The Summer Clothes That Make Us Happy
A cherished Breton top, floral print or soft cotton tee – discover our designers’ favourite sunny-day pieces
Like a walk in the sunshine or a good meal at home, it’s the everyday things that are bringing us happiness and comfort at the moment. At Seasalt, this definitely extends to the clothing we choose in the morning and there are a few pieces in our wardrobes that are always guaranteed to lift our spirits.
We’ve also loved hearing from many of our customers that our latest collection, inspired by our summer on the Isles of Scilly, has brought you joy at this time.
In the spirit of dressing to feel good, we thought we’d share some of the new-season pieces our design team will be living in this summer.
“When I go on holiday, I take
about four Larissa Shirts”
By Sophie Chadwick
One of my favourite garments for spring and summer is a Larissa Shirt. I haven’t really been a shirt wearer until the last couple of years, but now I have quite a collection of Larissas! I was packing to move house last week and realised that I have 14 of them. (I can’t believe I am admitting to that!)
I find them so versatile, I wear them under a Sailor Shirt or a Fruity Jumper; and then as the weather gets warmer, I like to wear them over a vest top. When I go on holiday, I take about four Larissa Shirts in my case. They are a perfect cover up on the beach, to stop your arms turning pink in the sun. They are lightweight, and there is the massive bonus that you don’t have to iron them, ‘just twist and go’!
“Floral prints are an undeniable dose of happiness”
By Kathryn Fowler
I have always adored floral prints, because they are an undeniable dose of happiness! I love their magical power to transform how you are feeling. It has always bought me such joy to think that our ideas become a summer dress in someone’s wardrobe that they reach for again and again, because it makes them smile and feel completely themselves.
My lovely grandma used to make her own dresses, and dresses for my mum and then myself.
Kathryn Fowler, Senior Print Designer
Many of these floral scraps are stowed away in precious box I have squirrelled away. I can dig through these treasures, and find those memories as well as inspiration for new designs that will make us smile on sunny days.
This summer, the dress that is making me feel my best ‘me’ is the Briarfield Dress with its beautiful painted campions. These wild flowers grow along the hedgerows in Scilly and Cornwall in summer time and I love the hand-rendered feel of this print.
“A sailor stripe is a timeless classic”
By Sury Bagenal
I love my Sailor Tops. I have lots of them! My love of Breton tops probably started with a vintage one I inherited from my mother. It had an elegant boat neck, it was fitted in the body with elbow length sleeves and had a wide green and white stripe that looked great with denim. I felt very French in it, like Jean Seberg or Brigitte Bardot in a left bank café.
Sury Bagenal, Senior Designer
A sailor stripe is a timeless classic and these days I have a stripy top for every day of the week! I wear them with skirts, dresses, trousers and shorts. The more worn they are the softer they become, like an old friend, they always make me happy.
“I love the way our linen develops a lovely worn-in character”
By Sue Simpson
I always choose things that will have longevity that I know I will love for a long time, quality pieces that are interchangeable and versatile, so that I can layer up or re-style over and over. That’s the way we design our collections too, focussing on timeless styles in beautiful colours and fabrics that become wardrobe favourites.
This season, I love our new Reflection T-shirts in all of the colours, which are a summer essential that will go with so many outfits.
Sue Simpson, Director of Design
I also love the colour of our linen Trengwainton Trousers in Butterscotch, which I will live in for work and taking time out with my kids. I love the way our linen softens and develops a lovely worn-in character over time.
We spend a lot of time outdoors during summer in Cornwall and I always wear a wide brim sunhat to keep myself shaded from the bright sun. A nod to riviera chic, it makes me feel relaxed and carefree.
“Our double ikats are a feat of textile weaving”
By Briony Yates
My most loved pieces this summer have to be our beautiful artisan ikats. Creating these fabrics is an incredible feat of textile weaving. The time and skill it takes to create them, from our in-house designs, right through to the hand-weaving of the textiles, has given me a great appreciation of the craftsmanship.
Firstly, the weavers take our soft cotton yarns and tie them in sections at precisely measured distances. The yarns are then naturally coloured by resist-dyeing, then hung to dry in the open air.
Briony Yates, Designer
When the dye is set, it’s ready for weaving. The process is a labour of love. It takes each weaver eight hours to create 20 meters of fabric, lining up the sections of dyed yarn at precise intervals along the warp and weft. Woven on a hand-loom, the yarns interlock to reveal the beautiful patterns in the material.
I love the variations in the cloth as they are marks of the weavers’ craft and only add to the ikat’s character and charm. From the Hand Loom Dress to the simply styled White Island Top, they are truly special pieces that I know I’ll wear for years to come.
We’d love to hear about the clothes that make you happy and feel your best this summer.
Show us how you’re #WearingSeasalt