The Summer Edit: Dressing for the Season in Style

Summer is the season when fashion must work its hardest and show least effort. The elimination of layers, the reveal of skin, the supremacy of natural light — all demand that each visible element of dress be impeccable, since there is nowhere to hide. This is why great summer dressing requires the finest fabrics and the most considered proportions.

**The non-negotiables of summer dressing**:

**Linen**: The perfect summer fabric — breathable, beautiful, and possessed of that particular quality of looking better slightly rumpled than pressed. The finest linen comes from Ireland (Irish Linen Guild, irishlinen.co.uk) and from the Belgian Flanders region (European Flax, europeanflax.com). At the garment level, Loro Piana (loropiana.com) produces extraordinary linen shirts and trousers; at the accessible level, Arket (arket.com) and Uniqlo's premium linen range deliver remarkable quality.

**The white dress**: The white summer dress is perhaps the single most photographed garment in existence. A midi or maxi-length white dress in broderie anglaise, fine cotton voile, or linen makes every setting — beach, terrace, garden — look like a fashion editorial. Zimmermann (zimmermannwear.com) is the definitive contemporary address for beautiful white dresses with exceptional textile detail. Ulla Johnson (ullajohnson.com) produces beautifully romantic summer dresses with extraordinary fabric work.

**The swimsuit as fashion statement**: The one-piece swimsuit has returned to dominance and shows no signs of retreating. Eres (eresparis.com) — the Parisian swimwear house founded in 1968 — produces the most beautiful one-piece swimsuits available, in their signature matte Lycra in colours that are simultaneously bold and restrained. Heidi Klein (heidiklein.com) is the London equivalent, with exceptional cover-up robes.

**Summer accessories**: The wide-brim hat in straw or raffia — the finest are made by Lock & Co. Hatters (lockhatters.co.uk), established in 1676 on St. James's Street, London. Leather sandals that darken beautifully with oil and wear. A single piece of fine gold jewellery — a thin chain or a simple hoop — against tanned skin. Sunglasses that fit: Oliver Peoples (oliverpeoples.com) and Garrett Leight (garrettleight.com) produce the most flattering contemporary frames.

**On the summer mimosa wardrobe**: Our palette — champagne, gold, warm ivory, blush — is summer's own palette. Dress in these colours against the season's light and you will always look as though you belong somewhere beautiful.