AI has been mischief-making in 2026. A question mark over its use delivered a fatal blow to the publishing industry; Jerry Falade’s mutli-million book deal disappeared overnight after his agent was, “no longer able to authenticate how the manuscript fully evolved from origin to completion”, according to The Guardian. The paper also exclusively reported a worrying statistic in conjunction with the Loss of Control Observatory, “Number of times AI lies, ignores instructions and pursues goals in harmful ways almost doubles in July.” This has led to reflection at the highest echelons, although arguably not where we need it most. Last month, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published an online essay called We Must Pace the Frontier. One sentence was bolded up in the introduction: “We must slow the pace at which we improve the capabilities of AI models. Progress will still seem fast, and we must make wise use of the time we gain.”

Fashion has not escaped the advance of AI, with mounting evidence to suggest it’s embedded in the industry (AI-generated campaigns at brands like Prada, Valentino and Mango, are just more publicised examples). In a guest essay for The New York Times, Amy Odell wrote about the rise of companies using algorithms to decide what to actually design: “Fashion slop is the logical next step in the evolution of ready-to-wear clothing,” she wrote, adding that what this signals is nothing short of, “the triumph of money over art and craft”. Brands have also started integrating Large Language Models (LLMs) into their websites (ChatGPT is an example of an LLM). Alice + Olivia is one of them. “Our customer may know exactly what she wants, but very often, she starts with a moment, an occasion, or an idea: “I’m going to a wedding,” “I’m packing for Italy,” or “I need something chic for a rehearsal dinner.” LLMs allow us to interpret the context behind what a customer is asking and connect that intent to the right products, styles, and inspiration,” says Stacey Bendet, CEO and creative director. “I see it as an additional intelligent discovery layer and another way for us to connect with our customer based on her intent and where she is in her journey.”

The backlash seems to arise when its use infringes on the roles of real people (H&M’s use of “digital twins”, for example, an initiative which was paused earlier this year) or creativity. The use of robots at Vogue World this September also divided opinion, raising questions about the place of automation in fashion and the extent to which technology should replace human involvement.

AI’s potential to be misused is another concern (Meta’s AI glasses have faced a barrage of criticism, although that has not stopped people buying them). “When brands use AI models, they find themselves in the news for all the wrong reasons. People feel duped,” says Clare Press, author of Wear Next: Fashioning the Future, and host of the Wardrobe Crisis podcast.

Does AI have a role to play in a more sustainable fashion industry? “I can imagine an AI-powered future where big data allows on-demand production at scale, potentially by sewbots in dark factories. Maybe new clothes and accessories will be only digitally printed after the customer places an order, and there will be no more stock gathering dust in warehouses. Maybe, as I wrote in my book, we’ll do this ourselves in local-maker labs, and we’ll shop for patterns rather than finished garments.” She’s largely unconvinced, however. “I remain sceptical about broader sustainability pitches for AI. Look over here at our shiny new method of carbon accounting! Or here, at how we’re revolutionising resale online! But too often we neglect to consider the broader systems behind all this. What happens to the workers who lose their jobs as a result of automation? Who has a plan for a just transition, or is even talking about it?”

Some app-developers are finding innovative ways to use AI, helping independent designers, for example, meet a more global audience. Naia is a social discovery platform whose tagline is, “the taste network for emerging fashion.” Its founder and CEO, Miloni Sheth, says the app helps to create a growth channel for brands that is built around customer intent. “AI helps us understand broader patterns in what people are looking for, how demand is shifting and where new interests may be emerging, so we can connect designers with audiences that are more likely to respond to their work,” she says, adding that designers are given access to game-changing data. “Beyond showing them what is resonating today, we can use AI to turn those signals into more predictive indicators of demand, helping them test ideas, understand what may be gaining momentum and make more informed decisions about future collections before committing to production.” For Sheth, AI is not a replacement for the human touch. “I think the more interesting future is creative people using much more powerful tools, with human judgment still guiding the process.”

In 2024, Turkish accessories brand Misela celebrated its 15th anniversary with a campaign and exhibition titled Crafting Realms, created by award-winning director Alphan Eşeli. Misela founder Serra Türker Bayır wanted to create 15 distinct campaign images for 15 different women and cities around the world—something that would only be possible for an independent business by using AI. The result was a case study demonstrating the benefits of using AI to generate imagery when financial constraints would otherwise make such a campaign unfeasible. But this raises a more fundamental question: if the budget doesn’t allow for it, why do it at all?”

Instead, the human touch is what some brands are choosing to celebrate. Hermès regularly commissions illustrators, musicians, animators and water-colourists to bring its products to life online with exquisite whimsy. And what about the next-generation of designers?

“Several of my design students refuse to use AI at all—they see it as something which would compromise their creative approach,” says Giles Pearson, senior lecturer in Fashion Design at London College of Fashion, UAL, who adds: “My personal feeling is that the more we see AI become a fundamental skill in the design industry, the more we will see the great visionaries reject it, and more exciting work and designers will emerge.”

Summer, it's been fun but it finally—finally!—feels like colder temperatures have arrived. And if you're feeling a bit thrown for a loop after an unseasonably warm September, there's one hot-weather outfit formula that you can quickly Autumn-ify. All you need to do is substitute the "nice top" for a trophy jacket in the famous "jeans and a nice top" outfit formula.

In Paris, jeans became the "casual" vehicle by which to wear really quite fancy jackets during the day. Céline Dion kickstarted the "jeans and a trophy jacket" formula to greet the paparazzi stationed outside her hotel—and, since then, we've seen every hot jacket (tweed jackets; military jackets; leather jackets) coupled with jeans. The final ingredient in many cases is a nostalgic court heel (imagine!), making this a trifecta—jacket + jeans + heels—that you almost certainly have in your wardrobe. The trio is very '90s red carpet when celebrities didn't coordinate every look with a stylist but, instead, wore a mix of their own clothes and gifts from favourite brands, delivering less polish but way more personality.

Céline Dion

Céline Dion's tour looks have been a collection of jaw-dropping gowns (not an overstatement!), but her on-the-street outfits have been just as captivating, particularly this peplum-waisted jacket paired with straight-legged jeans (Givenchy by Sarah Burton). A peplum waist might trigger alarm bells, understandably, but it's actually a very sensible partner for straight-up-and-down denim, providing not just contrast but sculptural interest.

Daisy Edgar-Jones

Daisy Edgar-Jones has engaged in some on-point period dressing while promoting Sense and Sensibility. And while the corseted gowns and archival pendant necklaces were ravishing, it, again, was a jeans-and-jacket combination that captured our attention (her take on a modern-day Elinor). It felt like a particularly good way to wear a military jacket, which can feel slightly on-the-nose paired with tailoring. Instead, low-rise jeans with a very slight flare (perhaps even too slight to be called "boot-leg") were the perfect foil.

