Skirts are back. Ballerina, tube, sarong, pencil, a-line and pleated - they’re all there, present and correct. There is something so perfect about a skirt in summer. No pesky tights required- just a t-shirt, sandals and you’re away (underwear advised too).

This is a full bodied, ankle length one from Zara. As I am sure many of you can imagine, I have a love/hate relationship with Zara so I would only promote something that I thought was particularly good - and timeless so that it could be worn season after season. It could also be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. Worn with a bright red top, red lipstick and gold accessories it would be the perfect wedding guest outfit.

If your tummy is an area that you feel self conscious about, then wearing a slightly a-line, boxy shirt with a straight hem works well. This shape is perfect with the full bodied, a-line skirt and looks purposeful rather than just un-tucked. Both the shirt and the floral knit jumper that I am wearing are a similar silhouette.

Alternatively, you could do the opposite and tuck your top in and cinch with a belt creating more of an hourglass shape. In this case you would probably want to wear a more fitted top to avoid too much bulk around the waist.

Last week, I talked about picking up the less dominant colour of a patterned piece to add elsewhere into your outfit….and I have done the same this week. It is the small embroidered orange flower on my shirt which I have drawn out with my socks and shoes, rather than choosing the dominant green.

For the alternative jumper look, the outfit is so cream that picking up any of the colours in the knitted flower pattern would have worked. To say that I love this jumper would be an understatement, I LOVE this jumper. It feels so nostalgic to me, like something that mum would have worn in the early 80’s. The varying colours on a cream background also make it incredibly versatile. I will certainly be wearing mine with high waisted jeans like these…

My rings and mum’s earrings are by a lovely small designer called Nodo. Sara hand makes the jewellery herself in her studio in north London. Originally from Italy, Sara chose the name Nodo meaning ‘knot’ because the expression ‘fare un nodo’ (tying a knot) means keeping in mind something important that should not to be forgotten. Jewellery often serves to remind us of important relationships in our lives so what a beautiful, poignant name. If you find yourself in a comfy spot with a cup of tea this weekend then do check out Nodo jewellery as there are some beautiful pieces, fairly priced, that will bring you a lot of joy in years to come I am sure!

This dress is by another independent designer called Veryan. A shirt dress, coupled with stripes, is always going to be a winner for us. Fresh, clean and summery. Hem lengths are longer again so you will find that many dresses and skirts are being designed to wear near the ankle rather than below the knee or on the shin - perfect for pale, winter worn legs like ours!

One last thing. You will notice that we have paired the pale peach dress with a cream workwear jacket. Together they could look a little insipid but the brown mohair cardigan creates contrast and texture which negates this problem by anchoring the overall outfit with something darker. It also matches perfectly with mum’s glasses. Chef’s kiss!