Exquisite Summer Coats

So let's talk about summer coats. If you're in the UK and reading this, you're probably choking on your tea with cynical laughter because after the spring we've had, the word 'summer' has become some kind of sick joke. And for all of our overseas customers, yes, us Brits do talk about the weather all the time. It's an affliction thousands of years in the breeding.

Josephine Dress Willow Plain Silk Douppion

£790

Nevertheless, whether fantastical or not, some notion of summer will invariably hit these green and soggy lands at some stage between now and September. Those fleeting days will catalyse raucous beer gardens, alfresco dining, picnicking, and much sunburn among us Brits. While many will throw themselves into the spirit of upholding our collective reputation for losing the plot when the clouds eventually part, some of us will use the opportunity to spread our sartorial wings and apply a sun-proof lotion of elegance and sophistication about our person. Which brings me to summer coats.

Summer. Coats. No, that is not an oxymoron, but a wardrobe requisite in the UK. Besides the protection a summer coat might afford you from blistering heat, murderous downpours, and perniciously chilly breezes, the short summer coat also serves a wonderfully stylish function, being smart but not too smart, and formal, but not too formal.

Two of our favourite styles this season are the Camden jacket, and the Soho coat. The Camden jacket is a short style that finishes just above the mid-thigh and boasts a flattering waisted silhouette. It's loosely inspired by the classic Nehru jacket, but rather than a Mandarin collar, it features a grown-on stand collar, and also a single flat pocket at the left hip. It's wonderfully versatile - you can wear it with jeans and sandals for a polished casual look, or you can dress it up with tailored palazzo pants. We have created the Camden jacket in a number of different styles, using both linen and silk to create beautifully lightweight options for a smart summer wardrobe.

The Soho coat is slightly longer but like the Camden jacket, borrows from the traditional Nehru shape, while also boasting the same collar style. Where the garments differ is in the front button configuration, with the Soho coat offering a bold line of buttons down to the naval, as well as two flat pockets on each hip. This season, we have created a few different Soho coat styles in a super soft crease-resist linen, giving you all of the lovely slubby characteristics of the ecological fabric, but without the natural crumpling that usually happens as the day wears on. It's both breathable and dries quickly, two traits every British lady needs in her summer coats!

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