Sarah Pidgeon

Sarah Pidgeon put a trophy spin on everyone's favourite jacket. Her take on leather wasn't an oversized biker or a minimal blazer (very CBK) but, instead, a cinch-waisted, bell-sleeved style that had as much romance (and softness) as one can eke out of leather (bravo, Balenciaga!). The split-hem jeans, with frayed edges trailing under the spike of a court-heel stiletto, added a counterbalance of grunge.

The Beauty Digest is my Beauty Director’s edit of what’s actually worth your attention. Each week, I’ll be sharing the new launches I’m using and loving, the viral treatments I’m putting to the test (and what I really think of the results), plus my take on the industry conversations everyone’s talking about.

The New Launches on My Radar

Spotlight On: Romilly Wilde

I adored Romilly Wilde skincare when it first launched, and I’m borderline obsessed with its signature fragrance, Idle. So when the brand paused trading three years ago, it felt like a significant loss to my beauty routine. This week, however, it relaunched—and somehow, it’s even better than before.

At the heart of the new range is some pretty meticulous peptide science. The brand is particularly interested in the skin’s proteome—the proteins that underpin its health, resilience and longevity—and uses biotech-engineered peptides and mini-proteins within its formulas. What impressed me most, though, is the level of testing behind the claims. Rather than relying solely on manufacturer-provided studies of individual ingredients, the brand has independently tested its finished formulas on real human skin samples exposed to pollution and other environmental aggressors. Across the studies, all 12 measurements of protein damage were significantly lower in treated skin, with the research accepted for presentation at the European Society for Dermatological Research’s 2026 annual meeting.

But science aside, the products are also an absolute joy to use: sensorial, luxurious and beautifully presented. It’s a brand that takes the science seriously without forgetting that, ultimately, you still need to look forward to putting it on your face every day.

The Treatment Trial: Wellness Screening

This week, I tried the Wellness Screening at the new Six Senses Hotel in London. The non-invasive assessment uses electrodes to measure the body’s electrical conductance, alongside metrics such as blood pressure and oxygen saturation, to provide a broad snapshot of various wellness markers. While it isn’t a substitute for blood testing or medical diagnostics, it offers a quick way to get a top-line overview. From there, recommendations include general advice and a range of treatments available at the spa, from red-light therapy and cryotherapy to sessions in the hyperbaric chamber. It helps, of course, that the spa itself is jaw-droppingly beautiful.

The Beauty Digest is my Beauty Director’s edit of what’s actually worth your attention. Each week, I’ll be sharing the new launches I’m using and loving, the viral treatments I’m putting to the test (and what I really think of the results), plus my take on the industry conversations everyone’s talking about.

The New Launches on My Radar

Spotlight On: Dcypher Custom Foundation

I’m used to hearing brands talk about personalised shades or preach the virtues of AI-powered shade-matching technology, but UK-based make-up brand Dcypher has undoubtedly set a new benchmark.

They've just unveiled their first counters in John Lewis stores nationwide, where, rather than matching you to the closest shade in a predetermined range, their technology scans your skin and creates a bespoke foundation shade, mixed on the spot. The result is about as close to a perfect match as I’ve ever seen—and makes the traditional foundation shade range suddenly feel rather limiting.

So far, Dcypher has mixed more than 100,000 unique foundation shades, but theoretically, the possibilities are infinite. This is personalised makeup as it was always meant to be.

Beauty Buzz: Charlotte Mensah Community Matters

If you do one thing this weekend, make it a visit to Charlotte Mensah’s Community Matters exhibition. The retrospective celebrates four decades of Mensah’s extraordinary career, but its significance extends far beyond one hairstylist. Through personal photographs, objects and stories, it documents the history of Black hair, beauty and community in Britain—and gives that history the cultural space and recognition it deserves. The exhibition is only open this weekend, so make sure you catch it while you can.

Eva Omaghomi's Instagram bio reads "cultural architect". It's a job description which does justice to an impressive (and ever-expanding) CV, one that includes a stint of 17 years in the Royal Household (Omaghomi's title was director of community engagement for the household of King Charles III and the Queen Consort, and she now serves as an official advisor), as well as founding her own consultancy business, Forster Jones & Associates. Just as important is her latest venture, Brand63Africa, a social enterprise that spotlights the immense breadth of design talent coming out of Africa and its diaspora. Here, Omaghomi speaks to Marie Claire for our latest Women Who Win about what inspired Brand63Africa (hint: the seed was planted on the occasion of the King's Coronation) and why she will always believe in putting community over competition.

Brand63Africa really began with something very unusual. Ahead of the King's Coronation, I wanted to wear something that reflected my African heritage and felt authentic to who I am. I knew there were extraordinary designers creating beautiful clothes across Africa and the diaspora, but I found it surprisingly difficult to actually buy from them in the UK. I persuaded Nelly from the brand Duaba Serwa in Ghana to make something for me. It arrived a few days before the Coronation in a DHL bag and it was wonderful. I wore a Gele (headwrap) and jewellery from Nigeria, an Aspinal bag and put on some Manolo Blahniks and the outfit was perfect; African and European luxury blended beautifully together.

I love fashion and discovering new designers, and I started asking why, with so much incredible creative talent coming out of Africa, it wasn't easier for consumers, like me, to access these brands. I began researching and speaking to designers and people within the industry, and it became clear that talent and creativity weren't the problem. What was often missing was access—to international retailers, industry expertise, mentorship, investment and the networks that can help turn an extraordinary creative business into a sustainable global one. I've spent much of my career bringing people together and opening doors, so I started thinking about what I could do to help change that and Brand63Africa grew from there.

It was important to me that it was established as a social enterprise because I never wanted to create something that generated a moment of attention and then disappeared. I'm always thinking about longevity and legacy: what happens after the showcase, after the first retail opportunity? If they need it, how do we help these designers build businesses that are still thriving in five, ten or twenty years? We launched at London Fashion Week and now, just months later, our first designer cohort is launching at Harrods. It's incredibly exciting, but I still feel as though we're at the beginning of what Brand63Africa can become.

We wanted the cohort to showcase the breadth and diversity of design talent coming from Africa and its diaspora. Our five designers are incredibly different, each with their own distinctive creative identity, demonstrating that African fashion cannot be defined by a single aesthetic or point of view.

Our curator and creative committee of fashion experts were looking for beautiful design—a strong creative identity, exceptional quality and craftsmanship, and a designer who really knows who they are. But we looked beyond the clothes. Sustainable, responsible production and social impact were important considerations too. Many of our designers work closely with local artisans and communities, preserve specialist skills or create employment through their businesses. We wanted to understand not only what they were making, but how they were making it and the impact their businesses could have.

We were also looking for ambition and the potential to grow internationally. Brand63Africa isn't simply about celebrating creativity; it's about helping designers build sustainable, long-term businesses.

