Style Theory: On rainy days like today I need to be cheered up with summer clothing inspiration..step forward Pinterest.. Here are my favourite looks for summer, these  cool outfits will shape my Summer wardrobe this year..

My mind is re-focused, whites, denims, stripes and black with the summer must have strappy sandals and beachy blond waves..now all we need is for the sun to shine and stick around for a while..

Next time the best spring jackets...

Who is your favourite summer dresser, where do you get your summer inspiration from? As always I would love to hear your thoughts and comments, Frances xxx

The Long and Short of it...

Style Theory: Shorts..incredibly practical, a key item in any Summer wardrobe and when styled right they can look pretty cool....

ph via Pinterest

Here are a selection of the best shorts from the high street that will be endlessly useful throughout the summer..

The Khaki Short

Hush Marseille Shorts £40

H&M £14.99

Khaki is a neutral that you can throw on with any colour top. I particularly like khaki with bright oranges and denim. These shorts would look stunning with a lightweight denim shirt and a pair of tan strappy sandals.

The Denim Short

Levis 501 Cut Off Shorts £45

Fat Face Short £38

Denim shorts, year after year these are the perfect item to wear on hot sunny days, perfect for walking down to the beach with a boho top and a pair of black sliders. I have the Fat Face shorts, they are a supersoft denim and actually slightly longer on than in the image (see photo in My Style below) so they are perfect for wearing day to day in the UK, I tend to feel more comfortable in the shorter shorts on holiday!

The Patterned Short

Zara High Waisted Print Shorts £29.99

H&M £14.99

A dressed up version of the short, taking you seamlessly through from day to night. During the day pair them with a neutral grey t-shirt, in the evening wear with a loose, soft cream blouse tucked in and again I would pair with flat tan strappy sandals.

The Skort

Topshop Textured Wrap Skort £36

Topshop PU Asymmetric Wrap Skorts £36

These are really flattering as the front section hits further down the leg and the points elongate the legs. These are great when chasing after the kids in the evening on holiday, they create the effect of a skirt without the exposure when bending down to pick up a child!

The Longer City/Boyfriend Short

Asos Linen City Shorts £18

Gap Boyfriend Short £24.99

I have long been a fan of the long short (see streetstyle Pinterest photo above top middle of Pandora Sykes) the styling is perfect. I love these with an oversize striped shirt and flat black pointed shoes. I wore these when I was in my 20s constantly and I really feel the need to bring back this styling as it is super flattering and such a cool look.

Shorts are definitely worth their weight in gold for me in the summer, so easy to throw on, so comfortable and look good. My advice, as usual, is to try, try lots of different styles on, length is really important so they hit your leg at the correct, most flattering point. To flatten a tummy avoid pleated fronts and go for a flat fronted short. 

MY STYLE 

Coat: H&M similar here
Top: Zara similar here
Shorts: c/o Fat Face £38
Bag: Spain Boutique
Sandals: Mango £19.95

Are you a fan of shorts, do you wear them constantly in the summer, or am I just getting older and loving the idea of them?! 

As always I would love to hear your thoughts and comments, until next time Frances xxx

The Timeless, Elegant Suede Skirt

Style Theory: The suede skirt, a multi season piece, timeless and cool, an invaluable addition to your 2015 wardrobe.

The Marks and Spencer midi skirt has been leading the pack so far this season seen below on Alexa Chung and Olivia Palermo...

It encapsulates the 70s boho trend with hints of Gucci and Prada, the fact that it is from M&S means the designer look is all the more accessible. It has been billed as the skirt of the season by Vogue and has been much hyped in social media making it a cult item. 

Marks and Spencer £199

The styling is stunning, the white stitching so perfectly 70s and the split avoids it looking mumsy.

However, if you are like me and find midi skirts a little difficult to wear, how about a shorter suede skirt? They are easy to style, wear with boho top in the summer and black roll neck, black opaque tights and black flat boots in the winter. There is also no problem with coat lengths, shorter skirts work just as well with short or long coats (with midis there is always the problem of ensuring your skirt hangs below your coat length) I love the styling below..

When I popped into Topshop the other day I tried on a perfect little, button through, real, suede skirt.

Jumper: Boden similar here
Skirt: Topshop £75
Shoes: Isabel Marant

It is a slightly heavy suede that sits really well and the A-line cut is extremely flattering. I tried on a size 10 and size 12, the size 10 sat on my waist and was slightly shorter than the size 12 which sat on my hips and hit just above my knees (I am 5ft2ish) Both looked good, to be honest there was not a major difference between them.

Topshop £75

At £75 this is far more within my budget than the M&S midi skirt, I have ordered it and know it will be worn so much this summer and through the winter, the neutral tan colour will work well with any colour of coat, I now have my eye on the new M&S coat for next season...

M&S AW15 Per Una £159

The shape of this coat is fab and I love coloured leopard print...but first lets concentrate and enjoy summer!

Do you like the M&S midi skirt or do you prefer the shorter version? Will you be buying into the suede look this summer? As always I would love to hear your thoughts and comments, until next time Frances xxx

The Crisp, Endlessly Useful and Chic White Summer top

Style theory: From bright to chalky to creams..a white top is the perfect piece to have in your wardrobe. It looks crisp, fresh and positively summer-like, this year choose from delicate lace, broderie anglais or boho styles, all beautifully flattering and oh so Summer 2015....

White tops look great with distressed jeans, creating a perfect contrast and edge to clean lines and the colour of the white top. Here are a selection of white tops styled perfectly by the streetstylers: 

images via Pinterest

Now for the best on the high street and how they look on. I have concentrated on white tops with some kind of arm coverage as I am now getting to that age where I like the top of my arms to have some coverage eek!...

Warehouse White Gypsy Top £24

This is a great version of a gypsy top, I like it better pulled up on the shoulders it creates a flattering square neckline, the top can be tucked in or left out over jeans. I unfortunately had my dungarees on these photos (completely the wrong thing to wear when trying on tops so just ignore them!)

There is 25% off Warehouse this week with Grazia so if you fancy this top get it with the code WHGRAZIA25 (I think?) 

Warehouse Black Stripe lace Top £32

Part lace top, part breton what's not to love?!

Topshop Sheer Pom Pom Embroidered top £38

I can only find this in the black online but I saw lots of cream instore. I love the pom pom details on this top, it would look fab over a bikini with distressed denim shorts.

Zara Combined top £25.99

This has gorgeous lace detail at the top with good length sleeves if you are conscious of your upper arms.

Zara £25.99

This is one of my favourite tops I tried on and I will be buying this one. It is so flattering and delicate, I love the cut of the sleeve and the embroidery detail.

Zara Guipere Lace Off-Shoulder Top Blouse £29.99

Show a little shoulder without looking too over the top.

Zara Embroidered jacket £39.99

So not necessarily all white, but I do love this kimono, it would be perfect over a white vest and boyfriend jeans with tan strappy sandals.

Looks like this top may have sold out online, but it is definitely available in store and this one I have my eye on buying too. I love a victoriana neckline and I can just about get away with the no sleeves as the shoulder detail detracts from your arms. This would be a really hardworking top in your wardrobe, wear with jeans, shorts, culottes or tucked into a suede skirt for a fabulous office look.

Fingers crossed over the next few weeks it will warm up in the uk and we will be able to wear these gorgeous white tops, in the meantime I will be wearing mine under a navy blazer to make sure I get wear out of it this season.

Do you have a favourite white top, have you enticed by the white look this year? As always I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions, until next time Frances xx