Black v Brights: Pick Your Summer Style Tribr
THE SUN HAS FINALLY got the, ‘It’s summer. You’re late. For God’s sake, shine’, memo. Hallelujah! So what’s the fastest way to get your wardrobe singing from the hot-weather hymn sheet? Colour. And yet, judging by the latest pictures of the stylish set last week, there are two schools of thought when it comes to which hues are right for now.
The first is the fashion editor favourite: head-to-toe black. Last week’s annual Serpentine Summer Party, held at the Hyde Park gallery, looked like a gathering of crows. In a good way. Brit actor Felicity Jones wore a black sequinned Chanel jumpsuit. Fellow actor Anne Brewster and model Lara Stone also wore black Chanel. Elsewhere, Rihanna chose a leather trouser suit from her own collection for the BET Awards last week. The obvious upside to black? It’s pretty much sweat-proof – a
huge plus when you live in a country where only the supermarkets have AC – and it’s also super-chic. Seek out pieces in cotton, linen or silk (black is a heat-absorber so you want a breathable fabric if possible) and pay attention to the shoes. Give a sweet squarenecked black dress some bite with velcro Teva sandals, or posh up leather shorts with some barely-there strappy sandals.
And yet. There’s something arguably more alluring about this summer’s other colour story. Brights. The street-stylers at Paris Fashion Week Men’s last weekend looked like walking-talking Pantone swatches. Fuchsia! Lime! Tangerine! Kendall Jenner and singer Ella Mai also made a case for zinging neon green. The latter wore a highlighter-bright trouser suit and matching shades for the BET Awards. Yes, it’s trickier than black, but there are plus points. You’ll look like a ray of sunshine if the heavens open and everyone around you will have something to smile about. For first-timers, pick one shade for the main body of your outfit – a frog-green trouser suit, à la Sienna Miller last week, for example – then go neutral on accessories. Here are the best pieces to add to your basket now, whether you’re a ‘summer black’ or ‘summer brights’ kind of person.