I wouldn't say that African designers are here to fill something that was "missing" creatively from the UK market. I think they're bringing another incredibly rich and exciting perspective to it. That's why the partnership with Harrods is so important. These designers are being presented within one of the world's most prestigious luxury retail environments and considered alongside internationally renowned luxury brands. I want someone to discover one of them and simply think: "That's beautiful. I want to wear it." That's when perceptions really start to change.

[There's an] expectation that an African designer somehow has to create pieces that "look African" based on a very limited view and construct of Africa. Africa isn't one aesthetic, one culture or one story. Heritage can be incredibly powerful when it's authentic to the designer, but it shouldn't become something they feel obliged to perform for an international audience. Our designers draw on their backgrounds in completely different ways. For some it might be a traditional technique, for another a textile, silhouette, memory or way of working. For others it may be much more subtle. I want them to have the freedom to decide what their heritage means within their own creative language. The designer has to remain at the centre of their own story. Global success shouldn't require them to dilute where they come from, but equally their heritage shouldn't become the only thing the industry sees when it looks at their work.

I need to find ways to celebrate success more. I tend to look to the next achievement, which is not the healthiest approach. Sometimes it's great to bask in the moment. When my family say they're proud, that never gets old.

Launching my consultancy, Forster Jones & Associates, and seeing it thrive has made me incredibly proud. It's tough to decide to bet on yourself, especially after 17 years in the Royal Household, but it was worth it. Launching Brand63Africa at London Fashion Week was also very emotional because suddenly something that had existed as an idea became real.

Seeing the designers launch at Harrods is another extraordinary moment. To go from recognising how difficult it could be for consumers to discover and access exceptional African design, to seeing our inaugural cohort presented within one of the world’s most recognised luxury retailers feels incredibly special. I think what makes me proudest is seeing what it means to the designers. This was never about me.

When you're building something you care deeply about, there are inevitably periods when work takes over. What I've learnt is the importance of being present wherever I am. If I'm working, I give it everything, but when I'm with the people I love, I try to genuinely be with them rather than mentally remaining in the next meeting or email. It's a daily challenge. I also listen to my body. It has a great way of giving you small hints to rest or step away or pray or exercise. I try to listen quickly.

I go where you’re celebrated not tolerated. As a black woman founder, it’s important to prioritise your joy and mental health because building isn’t easy. Lean on your community and allies, mind your business and value yourself.

Talent is everywhere, opportunity isn't. Whether we're talking about fashion, business or any other industry, access to the right room, introduction, investment or a mentor can completely alter someone's trajectory. I've benefited throughout my career from extraordinary relationships and from people who have opened doors. I think there's a responsibility, once you find yourself in those rooms, to hold the door open for somebody else.

I'm a great believer in community over competition. Supporting somebody else's success doesn't diminish your own. If we stop thinking only about how I succeed and start thinking about how we create an environment in which more people can succeed, the impact becomes much bigger than any individual achievement. That's how you can create lasting change.

My favourite shop has to be Harrods, of course! And you can shop Brand63Africa on the 5th floor from [now] to 27 October. I’m excited about the upcoming 1-54 African Art Fair and really loved The Music is Black: A British Story exhibition at the new V&A East Museum. Restaurants I love are Gaia in Mayfair and Chishuru and my favourite place for coffee or breakfast is Kensington Roof Gardens.

Visit Brand63Africa at Harrods, 5th Floor, until the 27th of October.

The Beauty Digest is my Beauty Director’s edit of what’s actually worth your attention. Each week, I’ll be sharing the new launches I’m using and loving, the viral treatments I’m putting to the test (and what I really think of the results), plus my take on the industry conversations everyone’s talking about.

The New Launches on My Radar

Spotlight On: Sarah Creal Beauty

I've been following Sarah Creal for several years now. As a beauty insider, she's one of those names that instantly commands respect and admiration. After all, she was behind some of the most iconic beauty brands of our time—Tom Ford Beauty, Victoria Beckham Beauty, Bobbi Brown and the original Prada Beauty among them. In other words, even if you didn't know her name, chances are you've known her work.

Her most recent venture bears her own name, and this week Sarah Creal Beauty finally landed in the UK, exclusively at Space NK. But unlike so many new brands on the block, this one has a serious USP: it isn't gagging for the attention of Gen Z. In fact, it isn't really giving them a second thought. Sarah Creal Beauty has been intelligently and painstakingly designed for, in the brand's own words, “babes 40+”.

And that doesn't just mean putting a 50-year-old woman in the campaign imagery. Before launching, Creal spoke to 2,000 women over 40 about what was no longer working for them—and then formulated accordingly. Concealer suddenly settling into fine lines? Face Flex is designed to flex with the skin without creasing or fading. Mascara transferring as eyelids become more hooded and richer eye creams enter the equation? Back of the Cab is a tubing formula designed to stay put, then break down easily with warm water. Losing some of the natural definition and colour around the lip line? pHLip reacts with your skin's pH to create a personalised wash of colour while adding back definition. Every formula is clinically tested exclusively on women over 40, too.

Perhaps most refreshing of all is that none of it feels apologetic. This isn't beauty for women over 40 dressed up in wafty euphemisms, nor is youth being held up as the end goal. It's smart, it's solving a genuine need and, judging by the brand's trajectory so far, women were eagerly waiting for it: Sarah Creal Beauty reportedly turned over $10 million in its first year in the US, and I suspect the UK will prove every bit as receptive.

Turns out, you can build an exciting new beauty brand without trying to make a 21-year-old want it—or convincing a 40-year-old she should look like one. Funny that.

Beauty Buzz: Dyson's £400 Toothbrush

I love a Dyson keynote. They’re the beauty equivalent of a Steve Jobs iPhone reveal: the showmanship, the fanfare, the almost comical juxtaposition between Sir James Dyson’s understatement and the engineering spectacle of what he’s actually presenting. The latest took place in Paris on Tuesday and revealed an entirely new category for Dyson: oral care. More specifically, a toothbrush.

Except the Dyson CameraJet™ isn’t really just a toothbrush. It brushes, flosses and rinses simultaneously, using a tiny 100k-pixel camera and machine learning to scan your mouth 28 times a second, identify the gaps between your teeth and, within 100 milliseconds of spotting one, fire a precisely targeted, one-millisecond conical jet of mouthwash into it. It can even livestream the inside of your mouth to the MyDyson app, where you can see your brushing coverage and get feedback on things like overpressure and over-scrubbing. Six years of R&D, 470,000 dental images used to train its machine-learning system and 16 million lines of code have gone into making brushing your teeth considerably more technologically advanced.

And it costs a cool £419.99.

