Mum’s turmeric coloured neckscarf contrasts beautifully with the coral knitted vest, making the outfit. I wanted to flag this as it serves as a reminder that a striking colour combination, rather than the individual items, can be the thing that elevates an outfit into something special. Neck scarves are also a relatively inexpensive way of achieving this - and if you can knit, all the better! Stylish colour combinations is not something that you have to rely on the designers for, you can achieve it yourself.

Another mix that I enjoy is brown and navy blue. There is something quite luxurious about this particular combo. I believe for it to work, the brown needs to be a deep chocolate hue and the navy, a true midnight. Other colour combinations that I enjoy are pale blue and burgundy and pale blue and moss green. Navy blue and mustard work very well, as does navy blue and black. Camel and red is a fab combination and I will always love cream and white - particularly in the summer.

The blouses that both mum and I are wearing are handwoven by a women’s cooperative in Maheshwar, India. The yarn is spun into the softest, lightest cotton and constructed using interesting design details like a frilled collar with a contrasting trim or a voluminous, balloon sleeve. The blouses can obviously be worn un-tucked but they lend themselves to being tucked into high-waisted jeans or trousers, particularly as the soft cotton tucks in without any bulk. Many of the Woven blouses have frilled plackets which finish halfway down the chest, sitting perfectly above a belt. Also, as the sleeves of Woven shirts are often accentuated into billowing shapes, they work beautifully under knitted vests, perfect for an informal but stylish evening supper look.

This is a reminder to keep the cut of your jacket youthful and cool, particularly as you move through the decades. Try not to slip into tried and tested formulas all the time, sometimes it’s good to mix things up a bit! I think that a bomber style like the one that I am wearing here is such a fantastic way of keeping things contemporary without having to necessarily change your overall formula of dressing. Choose one that’s quite neat around the body and it would substitute a more traditional, tailored jacket well.