A long sleeved dress is a must-have as part of my wardrobe as you can sneak all manner of layers underneath it. My extremities suffer with the cold even indoors over winter - I often jest that I must be part lizard. Some people are naturally warm all the time which makes me so envious; how convenient! I used to think that increasing my exercise regime would increase my circulation to keep me warmer but there has been absolutely no discernible difference. Cold from the elbows and knees onwards. Nippy toesies and nosy.

There is something enchanting about a black dress with bold coloured florals. Until I reviewed these photographs I had no idea there were sold black squiggly lines down the front, back and sleeves. It would look nicer in my opinion to maintain a consistent covering of pattern all over - but there we go. In my mind's eye I would secretly love to design a range of clothing each season which would be made up of pieces that would be timeless and give a nod to the colours and trends of the time but not to the extent of rendering them out of place in years to come. It would make for an amazing project. Maybe one year?

Big sleeves! The fabric is regrettably too lightweight for a breeze as it billows and gets buffeted all over the show. Ah well, you live and learn.
It'll soon be bare legs weather which will be so much more pleasant.
Sophie 

The sleeves are most particular and add to the shape of the dress; it makes my shoulders appear wider and by default my waist looks narrower. The cut and fit is so comfortable, really a high quality piece and one I'm happy to keep in my wardrobe all summer  long.


Summer is not complete without sunglasses, ankle boots and a little bag. I'm so glad things are changing.
Have you found any pieces perfect for summer?
Sophie

It's been a winter full of oversized jumpers and thermal black tights but I'm not about to pack them away just yet; staying warm is a priority so I'll be clinging on to them for a while yet.
 Muddy, faithful Magnum boots as ever and my beloved Joules bag from Country Attire.
Have you been tempted to dress up for a sensational spring day?
Sophie

As I walked through town at the weekend, I was serenaded from afar by a very cheerful chap singing 'if you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair' by Scott McKenzie. Thanks for that! It makes for a good post title and seems appropriate for my seventies inspired outfit. These True Religion 'Joey' jeans are one of my all time best charity shop finds; they were about £1.50 (from memory) and I'm pretty sure they're genuine, worn in and yet with years of life left in them. I hadn't quite realised how low cut they were until I reviewed these pictures (also noting that eating a big burger for lunch really hasn't done me any favours) but they're a kick-ass flare that ticks all the boxes for me. I originally planned to just wear this cute cropped jumper from TK Maxx (£4, I know, couldn't resist) but chickened out and reached for my rather old faithful long checked shirt which works for me.

I wish I could travel back in time for a day, the seventies would be my kind of world.

Sophie

We like to spend time by the river; strolling quietly while enjoying the peace and quiet. The countryside is a place for all seasons with each week and month giving a different look and feel to the same spots. The last few visits have been a whole mixture of conditions from burning bright sunshine to dull an windy with the threat of drizzle. I wear whatever I please but always with sensible footwear to walk in, my trusty black leather biker boots on this occasion.

With the cooler days of spring almost behind us but the temperatures still faltering I'm on the very cusp of going out bare arms and legs. The leafy trees on the riverbank provide a gorgeous shady retreat for the hottest of summer days, which I will be grateful for over the months to come.

This cute blue denim gilet from New Look is perfect for keeping me from getting chilled by the breeze and works really well with this cute white gypsy top. I've never owned a jacket like this before, though I'm dying to call it a worzel like someone else I know (not sure this is a known term or if they made it up!). Denim always works a treat with florals so I also wore my favourite colourful shorts too and flowers in my hair for good measure. Necklace was my grandmother's, the arm party and rings as standard.

I'm hedging my bets by bringing a thick cardigan along 'just in case' for the last of the evening daylight. This is England, after all!

Sophie

Thanks to New Look for sending me the jacket to review. All content and opinions my own.

…

Sometimes other people know you better than you think you know yourself.

