From fluidly-cut sky blue tailoring to ultra retro, super-comfortable wide leg denim and simple white shirts. It’s Spring, time to dress like it.
I confess to being a little in love with the fresh and modern collection from sustainable denim brand Iden. They boast a selection of gorgeous styles in a variety of washes, plus a succinctly curated offering of tops to go with. Shown here the Ursula wide leg £185. (They don’t produce a glut of excess stock so on occasion the site will say ‘sold out’ – stalk, it’s worth it. Yes the price tag is a little heftier, but hey, you’re investing in our planet).
There’s a reason why we save a crisp white piece of clothing for travelling home from our hols in – there’s nothing quite like it for showing off a tan. The Stylish Stuff loves this chic, utilitarian vibe linen wrap blouse, £39.99, Zara.
The smart girl’s cool workwear or chic summer wedding choice, Massimo Dutti’s sky blue linen trouser suit, £179
A paler washed out denim is the perfect go-to choice for loosening up your spring wardrobe – a wide leg feels retro and looks great with tighter tees and simple vest tops. Gap’s button through fly hi-rise wide leg jeans are the budget-friendly option; (on sale online) £38.47
Did you know that by nature linen is the eco-friendly fabric of choice? It’s a 100% natural fibre that eschews the use of chemicals and gallons of water in its production. It’s also super cool and gentle on the skin. Massimo Dutti’s linen top with subtle lace trim detail is just gorgeous worn with soft blue denim or lighter shades of tailoring. Linen top with lace trim £24.95.
Effortless style made easy – The Stylish Stuff loves French Connection’s Rhodes poplin relaxed fit shirt, £50
…and a looser style shirt looks great with a cooler cuffed denim pant – opt for a side stripe for a sportier feel. French Connection’s Theo denim track pants £75.
If you prefer a little less volume in your sleeve, AND/OR by John Lewis’s denim look tunic top is the one for you, wear it tucked into boot cut denim (as shown Vista Vintage High Rise by AND/OR £120) or loose over skinnier cuts. Washed blue tunic top £79.
The pretty blouse is a wardrobe long hauler and the higher the neck, the puffier the sleeves the better. This beauty boasts a die-cut embroidered finish and all of the above. Just perfect worn with cropped wide-leg denim. Job done. Blouse £25.99, Zara.
There’s nothing quite as fresh as a crisp white shirt or blouse when worn with faded denim. It’s classic and never gets old, just opt of gentle detailing like this AND/OR at John Lewis cotton blouse with a gentle sparkle check and pretty button detailing on the neck and sleeves. Avery metallic sparkle check blouse £49.
For a more modern take on the polka dot, check out Jigsaw’s spot grandad shirt. A wear-with-denim staple but equally slick under tailoring. Shirt £59.
What’s not to love about the denim boho blouse? To be honest I’ve been admiring from afar and hitherto not succumbed until writing this post and have just pressed click to buy. Voluminous sleeves, embroidery, and a gentler cut look great with a slicker fit trouser and can be dressed up for work or down for the weekend. Embroidered denim top £29.99, Zara.
Softest silk chambray blue blouse – all the better for wearing to work on balmy summer days. Wear with white tailored trousers or of course, your choice of denim. Blouse £39.50 (T432150T available from June), at Marks & Spencer.
Cold shouldering the opposition. Your weekend in the sun bff, Rena off-shoulder embroidered top worn with cropped wide leg jeans £45 (available in store) top £39, Monsoon.
How to wear (Images/Pinterest)
A classic white shirt with a denim jacket; ripped and frayed shorts with voluminous white linen; wide leg jeans with a beautiful blouse or a favourite v neck tee and of course your tried and trusted perfectly cut jean. There are no rules. Just remember denim blues and crisp whites are an absolute fail-safe classic and wardrobe long-stayers. If you can, invest in more eco-friendly denim (denim production involves gallons of water usage and an excess of chemical waste hitting the environment so to choose wisely is a conscientious decision. Luckily a fair few brands are getting smarter to consumer demand and evolving their production methods to more eco-friendly processes). Linen too is enjoying a renaissance – a fabric, as mentioned above, that is naturally eco-friendly. It’s also cool to wear and long-lasting. 
Fringing, heels, trainers, tie cuffed blouses – it’s the details that count.
The perfect jewellery to wear with–
The Stylish Stuff loves Charlotte’s Web, ethically sourced silver and gold, handmade by artisans in Rajasthan and designed by founder Charlotte Howarth. The enclosed pieces look beautiful with denim, spinning rings on chains and fingers and of course, my personal favourite, piles of bracelets. From left; Rajput spinning charm necklaces from £40; pearl secret garden bangle £75, and Maharani manifest spinning charm £35 (more on Charlotte’s Web on TSS soon).
The Stylish Stuff Beauty Shelf –
If your skin is feeling a little unloved, dry, stressed or showing signs of ageing, well say hello to Neal’s Yard Remedies Frankincense Intense range. These products REALLY work, I’ve been test driving the eye cream for two weeks now and the difference to the skin around my eyes is incredible; those fine lines – softened; the dark circles – gone. It is of course organic and cruelty-free. From left; Intense Lift Cream £65; Lift Serum £75, Lift Eye Cream £55 all from Neal’s Yard Remedies.
By Shelly Vella