Undoubtedly, because of that week or two just before the beer gardens opened, many of us had high expectations of cute little outfits that we could wear the day we were finally allowed to see our friends outside at a pub. Britain being Britain, however, has not failed in its usual mission for bad weather mid way through May. So here are a few suggestions for cute outfits that won’t make you freeze all night (and a couple extra hopeful ones for when the weather improves and the rules change for us to be allowed inside).
Spring fashion is often much like Autumn’s – all about layering. With temperamental weather and the likelihood that we will all be sitting outside a pub into the late hours of the evening, layers are essential, something demonstrated across many fashion influencers’ accounts recently. Arguably, a couple of fashion influencers that do this better than the rest are Mimi Moocher and Luce Pemberton. Mimi Moocher (Mia Regan) continues to make a splash in the fashion community with her bright style, and has been seen matching and layering coats and jumpers with tops, shirts and unique hats and scarves. Much of her outfits incorporate an element of knitwear, which is always going to be a great warm layer for the pub garden.
In a recent post, Luce Pemberton (more likely you will know her as the creator of the brand Clueluce) demonstrated a flawless example of layering, incorporating similar tones of dark denim and black, with a splash of orange seen on the lining of her jacket. Oversized jackets with hoodies and long sleeves underneath are perfectly understated and have a really nice silhouette that is super easy to pair with any trousers or even skirts.
Fur coats and puffer jackets aren’t going anywhere, particularly with the rise of quilted items being shown on catwalks for AW2021, so make the most of your winter attire, stick a t-shirt or camisole on underneath with a pair of jeans or a midi skirt and that is a great, warmer, outfit if you don’t want too many layers. Also with the rise of baggy trousers, a personal favourite of mine, one of the best things to do is to put tights or leggings underneath oversized trousers. That way, you can channel Mimi Moocher. See her post here.
Stepping away from every possible option to keep warm outside, and towards a slightly more hopeful idea, a simple button down shirt and trousers is always a great combination. This can be done in so many ways, not least of which by pairing a lightly printed, tighter fitting shirt with some baggy jeans or layering an oversized shirt over a t-shirt and pairing with some linen trousers. Step one foot inside a charity shop or vintage store and you will find countless oversized, as well as tailored, pretty shirts that work great with linen trousers or a good pair of blue jeans. In a little flash back to summer, Victoria Paris demonstrated this trend perfectly in her Instagram post.
Also in the hopes of better weather, try out a midi or mini skirt. Taking inspiration from the late 90s and early 2000s, this trend is actually one that has been around for a few years, and is likely one that will be for a long while to come too. Particularly midi skirts are incredibly versatile – you can pair them with little tops and sandals or with an oversized hoodie, sweatshirt or jacket and trainers, or even chunky boots, for when it is still cold or late at night. For me, a couple pretty midi skirts are worth the investment. Isabelle Vrana often wears both of these, going for a monochrome look with a sort and a knitted vest in the Instagram post here.
When in doubt, when you can’t be bothered to get dressed up, take inspiration from the queen of New York herself, Victoria Paris. Recently spotted outside a cafe in a set of green lounge wear, with a green baseball cap to match, her laid back approach to life is something everyone can use. We’ve spent the last year in sweats, why change now when you can simply dress them up? See her outfit here.