What to wear in mini heatwave
The song of ICE + FIRE
Happy mid-week! I come bearing good news from my side: Spring has sprung — Manchester is officially, irrevocably bursting with life! Putting occasional doses of cloudy and rainy days aside, it is safe to say we have bid farewell to the frigid cold in favour of some countable sunny days and can slowly stow away those heavy coats and fleece sweatpants until six months later. This week, a mini heatwave is warmly welcomed as the guest of honour, meaning that… it’s time to dress for longer daytime! Coming to the weather range: At noon, indoor or outdoor, you wish only to wear a single layer for the long missed kissing sun. That said, weather drops to (or feels like) single digit without it and you come close to swearing because A) you know a shivering peacock does not look pretty and B) you need a certain degree of skin covering as real summer is still a month away. Solution for cold person (like me) who easily settles for warmth over style, coordinated pieces from day to night follows a simple math of ICE + FIRE:
ICE: Thin summer layers with keywords e.g. cotton, sheer, short, detachable
FIRE: Winter dumpling keywords e.g. wool, faux fur, long, layering
Juggling with the words and my transitioning wardrobe, planned outfits of this week is now served:
LOOK 1: IN SEARCH FOR COOKIES & CREAM FRAPPUCCINO
Featuring:
Vintage faux fur cream top
Paisley bandana gifted from Mum (Similar from Asos but I like this one better)
Burberry double waist trousers
Vintage Chanel bag
Casetify pearl phone charm
H&M velvet Mary Janes
Vintage gem rings and earrings set
This look is inspired by Ava Gardner in the movie Mogambo (1953). More attracted by her than Grace Kelly (ikr), one of her very typical 50s looks caught me in particular: grey cigarette pants paired with a tucked in knitwear top, use of thick belt to emphasise waist line, choose bold colour/printed summer neck scarf and loud jewellery to make sure everybody sees you in it. Oh, the vibrant and elegant 50s!
Recreated the look in my own take to feel modern and clean, I started off with earth tone colours for the main ingredients (top and trousers), replaced the belt-trousers combo with a pair of double waist Burberry scored in 2019, attached a lovely Casetify pearl phone charm to handbag and completed the ensemble with a subtle pop of red and silver matching jewellery set. More often than not, red is the bit of colour I add as stand-out indicators when dressed in neutral palates, offering a pleasurable look when consumed in the correct dosage.
Back to the choice of ICE + FIRE, short sleeves faux fur top did keep me warm and breezy at the same time (sadly it gets almost zero wear when I was in Hong Kong). And for a better colour match with my scarf, chocolate socks were changed to coconut flavour the moment before I stepped out of the house as follows:
LOOK 2: TAKE ME ON A PIZZA DATE
Featuring:
Vintage trench coat
Ruffled white tee
GU denim shirt
Uniqlo straight denim (now turned skinny)
Miu Foolishthings clutch
Leather sandals from Thailand
Yes, it’s the algorithm of spring references that made me unconsciously put together this Londoner spring ensemble: Trench coat, white tee, denim and socks. (Not blaming! It’s classic-classic). Slightly tired of coats and layering but I reckon layering should not be abandoned altogether. ICE + FIRE means being strategic without feeling chilly or overheating, one effective method is to incorporate cotton coat and shirt as outside and middle layer, with a breathable t-shirt inside. Taking the outer off, surely you still look put together with the shirt functioning as standalone jacket.
A year-round staple and perfect candidate for layering, my trusty GU denim shirt, which I have owned for about 6 years, only seems to get better with time. Pairing it with Uniqlo straight (which unfortunately becomes skinny) denim, tone on tone creates a coordinated look that feels like a pure symphony.
Offsetting how a conventional Londoner may dress, I added some artisanal, or Gerda Goosen’s afrocentric accent if you wonder, to help punctuate the coinciding ICE + FIRE play and still feel like me. Maximalist wins, she always wins!
LOOK 3: BROWSING FLOWERS IN GARDEN CENTRE
Featuring:
Zara knitted top
Vintage scarf from Grandma
Military khakis from Natalie
Vintage belt from Natalie (feat. 80s clip on earring)
Miu Foolishthings clutch
Charles & Keith woven flat
The coveted jelly shoes by The Row is getting everyone busy on the official site and resale platforms (red is sadly sold out, electric blue is still up for snatch if that’s your colour). Lucky me, my old pair of Charles & Keith doesn’t look worn out to stage its comeback this season and they look amazing lifting my casual pieces of green.
Speaking of which,
said you can't unsee inspiration when it hits and I think she is right. After seeing her style khakis in multiple dimensions, I promptly tried on Natalie’s favourite pair to share the joy even when it apparently is oversized on me. Result? Thanks to my waist and the belt, I LOVE the paper bag effect!!
What also works:
Tie a neck scarf around the high collar. Still feel chilly? Shift the piece right inside your collar for instant warmth.
Use clip on earrings as an extra belt accessory. It’s fun and intriguing!
LOOK 4: A PROFESSIONAL WINDOW SHOPPER
Featuring:
Frank Garcon polo shirt
Uniqlo x Mame Kurogouchi sheer top (Almost bought their entire collection)
RNC leather box bag (with Peter Rabbit keychain scored in Kyoto)
GORGOR skirt
Camper nun shoes
Pulling together all summer pieces creates another ICE & FIRE appropriate outfit. While sheer top may seem extra for polo shirt and round skirt, it covers the skin AND elevates the look without being an overly casual street ensemble. A category I shop and own a lot, it is your second best friend to denim shirt when it comes to layering.
Giving adequate proportion to all black outfit is also key because let’s admit it can be boring boring boring if you are not making the slight effort to style. If proportions come into play, you save time adding accessories and is free to have a nice scone served with matcha latte (don’t ask me why). Being a small frame, I therefore accentuated my shoulder game by little and picked this crispy nylon skirt specialising in creating volume while walking. It feels good window shopping in this way I dress, no?
That’s all for today!
NEXT WEEK: I’m (anxiously) packing for a short trip (again).
Until then,
Chris
Catch up on my previous posts:
