I’m sitting at my kitchen table looking out at the sunshine beating down on the window sill while trying to research summer trends, and how we can make them feasible in a country where it rains, like, all the time. I’ve always been an advocate of investing in Autumn Winter as we wear those clothes for longer (and they tend to last years) but something has clicked with me in 2018 that has inspired me to get all summery. I bought my first item on Revolve, I have become obsessed with body suits, and I want to wear white all the time. This is an usual feeling and I don’t know what to do. I basically have zero summer clothes with the exception of a few Zara tops and skirts I have from last year. The other thing is, I am fortunate to be able to visit a family holiday home in Spain a few times a year and I generally keep all my summer clothes there. So when I woke up at the weekend and it was a scorcher, I was left bereft of shorts and it was all my own fault. So I have to get some summer clothes I can wear here. 

For whatever reason, or maybe Google knows what I’m thinking, I find myself landing on jumpsuits. Pun is fully intentional btw. They just need to come with guidelines on how to wear them. But let’s pause for a second to consider what we know of jumpsuits. Firstly, it’s a common problem amongst jumpsuit wearers that using the loo is problematic. You basically have to get naked. This has generally happened to me when I’ve worn jumpsuits to weddings or other occasions where the event has been in a marquee and the bathroom is a port-a-loo, which are cold and far from salubrious. Secondly, I have only been able to half dress myself when wearing a jumpsuit as I am certainly incapable of contortion, so I end up wearing a coat over the half up zip and asking a friend to finish it when I get to wherever it is we’re going. So look, none of this is working in the favour of the jumpsuit is it? 

But let me introduce you to the pros of jumpsuits, vis-á-vis, the styles that make port-a-loo nakedness a bit more tolerable.  

Avoid zips at the back

Might sound simple, but it’s effective. Look for styles that have a side zip – this, I think, provides more structure in the jumpsuit as well as being easier to get in and out of. 

Look for a waist

I really really don’t like jumpsuits that look like sacks. They are just unflattering. And I really wish Stella McCartney hadn’t made them a “thing”. Seek out waist bands to give that much loved cinching and create shape. 

Choose your leg

I love a wide leg trouser; wear with wedges or a platform sandal for height and proportion. They make your legs look like they go on for days. But if you prefer a tapered leg, wear with stilettos. 

Nah ah florals

I think if you are a jumpsuit novice, then stick to block colours and if you really want to tread carefully stick with black. Florals are just a no-no for me. I don’t want my legs to look like curtains. 

Click through the images below for my edit of this season’s jumpsuits with some styling advice too! Cover image – Rochelle for New Look Grey Jumpsuit.