If anyone tells you co-ord sets are boring, show them this
I'll be wearing them all summer
Look. There's nothing wrong with enjoying easy dressing, the kind that lets you roll out of bed, have a quick shower and throw something on without a thought, all the while knowing you'll look effortlessly put together.
You might call it lazy, I just call it common sense. And co-ord sets - much like summer dreses and satin skirts - fall into that category for me. You might also say they're boring, falling under the 'Meg Ryan twin set category' (sorry Meg), but make no mistable, they are anything but.
The beauty of this all-ecompassing trend is that there are matching separates to suit all styles, from waistcoats and tailored trousers to sweatshirts and terry shorts (perfect for the tenniscore trend afficionados) to halterneck tops and skirts.
In fact, co-ords and matching separates are such bestsellers that labels and brands such as Zara, Mango and Net-A-Porter have their own dedicated tabs so the customer can better shop their selection.
They make dressing so seamless that all you need to do is throw on your favourite pair of shoes (I can't stop wearing these Zara strappy sandals right now) and a handbag and your outfit is sorted for the day.
And if you don't like the head-to-toe look, that's perfectly fine, because you can mix and match the tops and bottoms with your existing wardrobe. So really you're getting so much more than just the one outfit out of your purchase. With that in mind, take a look at my co-ord sets edit below.
One of my favourite conscious brands, inspired by its native Rio De Janeiro.
Paired with the skirt, this could easily be mistaken for a dress (see hero image), but you can get so much more wear out of this with trousers and shorts.
A chic statement skirt that's the perfect addition to a relaxed jumper or shirt.
I'm obsessed with dusty pink right now so I'll be wearing this set all summer long.
Team with white linen trousers or the matching ruffled skirt.
You can easily wear these in the winter too, with a black cashmere roll-neck.
These trousers can be teamed with two different kinds of blazers depending on which cut you prefer.
Team this top with a straight skirt or tailored trousers.
These tailored trousers look so much more expensive than their price tag suggests.
If you're going to buy one item this summer, make it a linen waistcoat, which will smarten up shorts, skirts and trousers.
This shirt comes with either matching trousers or a skirt.
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Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.
Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).
Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.
However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.
Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.
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