At first, I gasped along with the rest of the world. £420? For a toothbrush? But then I started thinking: how much does a top-of-the-range electric toothbrush actually cost these days? Philips Sonicare's premium models have retailed for £599.99, while Oral-B's iO10 carries an £800 price tag. Suddenly, Dyson's pricing doesn't seem quite as deranged as the headlines suggest.

And, impressive though those other existing brands' brushes are, they don't have a camera watching your teeth in real time, recognising each interdental gap and automatically firing mouthwash into it as you brush.

So, yes, £420 is an objectively enormous amount of money to spend on a toothbrush. But if it can combine brushing, interdental cleaning and mouth rinsing into one two-minute routine—and make people more likely to do the bit of oral hygiene so many of us skip—I'm not convinced it's the most ridiculous £400 beauty-tech purchase I've encountered. (Plus, think of all the money you'll save on dental work over the years.)

Do I need one? Absolutely not. Do I now desperately want to watch a tiny camera locate the gaps between my teeth and precision-blast them clean? Yes, I think I do. Don't you?

A sure-fire way to determine whether someone is older or younger than 30 is to ask them a simple question: would you wear knee-high boots in summer. If the answer is "yes", they're almost certainly Gen Z—and wore the shoe in question to All Points East. If it's a resounding "no", you're more likely a Millennial, one who wouldn't dream of covering their calves in leather during a national heatwave.

Wherever you land on knee-high boots during summer, however, this week's cooler temperatures (plus the advent of a new season) mean that you might be considering shelving your strappy little sandals for something a little sturdier, especially as they've just been endorsed by Jodie Comer.

On the promo trail for The Death of Robin Hood, the actor wore a full look from Givenchy by Sarah Burton—an oversized white shirt that hit the upper thigh and the brand's famous boots, the so-called "Shark Pinch".

The Shark Pinch, which are available in a thigh-high version as well as the knee, have a very distinctive silhouette courtesy of a double-shank construction that embraces "the tension between structure, sensuality and female empowerment". Decorated with hardware in the form of a metallic band that follows the leg's curvature (a similar detail can be found on one of the maison's handbags, also called the "Pinch"), these boots have attitude.

Comer paired the Shark Pinch which dropped online today in six different colours, with the same mini hemline that girlies here, there and everywhere have been advocating for this summer. Her oversized shirt, which is also from Givenchy by Sarah Burton, was styled like a dress, leaving a stretch of bare thigh (and knee cap) on show—perhaps to acknowledge the fact that summer isn't over for another few weeks.

It's a formula that is guaranteed to be a winner, especially while temperatures are lingering somewhere between mild and cool—and you can incorporate some coverage but also breeze in your look. Gen Z or Millennial, Jodie Comer says it's knee-high boot season, which means, dig yours out and ignore the nagging voice telling you it's not yet autumn once and for all.

Shop Shirt Dresses

Shop Black Knee-High Boots

When Kaia Gerber sat in the stands of the US Open, she wasn't wearing a baseball cap or sneakers or anything you might categorise as "casual". Instead, the actor—whose looks have been especially of note as she spent this summer promoting The Shards—chose one of autumn's most coveted dresses for the occasion.

Gerber's dress is by Yana Matkivski which is in fact a bodysuit with integrated pencil skirt, which is what gives the "dress" its second-skin fit. Clever, no? You can't tell from the above photograph but it's got a scoop back that's inspired by the silhouette of vintage bathing suits.

This kind of no-frills dress that goes on like a glove and manages to semaphore a low-effort, high-glam mood appeared in several collections for Autumn/Winter 26, with designers interpreting its allure for a new season. This is the kind of dress that does all the hard work for its wearer. At Gucci, that meant fine straps, a scoop neck, a knee-length hemline and what appeared to be a stretch-jersey fabrication.

Calvin Klein configured its version of the '90s silhouette with an elongated square neckline, choosing a stiffer material to give its dress a hint of sculpture instead of a skin-tight fit.

Whatever you choose—and there are plenty of versions hitting shop floors as we speak—the even better news about this dress is that you can (almost) sit back when it comes to accessories. I say "almost" because you'll find that a pair of heels—not as stratospheric as Gerber's, but significant enough in the height department—makes the perfect finishing touch. Apart from a stiletto—although, really, it doesn't have to be anywhere near as high or tapered as that word suggests—you can take a pleasingly minimal approach to your add-ons: subtle earrings or a wrist watch, wrap-around sunglasses and another hero of the '90s: a shoulder bag (Gerber's preference is for a tiger-printed, Fendi Baguette).

The Best Black '90s Dresses

This summer has been one for the history books—wildfires in Europe; five blistering heatwaves in the UK; devastating floods in Nepal, not to mention the creeping proliferation of data centres (as one opinion writer put it in The Guardian: "In many people’s minds, datacentres [sic] are also a byword for the two totemic issues of yet another searing summer: heat and water").

Oxfam's State of Style report, released today, illuminates these issues with data that makes for particularly sober reading when it's framed around our buying habits: "The water used to produce Britain’s unworn clothes is enough to supply 1 million people for a lifetime." Overconsumption, coupled with under-wearing, is creating waste—not just of clothing but the resources used to produce it—at an unprecedented scale. "The average UK wardrobe contains 80 items—and 32% of them, around 26 items, haven’t been worn in the past 12 months." Put another way: "Our one-wear outfits waste the equivalent of 88 billion bottles of water."

The extreme nature of this summer's weather—Europe is officially the world's fastest-warming continent—is the call for action that we needed to hear. And in conjunction with the start of Oxfam's Second Hand September, a campaign that has been running since 2019 and which encourages people to not only shop second-hand but donate their unworn and unwanted clothing, there's never been a better time to start as you mean to go on this season.

Richard E. Grant owes his break-out role—as the eccentric hero of Withnail & I, to a second-hand coat he bought at none other than Oxfam. "It was 1986 and I arrived for my Withnail & I’audition soaking wet and in a second-hand Burberry trench coat. Turned out I’d nailed the look for the part without even trying. No Oxfam, no Withnail," says the actor, who is fronting the campaign for Second Hand September; a chance to remedy shopping habits that might have led you to an impulse-buy influenced by Instagram (Oxfam's State of Style report found that, "almost two thirds of people (64%) buy clothing they were not actively looking for, after seeing items on social media, apps or online shopping platforms").

“Original style isn't about buying more. It's about finding pieces with a story, keeping them for as long as you can, and passing them on for someone else to discover," says Grant, whose was styled by Bay Garnett, stylist, author and long-time second-hand afficionado. "We've already got too much of everything. Reusing and upcycling clothing—second-hand, vintage, call it what you like—just makes perfect sense,” says Grant.

