse? First, forget the bucolic country cliches. Yes, you need a pretty dress or two, but be careful, anything too bright, too tight… too much will scream tourist. I like this faded lemon cheesecloth maxi from Me & Em.
Second, you need to get the denim right. Skinnies are dated, yes, but you’ll never make it through a pot-holed yard or even the easiest of walks to the pub in a seriously wide-leg. The solution? At coffee in Daylesford a couple of weeks ago I counted three pairs of mom jeans in the crowd of post drop-off yummy mummies. They’re the 4 x4 of jeans – a cuffed ankle handles the terrain, while the volume in the leg shrieks style. (Colour wise, go as pale as you can – I need a darker wash, but Wedgewood Blue is the chicest choice).
Most important of all is the top – it’s all about the Collar in the Costloads. True afficionados head to O Pioneers or Damson Madder for extravagant scalloping – I prefer to nod to the trend with a Broderie collar or a hint of pie-crust.
You need a fluffy vest on top – colour is fine here, mustard, navy, or, yes, Lurpak – and don’t forget to flip your collar out over the top.
When it comes to bags, le tout Broadway are currently sporting hard baskets in the crook of their elbows, but if that feels a bit too Bo Peep, then anything suede and unstructured is fine providing it’s the colour of a well-done loaf from Sourdough Revolution.
When it comes to shoes, a coloured trainer – New Balance is still fine – or a Venetian slipper by Le Monde Beryl will take you from drinks at The Rabbit in Kingham (note – locals omit the ‘Wild’ in The Wild Rabbit) to supper at Burford’s Bull (ditto, there’s no ‘The’).
Oh, and the final touch? Gold drop earrings from Catherine Zoraida, sunnies from Le Specs – and a little mud and dust around the edges.
AMY KESTER
The long journey down to Cornwall is always worth it at this time of year for the views – and the shopping. I’ll leave Newquay to the surfers, and instead mooch around the small boutiques and craft-y shops of Truro.
Hopefully the sun will be shining so I can slip on this linen skirt from New Look. Of course, being by the water means I’ll need to team it with a sensible knitted vest from Massimo Dutti. These ballet flats from Next will be perfect for tackling the pretty cobbled streets.
For me it’s all about being able to mix and match my wardrobe so this bucket bag in a rich chocolate hue from Mango will see me from day to night, as will my trusted tortoiseshell sunnies from Jimmy Fairly. For the evening, Rixo’s Aubrie dress is the perfect mix of smart/casual as I head to St Mawes for drinks at Hotel Tresanton’s beach club, probably in my low-heeled sandals from Dune.
And if at any point the weather takes a turn, With Nothing Underneath just launched the perfect Diana style sweatshirt, which I’ll happily throw over any ensemble wherever I may be.