When blogging pal and all round lovely lady Hazel sent me this River Island pastel multicolour shift dress as part of her wardrobe purge a few weeks ago I was unsure about it on two counts. Firstly, the colours are not ones I would normally wear, pastels don't really feature much over here and secondly, usually shift dresses make me look boxy or bulky and don't tend to perform that magical flattering trick they do on most women. The material on this dress feel really silky and feels really nice on the skin and it has some nice tailoring details. Not one to dismiss anything too soon I tried it on and loved it! Fits just right, with the perfect about of roominess yet retaining it's shape. The mini skirt is cheekily short but by my rules remains decent

My light cream cardigan was the obvious choice to wear with it along with my Jonny Loves Rosie Spring florals garland floral crown which is the most subtle of my collections but very sweet indeed. Charity shop necklace, vintage bracelet and brown leather ankle boots.

These pictures were taken while on location at another wildlife haven, which I'll be sharing more of very soon. At this rate you'll still be seeing height-of-summer photographs long into Autumn (but that's fine by me), I'm keeping everything crossed for an Indian summer.

Sophie

I can't describe just what summer means to me; the sunshine, flora and fauna is so inspiring. They make my heart swell, put a spring in my step and make me beam with happiness.

The sunshine is like a drug, I feel quite literally high as a kite and there is no coming down, I can't get enough and skip through the days with so much joy in my heart.

Quite honestly summer is my raison d'etre, it's something I long for all winter, yearn for. My heart beats for the long hot days, the sleepless nights, the heatwaves that ripple across roads and fields. The trees that hum with the buzz of insects, the fields of golden crops that sway in the odd breeze, the daisies in the grass.

Don't even get me started on wildflowers, I get a little bit squealy and over excited. It's like finding money dropped in the street.

This sun dress is one from ASOS a couple of years ago that to me just shouts summertime and the pockets make it practical, the print and frills make it perfect for everything and the elasticated waist only ever flatters. The conservative length makes it ideal for everything from an afternoon garden party to an afternoon of gardening. Can I just hold my hands up right here, right now and admit being a total shoe bore? These brown leather ankle boots have barely left my tootsies since picking them up at a yard sale a few weeks ago for a single pound. This tassled brown bag has also been pretty much glued to my shoulder since we entered BST too, what a fab blog giveaway win, thanks to Laura from A Daisychain Dream a couple of years ago. Owl necklace from Select originally.

This Johnny Loves Rosie 'Summertime orchid floral garland crown headband has to be my ultimate floral crown for this summer, plenty of flowers, colours and sizes. I love it so much but Norfolk perhaps isn't ready for it. While we were taking these shots an old guy on  bike cycled past on the lane and was staring the whole time, I tried not to look at him but had to laugh as he went by. Chris mentioned it looked like I'd fallen headfirst into a flowerbed, which made me roar with laughter. So bloody what, it's so cheerful and makes me feel like I'm fully embracing the season.

Summer is everything to me. What does it mean to you?

Sophie

It's not often I wear orange but when I spied this old Debenhams dress for a single British Pound Sterling in a charity shop I knew it was meant to be. The absolute simplicity of the shape is particularly appealing to me, especially considering the rest of my wardrobe which is full of a whole mix of everything. Sometimes something really straightforward just feels right. A-line is A-OK.

What's that on my bonce? Another floral crown, that's what. It's not even the first time I've worn it, just the outing on the blog here. It's a sweet one from Johnny Loves Rosie “English countryside floral garland crown headband”  who make some gorgeous ones indeed (might have bought another, shhh). The ones that are a proper circle are my thing, not so fond of the bouquets on the Alice bands.

The white polka dots of the dress told me they wanted to be paired with those jolly uncomfortable which faux litas that I shouldn't have bothered buying (eyelets are trying to fall out). What better choice of footwear for climbing on logs in the forest? Naturally I wore some more practical ankle boots for our walk around Sandringham Country Park  and had a swift shoe change for a couple of minutes.

Arm party as standard. Vintage belt to match heels.

This is pretty much what I want to wear all.summer.long.

Sophie