Let’s talk through this simple outfit that mum is wearing and discuss why, I believe, it doesn’t look boring. There is no doubt that it is the beautiful silk scarf that makes it. Although the ochre of mum’s coat features in the scarf, it is not the dominant colour. This allows the blues and greens to sing but the scarf does not look out of place because the colour of the coat exists in the pattern. Picking out the less dominant colour in a scarf to tie the other pieces of your outfit together is often a more subtle - and therefore chic- way of making an outfit work.

The crisp white of the cotton shirt paired with the vibrant ochre of the coat is a striking, fresh combination. I like that the shirt is the same length as the jacket. If the shirt was noticeably shorter then we would have tucked it in and added a belt.

There are three elements to this outfit which match in colour; coat, glasses and bag. Without wearing the scarf to break it up then this could look contrived - adding a ‘disrupter’ (the patterned scarf) prevents the outfit from looking ‘matchy matchy’. I absolutely love the contrast of the waxed coat with the patent bag. When I showed mum this bag she said ‘ooh Hannah, I am not sure that I like that’….. ‘but then you’re the expert’!…. hahaha! We have quite a few conversations that start like this but we always give it go (thanks mum) and sometimes she says, ‘i’m sorry, this just isn’t me, I wouldn’t wear that’ orrrrr she says ‘ahhhh, ok - yes, I quite like that. I would never have thought of it’. And, well, I win! ;)

And lastly, the jeans. They are from & Other Stories - ‘barrel leg’ jeans - and they fit mum really beautifully. I love the true blue denim and the slightly tapered leg that is cropped at the ankle. Perfect.

This silk scarf is designed by Bella Singleton. After studying print design she won a collaboration with the Tate Modern, selling scarves through their shop. The inspiration for the designs comes mostly from English gardens, having grown up in the Suffolk countryside with her mother designing gardens. A beautiful detail worth noting is that the ‘show through’ (the colour on the back and front) is exceptional which Bella has worked hard to source, settling on manufacturers in Italy. She is passionate about what she does which is hugely appealing and is a trait that I believe shows through in her designs.

There is something so deeply ‘French’ about the scarf that I am weaning, It is by Sessun which is a brand that I have loved for many years. Infact, my first ever jumpsuit was by them, it was made from a sage green cheesecloth, it had poppers up the front and short sleeves. I lived in Islington, London at the time and there was a wonderful boutique called Diverse. They eventually had to move on because the rates became too high (URRRGGHH, don’t even get me started on how upsetting it is when councils do this). They stocked the most beautiful selection of clothes and I would pop in on my days off to admire their collections. The aforementioned jumpsuit was there and one day, having landed an unexpected job, I treated myself!

Anyway, I digress. The scarf is so French in its design because it is so unassuming and subtle yet it draws the eye with its striking colour combination and makes the outfit. There is something quite masculine about the design which I really like. It’s super soft to the touch.

The denim shirt actually belongs to mum and is an old COS one. It’s made from a heavy cotton but it is not stiff at all. I particularly love its’ plain front placket - which I believe is called a French placket (there is a theme developing here….!)

The denim shirt and the quilted needlecord jacket, both in the same colour, work well and then I added the blue framed sunglasses to complete the trio, much like we did with mum’s outfit. My ‘disruptors’ are the scarf and bag which work well together as they are similar in texture and hue.