Be loud and proud

Summer might have been a bit of a washout so far this year (no change there then), but that doesn’t mean your wardrobe has to be. Why not inject a bit of colour into proceedings? It can brighten up your wardrobe, your mood and your summer in one simple step, with vibrant shades and bold, loud prints being the ideal way to see through the season in style.

To really pull the look off you need to have a few statement pieces in your wardrobe that you can mix and match with ease. You don’t have to combine them all at once (unless of course you want to—clashing is fashion and all that), but can instead focus on one key item to really stand out whilst letting the rest of your look provide the perfect backdrop.

Brightly coloured or patterned jeans are a great place to start. The perfect way to inject a bit of sunshine into your day even if the real thing is hidden behind rain clouds, an attention-grabbing pair of jeans (or even cropped trousers if you’re after a high-fashion alternative) will get you noticed for all the right reasons. Team with a simple top or the t-blouse—a t-shirt/blouse hybrid—for a bit of added luxe and you’ve got it sorted, or go the other way by teaming a brightly-coloured or printed t-shirt with a more demure bottom half. Either way you can’t go wrong.

If dresses are your style of choice then keep it contemporary with bold prints or high-impact colours (yellow is a particular favourite), and jackets aren’t short of a bit of makeover potential either. Embroidery and prints are the order of the day, and you could even give your bomber a gentle upgrade to the blouson—a softer shape that’s ideal for rain or shine, the blouson jacket should be a staple of your summer wardrobe. Or, why not let your shoes do the talking? If you’re new to the bold concept you might want to take it one step at a time, and a pair of coloured or even metallic sandals can let you do just that.

So what are you waiting for? It’s time to be loud and proud, and who knows, a bit of sunshine in your wardrobe might tempt the real thing to come out and play…