It's hard to remember that water is a precious resource when you're on the verge of adding something to basket, a delicious frisson stirring as your finger hits "Place Order". But next time, consider the fact that water is not just an environmental issue. It's a humanitarian one. You might not think that pausing before purchase will make the slightest bit of difference to the climate crisis, a juggernaut that's bigger than any individual or group of people. But if we all stopped throwing away clothes instead of repairing or donating them—and reduced the amount of clothing in our wardrobes to hard-working pieces that all got worn (and worn and worn), you might be surprised. As the report puts it: "Today, 2.3 billion people live in water-stressed countries, 1.8 billion people lack access to safe water at home, and nine in 10 climate-related disasters are linked to water—through floods, droughts or changing rainfall patterns. While fashion is only one part of this wider picture, every decision to extend the life of clothing helps reduce demand for new production and the resources it requires."

The Beauty Digest is my Beauty Director’s edit of what’s actually worth your attention. Each week, I’ll be sharing the new launches I’m using and loving, the viral treatments I’m putting to the test (and what I really think of the results), plus my take on the industry conversations everyone’s talking about.

3 New Launches on My Radar

The Treatment Trial: A Love Letter to the Classic Massage

In true beauty journalist fashion, access to a spa is something of a holiday prerequisite for me. There's just something about booking in for a classic full-body massage on the first day that signals the start of the holiday and switches me firmly into relaxation mode. This week, while on a family holiday at Los Jardines de Abama Suites in Tenerife, I ventured to Sandára Wellness & Spa for its deep-tissue offering. It was 60 minutes of pure, unadulterated bliss, made all the better by the breathtaking views of the Atlantic from the hydrotherapy pools afterwards. Because while I love trying the latest high-tech treatment and buzz-worthy tweakment, sometimes nothing beats a really great massage.

Beauty Buzz: Max Mara Reveals First Perfume

A Max Mara 101801 coat is a permanent fixture on my winter wardrobe wish list. So classic, so elegant, and so discreetly expensive-looking, it’s one of those pieces that instantly make your entire wardrobe look more sophisticated. And now, Max Mara has bottled that exact effect with the launch of its first-ever fragrance, Le Parfum.

Unsurprisingly, the 101801 was the starting point. Designed to be worn almost like an olfactory cashmere coat, Le Parfum wraps sandalwood and cedarwood in creamy tuberose, warm vanilla and benzoin for a soft, musky scent that sits close to the skin. Even the bottle riffs on the house icon, with camel tones, gold accents and a lacquered ‘belt’ cinching its architectural glass silhouette. Consider this the significantly more attainable way to get some 101801 into your wardrobe.

Midi skirts might form the backbone of many a wardrobe, but they don't get as much air-time as the more extreme hemlines—blink-and-you'll-miss-it minis or supersized maxis. Ahead of autumn, however, in this strange in-between period when you're subconsciously gearing up for autumn, in-between is actually bang on, with knee-length skirts emerging as the "new" length of interest.

The Autumn/Winter 26 catwalks had plenty of knee-length skirts that had "back-to-work" energy without feeling remotely schoolgirlish. Marni's skirts fell to just above the knee cap across the board, with a straight-up-and-down cut that complemented the zippered leather and sequin-embellished fabrications. With a lower-rise waist, the proportions were fresh and unexpected—an upside of choosing a tricker length instead of sticking to a safer calf-length midi.

Jil Sander's knee-length skirt was more A-line in silhouette, with a delicious suede version, paired with ecru tights and patent court pumps, that is guaranteed to make you feel slightly more positive about the end of summer. Chanel also endorsed the knee-length skirt for Autumn/Winter 26 (Paloma Elsesser got first dibs on the collection's gorgeously textured style, embellished with scale-like layers of paillettes, to attend the label's show at Haute Couture Week).

Marni's knee-length skirt was also paired with a heel, a slightly lower slingback or criss-cross sandal worn over socks. I mentioned shoes because the choice becomes crucial with a knee-length skirt. Flats aren't completely forbidden, FYI, but it's probably a good idea to ensure your skirt hits on or above the knee to avoid a rather shortening effect. Otherwise, a midi heel pairs brilliantly with on-the-knee skirts, giving lift and a touch of the ladylike mood that inflected many catwalks for Autumn/Winter 26 (Elsesser's toe-capped, gloved pump is a case in point).

You're looking for a pump with a heel (the height can vary), a slingback or a totally-closed silhouette. A square toe will add a point of interest (COS has a great loafer-style pair with a chisel heel). A heeled ballet pump is another easy option because you can go modest with the height (Massimo Dutti's suede ballerina measures 3.5cm). As dinky (or perhaps dinkier still) is this bow-tied, kitten-heeled mule from M&S, which would look on-point with grey ribbed tights or a scrunched knee-length sock. You also can't go wrong with a gloved pump like Aeyde's, which has an hourglass-shaped heel measuring a higher 6.5cm.

As well as considering what's going on south of your skirt's hemline, it will pay to consider what to wear on top (and whether or not you need to tuck it in). Marilyn Nwawulor-Kazemaks recently posted a perfectly-composed outfit: a knee-length skirt, lipstick red and leather, paired with a tucked-in white T-shirt, a chunky beaded necklace and patent burgundy pumps.

It's the kind of look—hinging on the in-between length of the skirt—that will give you a boost as you head back into the office after a few weeks of sun-lounging (or, more likely, chasing your kids around the pool with a bottle of suncream).

Shop Our Favourite Knee-Length Skirt And Shoe Combinations

The weather might have taken a turn for the damp—decidedly so if my soaked pair of jeans is anything to go by—but it's still technically summer until 21 September. The good news is that we've identified an item of clothing that encapsulates our warmest season but, crucially, can be worn into autumn: the camisole top.

Dua Lipa's post-honeymoon wardrobe included the cami in a big way—with styles from 16Arlington, With Jéan and Chloé. Alexa Chung's famous "outfitcam" carousels, meanwhile, also feature several camis, both lace-trimmed and primary-coloured. In fact, A-list Instagram feeds are endorsing the camisole left, right and centre. Daisy Edgar-Jones's Chloé top is particularly whimsical, helped by the fact that she's holding a bunch of lavender. But Tracee Ellis Ross, who posted less than 24 hours ago, wins for sheer fabulousness. Her camisole is liquid silver mesh (need we say more?) and, paired with lo-fi denim and sneakers, shows us exactly how to do "jeans and a nice top" in summer 2026.

Another A-lister who just wore a similar pairing, except an autumnal version, is Keri Russell, who's promoting the latest season of The Diplomat. The actor shrugged a collar-popped blazer over her camisole-and-jeans combo, a timely reminder that just because it's whisper-thin and lace-trimmed doesn't mean your cami has to retire at the start of autumn.

It's all very Saint Laurent, whose lace camisoles were paired with lace pencil skirts for Autumn/Winter 26. My advice is to bookmark that look for party season, which means you can wear your camisole now, during autumn and, finally, at Christmas.

