I've just got back from a 10-day trip to Puglia in the south of Italy, and Zürich, in Switzerland (more on that later), snatching the last days of summer sun before autumn starts to fully bed in in the UK.
I shared a suitcase with my other half and, thanks to easyjet's minimal baggage allowance, it meant packing had to be a tight edit. Which is good, in a way, because it means not bogging yourself down with too much choice — and a full load of washing when you get home.
First stop: Puglia. We stayed in a small town which doesn't really seem to have been touched by tourism like a lot of the region — think narrow, windy streets that are empty during the heat of the day and filled at night as neighbours take their chairs and sit outside their front doors to catch up on the latest gossip. Restaurants that don't open until 8:30 pm but when they do you'll get a carafe of excellent local wine for 7 euros and aubergine parmigiana that's so melt-in-the-mouth delicious, you'll never be fully satisfied with the one you make at home ever again.
It was hot — the temperature gauge was well over 30°C the whole time we were there — so our days were mostly spent reading in the sun, seeking corners of shade and a light breeze, and heading to the nearest beach for cooling off in the warm, clear Ionian sea. It was exactly the kind of switch-off, do absolutely nothing kind of trip that gives me a proper reboot.
What I wore: linen and lots of linen. Cool, breathable and comfortable, linen makes up most of my summer wardrobe. Layering wasn’t really an option so the individual pieces had to do a lot of the heavy lifting, with smatterings of jewellery used to add a little something extra.
The good thing about a lot of the below outfits, too, is that I can already think of ways I'll be wearing them throughout the beginning of autumn. I’ve added notes of tweaks and updates I’ll make to see me through the start of the season, so I don’t need to pack them away just yet.
Outfit one: the black mini dress
I'm not normally one for a mini dress but I got a short shift dress earlier this year (shown below) and have enjoyed the ease and shape you get with a shorter dress. Maybe it's got something to do with my new-found love for shorts too, now that I'm used to going bare-legged and exposing a touch more skin.
This one has a square neckline, thick shoulder straps and flares out slightly at the waist, giving it a nice bit of structure. It's got pockets too, which as any woman will attest to, is the singular marker of a good dress. I wore it with my big straw hat from Lack of Color, an Australian brand I've always had my eye on but never tried until now. It's excellent. The straw construction is of excellent quality — it didn't bend out of shape in the sun or carting it about on the plane and the tie detail makes it a bit easier to secure in place. Lack of Color also offers different hat sizes; music to the ears on my apparently larger-than-average head, as finding straw hats like this one that don’t squeeze and strain can be more difficult than I care to admit.
How I'll update this look for autumn: I'm a big fan of shorts and a jumper so taking cues from that, I'll pop a light cashmere jumper on top of the dress and pair the look with trainers or flat Mary Janes.
Outfit two: barrel-leg trousers with a vest
If you've been a reader of The Jones Report for a while, you will have seen these trousers. They're the Mabel trousers in natural linen from Beyond Nine and they're one of the easiest, most versatile items I own (I also have them in khaki). They have an elasticated waist so they're comfy and unrestrictive — a must in the heat. They have a curved, barrel-leg shape which makes a great silhouette and makes them loose on the leg — again, perfect when the temps are this high.
I wore them with a boxy linen vest from Toast which, thankfully, is made from fabric thick enough that I could go bra-free. I love the inky navy colour, especially in contrast to the natural linen of the trousers, and next to the gold cuff on my wrist.
How I'll update this look for autumn: I'll swap out the vest for an oversized shirt or lightweight jumper, and change the sandals for trainers.