Hobbs SS16 Occasionwear

Happy first of June! It’s officially the start of Summer (meaning it’s officially the countdown to the Summer holidays!) which heralds the beginning of lots of seasonal, hopefully sunny, celebrations. One of my favourite things about the Grest British Summer is the multitude of different events: from fairs to fêtes, festivals to family gatherings. They each present a different kind of dressing opportunity – or dilemma, depending on your style temperament – but you know me, I love to dress up no matter the occasion so not such a dilemma for me!

One of the potential challenges of dressing for such special occasions is ensuring optimum versatility and cost-per-wear value, while making a distinctive outfit that’s practical, pretty and perfectly fitting for the event. In the past, I’ve relished the excuse to purchase a particular piece – usually a lovely dress – complete with coordinating shoes/ accessories for a ball, wedding or similar. They wouldn’t necessarily break the bank as I’ve always been thrifty, but such an approach does add up; these days I’m trying to be a lot more style savvy and invest in pieces that will last long past the big day. I’ve learnt this means seeking out key items that work just as well styled up especially for that one-off, event-worthy ensemble as well as working seamlessly with your existing wardrobe.

Enter this pink jacket: the perfect pastel hue for upcoming seasonal occasions, dressed up with a pretty frock, or dressed down with a denim skirt and tee. When Hobbs invited me into the Edinburgh store to talk me through their SS16 collection and pick a little something for the Summer social season, I was like a child in a sweet shop and almost reverted to my former magpie approach. With everything from lace midi dresses to chic fitted jumpsuits there are so many lovely pieces suitable for a variety of styles and events. I was wooed by a ’50-style floral skirt and pair of butter soft metallic brogues, but kept my blinkers on to find a piece I knew could take me from work to weddings and beyond styled with existing bits – and I believe this jacket is just such a wardrobe wonder.

I adore the pale pink hue, which catches the light with a subtle sheen. The detailing is second to none: cropped, scalloped sleeves and covered buttons are the perfect finishing touch to the tailored silhouette. While Hobbs is a wee bit pricier, the quality is fantastic and I know this piece will find a place in my wardrobe for many more seasons to come. I still pull out my burgundy blazer from the AW12 collection that I coveted all season and finally, excitedly, picked up in the sale: something about Hobbs’ timeless tailoring manages to be classic as well as contemporary. There are great past-season finds on their outlet too. I was severely tempted by the matching scalloped hem skirt – definitely one I’ll be saving my pennies for.

The jacket is endlessly versatile and its blush colour goes with so many different pieces. For this particular outing, I decided to opt for a slightly dressier style. Inadvertently continuing the mint and pink theme from my last outfit post, I donned this polka dot vintage two piece I thrifted recently. Consisting of a relaxed, t-shirt-style top and accordion-pleat midi skirt, this coordinating duo is flexible in itself as it can be worn so many different ways. I’ve professed my love of the retro co-ord before and this time decided to wear it together as a dress. The jacket and two-piece worked well I think, giving vintage pieces an update perfectly fitting for upcoming special Summer occasions.

What are you wearing at the moment? How do you tackle occasion dressing?

The jacket was kindly gifted to me by Hobbs, but all love of pastel and scallops entirely my own! I’m wearing: vintage two-piece; jacket c/o Hobbs; vintage accessories; scalloped pumps c/o Boden.