Shop Our Favourite Camisole Tops

It's August, which means we're only halfway through the year. Nevertheless, I don't think we need to wait until December to confirm that the most annoying social media trend has already been awarded to the two little words that have been monopolising your feed and mine: "kinda chic".

On Instagram, this refers to a carousel where each photo is overlaid with text starting with "kinda chic to..." Examples of its usage range from the heartfelt—Reese Witherspoon's contribution started with, "kinda chic to be underestimated"—to the frankly rather niche ("kinda chic to know your barista by name," "kinda chic to order fries for the table," and, my personal favourite, "kinda chic to not dump ur lime bike").

It can't have started more than a few months ago—Witherspoon's post was as recent as 5 August—but the backlash quickly gathered pace; first with an inversion of the phrasing, "kinda not chic to...", before snowballing towards cringe with alarming speed. In short, kinda chic now has as much cachet as "Live, Laugh, Love". But while that trend at least had time to do a brisk trade in mugs and motivational coasters, kinda chic already has zero social currency. Coco Schiffer, a stylist based in New York, summarised the situation in six words on 2 August: "PSA: 'kinda chic' has been revoked". Cultural Memory, the newsletter written by Naomi May, hit my inbox this week with the subject line: "we must retire the adjective chic for the sake of humanity."

What's interesting—and equally what shows how trends now move at warp-speed—is that evidence suggests "chic" actually is falling out of favour. The Instagram account @databutmakeitfashion has reported that, "the word 'chic' is objectively losing its value". How they worked this out is by conducting a "sentimental analysis" on online articles mentioning the term. The results showed a clear downward trajectory to August (apparently "positive sentiment" has been dropping by 14% a month since March).

This feels like a fairly drastic reaction to a social media trend that went viral then went viral again (for the wrong reasons)—and is especially interesting because it's not "finger shoes" (which, for the record, have grown on me!) or a polarising item of clothing. This time, we're talking about a word.

I actually wrote my own newsletter about breaking up with the adjective earlier this month, for different reasons than "kinda chic", which was on my radar but obviously not irking me enough to include. It turns out one of my favourite writers, Hanya Yanagihara, banned the word from being used when she first joined as editor-in-chief of T Magazine. It's also the fact that it falls down on precision.

As I wrote in that post, "You see it deployed perhaps not interchangeably but in a similar context to words such as ‘elegant’, ‘put-together’ and even ‘minimal’, but while those can all be summarised more straightforwardly—put-together, for example, means someone who takes care of their appearance in a way that’s not just presentable but precise (that word again!)—chic is more of an umbrella term for all of the above, pretending at specificity and yet eluding a clear meaning other than something generally positive and grown-up."

I guess this is partly why it worked as a trend—for a (very) short while. It's a word that was able to be co-opted; your manicure could be chic but so could the way you parked your car or buttered your toast. Maybe, however, it's nothing to do with the word's lack of meaning, and more to do with how getting a bit rage-y online will always drive engagement. Anastasia Vartanian, whose online alter-ego is @fatannawintour, just posted a newsletter with an intriguing headline on her Substack, Cultural Cyberbully: "Everyone has to be annoying these days." It's about the cycle of despising people's "inane" captions and fluffy-mic videos and "algorithmically-mandated" hot takes, but then also realising that all of these things are a part and parcel of what it means to work in media right now. "After all, I’m also in the business of siphoning attention and turning it into money," is how she ends her introduction.

There is a solution to not getting dragged into a trend (and then dragged for participating in said trend). Vartanian is rebuilding her algorithm from the ground up. "Low cortisol content at its finest: no internet discourse, trends or formats, just vibes. People filming a video like they have no idea what a hook, a microtrend, a ring light or an affiliate link is. But that’s exactly the appeal." Now all you have to do is resist the urge to call that advice, "kinda chic".

You've been hashtag blessed with a supermodel mother (Cindy Crawford)—and, even better, have been industriously sidelining your nepo baby origin story by starring in The Shards, Ryan Murphy's latest show based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis (The Guardian gave it five stars). In fact, on the promo trail, Kaia Gerber—whose father is businessman Rande Gerber—has been showcasing one of the best wardrobes (read: easy and elegant) of summer 2026.

The Shards might be set in a high school—the vibe? The Secret History crossed with American Psycho—but the model-actor's looks have been a lesson in the opposite mood: grown-up minimalism. Together with her stylist Emma Jade Morrison, Gerber has pulled off custom Prada, Gucci and Valentino, not to mention a dusting of Fendi Couture.

Where it gets interesting, however, is her off-duty style, which you'll be glad to hear might contain designer but is more about contemporary brands. (In fact, this also goes for her "on-duty" wardrobe on closer inspection. One of her outfits while promoting The Shards—a fluid black slip dress paired with a lightweight white scarf—is from Toteme.)

Not only has been carrying one designer handbag for the past few months—a rarity in today's pap culture, especially if you work in Hollywood!—but she wears (and rewears) a capsule wardrobe comprised of brands such as Repetto (for ballet pumps), With Jéan (for jersey dresses and skirts), DÔEN (for lace-trimmed blouses) and Alo (for activewear). With help from Star Style, which is one of the best resources if you see a celebrity wearing something you love and ideally want to own, we've found some of the exact pieces in her rotation.

Shop Our Favourite Kaia Gerber Staples

The Beauty Digest is my Beauty Director’s edit of what’s actually worth your attention. Each week, I’ll be sharing the new launches I’m using and loving, the viral treatments I’m putting to the test (and what I really think of the results), plus my take on the industry conversations everyone’s talking about.

The New Launches I'm Loving

The Treatment Trial: Matrix RF Microneedling

I popped by The Aesthetics Doctor clinic last week to see Dr Ahmed El Muntasar for a taste of the new Matrix Radio Frequency (RF) Microneedling treatment. The device uses tiny needles to penetrate the skin at varying depths, delivering RF energy to create controlled micro-injuries that stimulate the skin’s natural production of collagen and elastin.

Where Matrix differs from other RF microneedling devices is its Depth Intelligence technology and real-time impedance monitoring. In other words, it continually assesses how the skin tissue is responding and adjusts energy delivery accordingly, allowing practitioners to treat at different depths and energy levels in a more controlled, individualised way. This can also make for a more comfortable treatment—although, yes, I definitely opted for numbing cream beforehand.

Downtime was minimal. After 30 minutes in the clinic, I headed straight back to the office, albeit a little pink in the cheeks. I did experience a breakout across my cheeks over the following few days (although that could just as easily have been hormonal), but since it cleared, my skin hasn’t looked this smooth and clear in years. And because the collagen-remodelling benefits develop over time, I’m excited to see what happens after round two.

Beauty Buzz: The Great Advent Calendar Race

It feels slightly bizarre to be writing about advent calendars in mid-August, but then the beauty industry has never been one to let reason stand in the way of a good launch. Every year, the advent calendar race seems to start earlier, with increasingly extravagant editions landing while most of us are still applying post-holiday fake tan.

