This summer started so well that invitations to ‘garden parties’ came winging through the letter box, and out I went to purchase something pretty to wear. Then the weather changed and it has been unreliable since, vacillating between humid and hot, clear and windy, and often just really, really cold.
I have attended two outdoor evening events recently, each time swathed in a rug. Not a hairy picnic rug, I have to admit, but a large throw which normally hangs over the back of the sofa for chilly winter evenings. I chose this because I really am miserable if cold, and having read the various weather forecasts, the majority usually came out with similar temperatures – pretty chilly. Invariably, several other guests have been draped in pashminas, but the very wise (and truly chic) have been wearing jackets. Watching these elegant women proved to me that the best solution is a pretty jacket (over trousers, skirt or dress), leaving you free to enjoy the evening without the constant struggle to keep heavy shawls or flimsy wraps in place, and also hold a glass.
We all need a pretty, all-purpose jacket. I trawled my wardrobe and found one light wool jacket in a pastel colour which is part of a suit I now seldom wear. This has proved very useful recently! I also have an unstructured velvet blazer, which if I were sure it wasn’t going to start raining (rain-damaged velvet is difficult to resurrect unless it is synthetic), could look good over a long skirt, dress or trousers.
If you don’t have anything suitable, the challenge is to find a jacket for all occasions at a time when so much is on sale and quickly out of stock. Keep in mind that a longer jacket or blazer will look good with trousers whereas a shorter jacket works well with a dress or skirt.
It could be that Indian quilted cotton or silk jackets are the answer. Certainly they are very popular, practical and pretty. I found an attractive selection in the V&A museum shop, so if you are in London for an exhibition this might be worth a look. Sites to look for Indian inspired jackets at include Maharani and East.
Having said all this, if the forecast is rain you will still need to take an umbrella. A small inexpensive telescopic one which fits into a handbag is best, but be prepared to find it has lost a spoke when you unfurl it and need it most. Perhaps rely on someone else to bring a golfing umbrella!
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