How to dress for summer if you're a winter person, by Claudia Winkleman's stylist
It happens every year: as soon as summer starts to rear its colourful, floral head, I'm suddenly at a total loss at what to wear. Like Claudia Winkleman, who has claimed to be "allergic" to the sunny months and once branded summer clothes "a disgrace", I am not a summer person. I am very much a winter one. Give me cosy nights by a roaring log fire, snuggled up in a roll-neck jumper and chunky boots, eating hot rhubarb crumble and custard in an old school British pub filled with fairy lights and laughter. That's my comfort zone, my happy place, where I'm meant to be. Long sweaty days in the park, a bright pink strappy dress clashing with my sunburnt pale-person shoulders, god forbid playing some kind of ball game, not so much. Like Claud, I also have a fringe. Summer just is not meant for us.
That's why this year, I decided to end the annual pull to become an entirely different person with an unrecognisable style in summer. So, in a bid to curate a warm weather wardrobe that actually feels like me, I sent an SOS to Sinead McKeefry, the celebrity stylist behind all of Claudia's most enviable looks. Think her always vampish, mostly monochrome, often sparkling Strictly Come Dancing get-ups, and those punked-up heritage chic Traitors outfits we all went crazy for in January (I wanted every single piece, but especially the edgy blazer + leggings + Doc Martens combos). If there was anyone who could give me advice on how to translate that rocky, gothic, jewel-toned lean to my fashion taste into clothes I won't suffocate in during a heatwave, it had to be Sinead.
Thankfully, she agreed to help, as did Red Fashion Director Oonagh Brennan and Fashion Editor Jodie Dunworth (both fellow fans of Claud's aesthetic). So, if you're also not-so-secretly looking forward to digging out your favourite faux fur coat and oversized scarf, you're welcome. Here's how to do 'winter person' in summer, while always keeping it chic.
Don't be afraid to wear black
I don't know who decided that wearing black in summer is weird, but three of the most stylish women I could ask have now told me that it's not, so let's rip that one out of the rulebook.
"When I go to India, I immerse myself in the colours and the culture," says Sinead. "Nobody would think that the wardrobe I wear there belongs to me, and it's so much fun. I thought about wearing one of my Indian dresses to a wedding I'm going to soon, because I'd love to see someone walking down the street in one here, I'd think 'Go girl, you look great!' – but it's just not me. So I know what I'm going to wear – and it's black. Black is so chic in summer."
Oonagh also recommends embracing summer black but lightening it by opting for broderie anglaise or linen and accessorising with raffia. "Choose interesting silhouettes and necklines to bring a bit of edge, and embellishment for added interest."
Toughen things up with your shoe choice
When I was planning my wedding flowers with our florist, she told me that her style was 'pretty but ballsy', which also felt like the perfect description of my own. It's the approach Sinead takes, too. "It’s about mixing the femme with something more rocky," she says. "If you find a girly pink dress you love, consider pairing it with, say, gladiator sandals or a black leather cuff to offset it."
She loves the Mint Velvet dress above in both black or white, styled with cowboy boots, as she finds a heavier-looking shoe key to adding edge. "I look for the kind of styles Isabel Marant might do, something with chunky buckles or rivets. I love the black leather Birkenstocks with the two straps and gold hardware."
This summer, Sinead has also been pairing the brown jersey dress below (now in the sale!) with gold Nike sliders and lashing of jewellery. "For going out for drinks or heading to the park, that dress with those shoes is super cool," she says. "I love how blingy they are, they're really quite wrong but it just works."
Don't dismiss all prints
If floral feels too twee (I don't wish to generalise, especially having fallen in love with RIXO's new rose prints, but I do hate what I call 'obvious little flowers'), then expand your print horizons.
"Bold stripes are a great alternative to the ditsy summer floral print," says Oonagh. "Look for black and cream, or chocolate – it's having a big moment and is a great alternative if you want something new."
To lean into the boho revival, she suggests looking at Marant-style batik prints (Claudia has professed herself a fan of the French designer's "whole Parisian boho vibe", and I'm very much another). "For a winning combo, team a Western or bohemian print skirt with a white frilly top and black leather Greek sandals."
However, as Jodie says, "If you don’t like print in winter, don’t try and force it just because summer has arrived." It might not be for you full stop – and that is, of course, fine. "Make simple subtle changes instead, like adding in just one lighter colour – say a great pair of thin cotton white or striped palazzo pants, instead of wool or black. If you love brown, add in avocado green or soft lilac. Love nautical navy and white? Throw in buttery yellow."
Go big on accessories
Sinead makes it clear that she is all about accessories, especially statement pieces, because they provide transeasonal continuity to your style. "I have my favourites on rotation," she says. "Claudia actually bought me a really beautiful tan leather Hermes cuff with a gold clasp so that takes me right through every day of the year."
For jewellery, Tilly Sveaas and Kirstie Le Marque are favourites – "they're more expensive but you can wear them all year round" – while Claudia has previously shared her love for British designer Solange Azagury-Partridge's investment treasures, especially the iconic 'Love' ring which her husband gifted to her.
Sinead is also a regular browser of Mint Velvet's jewellery range (she has no commercial ties with them, so this is genuine fandom), pointing me in the direction of a chunky gold necklace with two chains and a pearl pendant, and it's jangly matching bracelet. "I have this one in my office, it's fantastic and also comes in silver," she says. "Grab a sleeveless black T-shirt – I always think sleeveless looks cooler – with a round neck, not a V, and simply wear that one necklace over the top. Just swap in a polo-neck for winter."
If you're after a summer bag, Sinead shouts out this woven hobo style as an example of a simple design that's elevated by it's subtle knot on the shoulder strap. "Think about the details and remember that things like this will really pop against black," she says.
Her final accessories tip? "I love wearing printed scarves round my neck, or tearing them up to tie around my wrists for that authentic rock 'n' roll' look," she says, praising Zara's affordable options.
Get a fresh mani
Sinead is a strong advocate for the power of a fresh set of nails in lifting any outfit – and no, you don't have to go for summer pastels. "I love a really dark nail polish in summer, like OPI's midnight-purple Lincoln Park After Dark," she says, adding that she's also a fan of the chic peachy pink Bubble Bath, corals and warmer tones of red.
Buy clothes you can style transeasonally
Yves Saint Laurent was onto something when he famously said, 'Fashions fade; style is eternal'. I want my friends and family to be able to spot something in a shop and immediately think 'That's so Jess'. Not see me in a new summer outfit and wonder who on earth I've become.
So, Sinead advises, prioritise buying new pieces that you'll be able to wear all round, such as a lightweight dresses that you could also throw over polo necks (she loves the fine-knit Cos ones) and under jumpers in winter, and pair equally as well with sandals as with boots. "I love Rixo for these," she says. "I've got my eye on the Amina dress with its black lace neckline."
If in doubt, find a uniform
Hot, bothered and just want to keep this summer dressing lark as simple as possible until the mercury plummets again? Honestly, most days, same – and Jodie's got a top tip to end on. 'Find a uniform,' she says. 'No matter how hard I try with city shorts or other trends, I always find myself returning to one easy formula: a maxi skirt and tank top. I simply update it each year to keep it feeling fresh (this season I'm loving big white skirts with butter yellow tank tops), which I'll intersperse with my favourite fail-safe maxi dresses. It makes summer dressing a breeze.'
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