At first, I rolled my eyes. Come on. It's 38 degrees outside. There's not even a whisper of winter in the air. Let us be present and enjoy the summer! But then... I started investigating. And I folded. Because when someone offers you more than £1,000 worth of luxury beauty for £200, suddenly Christmas in August starts to feel remarkably reasonable.

My only remaining qualm with beauty advent calendars is the pretence that anyone is actually using them as advent calendars. I just refuse to believe anyone a) can wait until December and b) has the self-control to just open one a day. Personally, I'd have window 25 open within the hour.

A few years ago, you might have dropped an objectively "eye-watering" amount on a, say, a handbag because you saw it on the Olsens, got caught in the cross-hairs of a persuasive shopping assistant or hoped it would last a lifetime. Nowadays, however, customers are looking for something that you might expect to be listed on a dating profile: emotional connection.

The Business of Fashion's recent report, The State of Fashion: Face to Face With Luxury Clients, which was produced in collaboration with consultancy firm McKinsey & Company, found the following: "Emotional connection is the number one driver of luxury brand desirability in both the US and China — above craftsmanship, heritage and logo recognition." A customer still expects quality but wants more besides.

"Things like beautiful imagery, exceptional product, operational slickness, high-touch customer service are par for the course—on top of that consumers now need to feel like they are buying into something," says luxury brand advisor Alexandra Carello. "The brand has to work hard to create something that people want to be a part of. This is not about pushing out information and product anymore this is about pulling people in and enveloping them in your world," she says.

The BoF report uses the case study of Chanel, interviewing the brand's president of fashion, Bruno Pavlovsky, about how it's managing to grow in a difficult luxury climate (2025's operating profit was $4,712 million, an increase of 5% compared to 2024). Pavloksky cites Matthieu Blazy, the new artistic director, and his vision—of a future that's rooted in a storied past—as the reason why customer interest has been reinforced. "Chanel, the brand, never stopped generating interest. Matthieu’s arrival has reinforced that interest. He has perfectly integrated the heritage of Mademoiselle Chanel, of Karl. But his work also makes space for more freedom, more audacity in an intelligent way."

Celine is another brand that has recently undergone a changing of the guard, with a new custodian in the form of creative director Michael Rider. Having previously worked at the maison under, arguably, its most venerated creative director, Phoebe Philo, Rider's design language is steeped in the lore of what the internet refers to as "old Celine". Similarly to Blazy, however, he's using that history and knowledge to move forwards, taking the brand into exciting territory that has got fans re-excited by a new Celine.

This new territory is where the luxury shopping experience goes beyond the transactional. How brands in more contemporary price brackets have managed this is by treating the product as just the starting point. "I've always believed the best brands create relationships, not just sales," says the co-founder and creative director of Daisy London, Ruth Bewsey. "That's what inspired the Daisy Summer Club, a series of pop-up experiences with aligning brands, at places our community already loves to spend time. Rather than simply selling jewellery, it's about creating moments to meet people, have conversations and hear their stories." The goal is to be part of someone's life instead of passing through one of its phases.

"It's never just about selling a necklace, it's about creating something that becomes part of someone's story," says the founder of jewellery brand By Alona, Alona Shelemy, who regularly talks to her long-standing customers via Instagram DM. "One of my favourite things is when customers come back years later asking us to refresh or re-plate a well-loved piece."

Traditional loyalty schemes that usually reward customer spend are similarly being rethought. "Rather than asking customers to earn access over time, we welcome them into our world from the very beginning," says Jennifer Chamandi, founder of her eponymous shoe brand, who opened a salon-style meeting space, The Apartment, in October 2024. "We involve them in the brand's journey through intimate events, workshops and masterclasses, creating meaningful experiences beyond the product itself. Over time, many of our most loyal clients naturally evolve into brand ambassadors with whom we build even deeper relationships."

Before you envelope your customer, however, it helps to know who they are. At Freja, a handbag label based in New York, its customer can be summed up in seven words: "women in the pursuit of something meaningful." Thoughtfulness is how the brand's founder, Jenny Lai, weaves her own worldview into Freja; "it’s how my parents showed love to me growing up. Not with praise or gifts, but attention. Noticing things and helping in a quiet way," says Lai, whose bags, "quietly make your life a little bit easier without you needing to ask. Key leashes, intuitive pockets, flap shoulder straps, and long strap drops. It all calls back to my foundational definition of care and love."

This kind of ethos can't just be at the foundation of a brand; it has to be woven throughout. "For us, culture isn’t something we consciously place into a collection. It’s already there. It lives in our instincts, our eye and the way we approach design. Every silhouette, fabric and detail carries that perspective," says the co-founder of Noon by Noor, Shaikha Noor.

Above all, it's about humanising the customer; taking an interest that goes deeper than niceties. "Seeing people in the clothes, how they style them, learning about their lives—that's why we do this," says the founder of denim brand DALA, Rosie Ingleby. "Denim has such a history and a function—I love to find out what people do and then imagine how their jeans will look in 10 years—the fade will be so specific to their life and becomes very personal."

The trifecta of bike-friendly outfits, outdoor show locations and mountains of whipped butter mean one thing and one thing only: it's Copenhagen Fashion Week. Even those who've never been to the capital might know something of its street-style scene, which is famously exuberant (read: more fun than Paris; less polished than Milan). And with its position ahead of New York, which kicks off fashion month in early September, it's very often a litmus test for autumn-facing trends; a chance for show-goers to experiment. While many continued to prove that fashion can be fun (and cheerful!), others took a surprisingly wearable approach to front-row dressing, making the most of shoes that will soon be stowed away until next summer, for example, or slipping on what looks very much like the autumn jacket after months of bare arms.

The Copenhagen Fashion Week Street Style Trends to Note

Leather Jackets

With lower temperatures than London, Milan or Paris, Copenhagen is often a good bellwether for what jackets will be popular in the core-four fashion capitals next month. Leather won by a landslide, with iterations that dialled back the bells-and-whistles in favour of minimal styles that were largely single-breasted.

Kitten-Heeled Flip-Flops

As the last chance a lot of attendees have to wear summery footwear before fall, Copenhagen Fashion Week usually features plenty of sandals. This season's pick is the kitten-heeled flip-flop, a shoe that's about as evergreen as its flat rubber counterpart. Keep things simple with black or choose something more statement (a pomodoro shade of red or PVC).

Lace Dresses

There was much to love about this outfit, but it was the contrast between its dressy lace and more casual denim that made it particularly worth bookmarking. Psst: OpéraSPORT's asymmetric dress could also be styled over cargo pants or nylon tracksuit bottoms for an evening-adjacent take.

