If we gleaned one style tip from the Jubilee marathon it's this: knee-length never lets you down. Especially if you're sitting down. Unlike mid-length, henceforth known as Sally Bercovian, it will not make whatever you're wearing ride up until it is on intimate terms with your groin.
Unlike the two-inch-above-the-knee length of which younger Royals and even the generally sure-footed Duchess of Cambridge were for so long enamoured, it won't throw your entire outfit out of whack so that even the most clueless bloke is forced to shake his head defeatedly and confess: "I don't know what's wrong there, but something doesn't look right."
READ: The Queen's Diamond Jubilee: The fashion verdict
Unlike lower calf, you don't have to be a model or the Queen to make it work. I'm not saying there isn't a time for the thigh-skimmer. In the right place, on the right body, it can be delightful. But places that aren't right include St Paul's Cathedral and any job interview that isn't for a career in the adult film industry (or fashion). You'd think this was self-evident. I can tell you it isn't.
Another place you'd do well to give the crotch-skimmer a miss is Wimbledon. Off court, not on. Not that Wimbledon is stuffy. But it is unflashy - John Lewis, with furry balls. That's what's so charming. Men really do wear Panamas there. I do, too. If you're lucky enough to be near the front - and if the sun should shine - there isn't much shade.
I love a Panama. It's a hat that doesn't scream HAT. It doesn't demand that you perpetually keep one hand anchoring the crown to your scalp in the inevitable gale force eight. If you need to kiss someone, you can - without navigating an architectural flower or a witty veil. You can, in short, behave like a normal human being. And should you feel you've misjudged the formality of the occasion, you can roll it up and sit on it. Not that you should ever feel hat conscious about a Panama. But weird things happen.
READ: Royal Ascot 2012: Looking for the perfect hat for Ascot? Pay a visit to Gina Foster
We've learnt other important business about summer dressing these past few weeks. Such as: don't go too summery. But don't grab any old cover-up, either. Treat it as intrinsic to your outfit, or whatever you've spent on your dress will be wasted.
Jacket lengths are as critical as skirt lengths. This summer's resurgent boxy tweed jackets are lovely, but any longer than hip length and they swerve into frump territory. Same rules apply to cardigans. And avoid ballet style wrap cardis - they're about as contemporary as a farthingale.
A matching summer coat is very smart - but too dressy for somewhere like Wimbledon. On older women, a blazer can be more youthful and look good even when quite long, which is handy for drawing attention from bumpy bits. This one's from The Kooples, the French label that has spent, one assumes, quite a bit of money hiring Pete Doherty to front its campaigns. Regardless of whether this was a wise move - I think we know the answer to that - The Kooples tailoring is pretty damn sharp and adds an elegant angularity to soft, flowy dresses. There's something chic and spontaneous about a blazer worn with a dress - as if some gallant man has just lent you his jacket. But like all chic spontaneity, you have to plan it methodically.
This is a good dress by the way: comfortable without being a dreaded wrap, and versatile. Wear it in the evenings with big dangly earrings or on an autumn walk with clumpy boots.
Finally, unlike some of my strict, envelope pushing fashion colleagues, I don't hate nude shoes. If they're ubiquitous it's because they go with everything. But so, counter-intuitively, do these, either as a standout bright or as a Yayoi Kusama-esque clash. They're way more fun than nude. How often do you get to read that?
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Via: What I'm wearing: English summer style
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