Embrace la dolce vita this summer
All you need is a full-skirt and knotted white linen shirt, which looks lovely even if you’re not Gwyneth Paltrow in The Talented Mr Ripley. Annie Brown breaks down the essentials this season.
There’s a style trend on a certain social media platform famed for funny dance videos and undermining liberal democracies. Dubbed #tomatogirl, it now has 26.8 million views on the app. It’s all about projecting a permanent state of la dolce vita: Sophia Loren eating spaghetti, or Daphne (Meghann Fahy) in Series Two of The White Lotus clad in swirling Pucci bikinis while frolicking on Sicilian shores. Never fear if you missed your chance to embody #tomatogirl in Europe this year, you can still spend the summer looking as if you’re just back from picking up fresh produce from the farmer’s market to toss through some pasta al dente, toting a Jane Birkin-esque straw basket. All you need is a full-skirt and knotted white linen shirt, which looks lovely even if you’re not Gwyneth Paltrow in The Talented Mr Ripley (a timeless summer style reference); a Jackie Kennedy Onassis headscarf or Dolce & Gabbana’s entire back catalogue. Or turn to local brands Aje and Alemais or rummage around for a vintage fruit print.
Tomato girl is the vivid alternative to the so-called “quiet luxury” aesthetic which has been pervasive all year. Your muse for this one is a ’90s icon, the late Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, who lost her life in a plane crash with her husband, JFK Jnr. Her timeless fashion sense is closely observed in a new book, CBK: A Life in Fashion by British stylist, author and curator Sunita Kumar, who notes that Bessette Kennedy’s minimalist style, effortless yet avant-garde with her love of Japanese designers and Prada, was underpinned by knowing exactly what suited her, and sticking to it. It would be just like Bessette Kennedy to wear the same simple black slip dress and flip flops each summer. There’s fashion wisdom in picking an easy breezy summer capsule wardrobe.
Another trend this season: less is more. We spied beach-ready short shorts on runways at Chanel and Max Mara, simply worn over swimmers or with an oversized button-down shirt. And if that’s too much coverage, Miu Miu and Bottega Veneta sent models down the runway wearing nothing but their underwear. That’s one less decision to make about what to wear on holiday.
Designer Togs
With everyone’s ideal summer spent either lounging by or submerged in water there are more high-end bathing suits than ever to tempt you out of those saggy old swimmers (her) or baggy board shorts (him). Here some smarter options.
Or what about trying...
Q&A
Hayden Cox, designer and founder of surfwear/surfboard brand HaydenShapes
What is a perfect summer day for you? Starting with a surf in the morning then posting up at home on the waterfront from lunchtime onwards. Jetty-jumping at sunset and freshly caught fish on the BBQ for dinner.
Any summer holiday traditions? Surfboards out and phones put away. Chef Josh Niland gave me his cookbook The Whole Fish a few years ago and it’s become a summer holiday staple in our house for cooking at home.
Your go-to summer wardrobe essential? A good short, a swim shirt and my IWC Aquatimer watch because I spend so much time in the water. My current favourites are our Haydenshapes full rotation boardshort in moonscape print and our long-sleeve button-down high water sun resistant swim shirt in black which feels more elevated than a basic tee.
You’re known for your surfboards and objects. What was it like to collaborate with Dion Lee on a wetsuit? Dion was so great to collaborate with. His signature aesthetic and design language brought a whole new perspective to what a wetsuit could be. I’m super proud of the collection we created and the response has been amazing.
Who is your summer style icon? My six-year-old daughter. She goes big during summer. I think she cycles through at least three fashion moments/looks a day over the holiday period.
Party Wear
“Never miss a party… [it’s] good for the nerves – like celery,” wrote author and member of the Riviera set, F. Scott Fitzgerald, who went to a good deal of them.
In any case, an opportunity for a party ought to be relished, and so too an occasion for glitz, froths of tulle and seriously fancy shoes for dancing the night away.
DID YOU ENJOY THIS? Enjoy our Christmas Gift Guide for excellent gift ideas for everybody in your family - grom grandkids to great aunts.
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