Turquoise

There's nothing revelatory about the colour blue, except for one gradation doing the rounds: turquoise. The shade cropped up repeatedly—on dresses, sequinned tees and fringed clutch bags in otherwise monochrome outfits—edging out its competition to become the "pop of" shade in Copenhagen.

If you asked a bunch of fashion-week attendees—from editors to photographers to buyers to customers—to nominate the person they considered the best dressed (consistently, not just for that season), I'd be willing to bet several would reply without missing a beat: Christine Centenera. Not only is she the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Australia, but she has also built a career as a celebrity stylist, working with clients including Kim Kardashian, and is the co-founder of the influential clothing label Wardrobe.NYC. Together with her co-founder, the designer Josh Goot, Wardrobe.NYC has become a go-to for celebrities such as Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (who designed a collection with the brand), Margot Robbie (who wore Wardrobe.NYC + RHW) and Selena Gomez.

The brand's next logical step? A high-street collaboration with the retailer who is responsible for bringing the biggest designer brands to a mass audience: H&M. Launching tomorrow, 6 August, with an edit that's based on the archives of Wardrobe.NYC, it's arriving just as you're preparing to build your autumn uniform for September.

Wardrobe.NYC H&M delivers a complete wardrobe of hard-working pieces that you'll come to rely on—from an oversized black coat that's hefty and double-breasted to a nip-waisted denim jacket, elongated for elegance but still wearable enough for everyday. "What we want is for all pieces to become staples: You're building the base of a wardrobe and mixing it back in—with things you already own and with pieces from the collection itself," says Centenera, adding: "That versatility was always the goal."

Many of the pieces could form the backbone of your office wardrobe—tailoring has always been part of Wardrobe.NYC's DNA—but each has edge. "You could see immediately that it was the ultimate wardrobe essentials—but made with such thoughtfulness and a quiet passion. It's pared back, on the cleaner side, but it still has a lot of character," explains Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M's creative advisor and head of design for womenswear. "The sculpturality, the way every shape is so well considered—you can really feel how it will be to wear one of these garments just by looking at it."

She's not wrong. There's nothing basic about the collection's white T-shirt, which is actually a bodysuit with subtly-moulded shoulders. There's also the drawstring-waist black trousers, perfectly wide-legged and designed to be styled with a heel (Centenera always navigates fashion week in stilettos).

They've also considered how their customer wants to wear the clothes. The ability to layer, for example, is key to Centenera, who uses "wardrobe staples almost like building blocks to create an ensemble," she says. The long-sleeved black bodysuit could be fitted underneath the blue shirt—the collab's only concession to a colour outside black and white—which, in turn, would go snugly underneath the cropped bomber jacket. "I trust these pieces completely. That trust, that reliability, is really what Wardrobe.NYC is all about," says Centenera.

Shop The Marie Claire Edit Of Wardrobe.NYC H&M

Dresses over trousers is not a pairing for the risk-adverse. Having said that, choose the right dress, the right trousers and you'll have found an option for summer-evening dressing that, miraculously, doesn't involve a dress. (This, by the way, follows on from the daytime alternative we've already covered: a tunic over trousers.)

Chase Sui Wonders, who's on the promo trail for I Want Your Sex, provided evidence of this claim just last night. At the film's premiere in New York, the actor wore a look from Valentino, opting not for an ingénue gown but a diaphanous cape over a sheer bustier dress over high-waisted trousers. The colour palette's moodiness gave the fabrics—the pairing of lace and lustrous satin—even more edge. In short, dresses over trousers? Definitely a good idea for late-summer (or autumn) nights out.

Shop Chase's Dress Over Trousers Look

In autumn, you can factor an oversized blazer into the equation (Arket's single-breasted wool style will also be a great addition to your office wardrobe). And, obviously, you can always experiment with different shades of slip and trouser, brightening the combination if you're on holiday—or at home but dreaming of being out-of-office (By Malene Birger's coral slip dress would perfectly offset taupe silk bias trousers by Comme Si).

Shop More Dresses To Wear Over Trousers:

When Kylie Jenner posted about her collaboration with Meta Glasses—making a pair of £359 opticals that can tell you everything from the weather forecast to what to make for dinner in her voice—a lot of users saw red. "SAY NO TO SURVEILLANCE CAPITALISM," posted one. "The people don’t want this," commented another. The biggest objection seems to be that as well as incorporating Meta AI, meaning you can ask questions on-the-move, and the ability to translate more than 20 languages with a simple voice command, you can "capture memories hands-free" (read: secretly take photos of your food without judgment or, more worryingly, another person).

The Instagram account @everyonehateselon has dubbed them "pervert glasses", with its own ad that depicts a pair on the face of Jeffrey Epstein. Its tagline speaks volumes about how the accessory is being perceived by its critics: "Glasses for people who don't do consent." Others are coming up with clever ways to "hack the system". An Instagramer user called @marie4pole posted: "Women are being advised to play Disney songs when they notice a man is recording them with Meta glasses without consent." Her conclusion? "Because apparently music is more protected than women in 2026."

The language that's being used to object to these glasses, and their technology, has been notable. "Fascism chic for summer," Gabriella Karefa-Johnson wrote on her Substack Brain Matter, referencing the launch party thrown by Meta (in attendance? Kylie Jenner, Timothée Chalamet and Mark Zuckerberg, who accessorised with a pair of, you guessed it, Meta glasses). "Need some of you to get a single scruple and F A S T. Stroking the surveillance state for an open bar and dj-set is just sad ):," continued Karefa-Johnson. Spying, gathering intelligence and giving citizens the power to operate covertly in plain sight? This might sound like a dystopian thriller set in the Cold War, but it's happening today—right under our noses.

EssilorLuxottica, who owns the eyewear brands Ray-Ban and Oakley, has beat its profit forecasts not in spite of its tech glasses but because of them. According to a report by Reuters, published on the Business of Fashion: "Franco-Italian eyewear maker EssilorLuxottica reported a 15 percent rise in first-half adjusted operating profit on Tuesday [28 July], comfortably beating analysts’ expectations, while revenue growth ​was ⁠driven by strong demand for AI-enabled glasses ⁠and products in its myopia management portfolio."

If you're glasses-shopping at Meta—where you can choose between spectacles and sunglasses made by Meta itself, Ray-Ban or Oakley—myopia might not even come into the equation. The BoF article continued: "The Ray-Ban maker made adjusted ​operating profit of €2.75 billion ($3.13 billion) in the six months to June 30, compared ​with a Visible ⁠Alpha analyst consensus of €2.46 billion."

The hype machine is clearly working. For as many people who are voicing their concerns and calling them "creeper glasses", as one person did underneath another photo of Kylie Jenner, others are being influenced: "Obviously bought them already!!! 😍," reads the comment directly underneath.

Maybe the entire debate is, in fact, moot—and, like driverless cars, they'll be not so much a choice but an inevitability in the future (at least for those who can afford to keep up with technology). Mark Zuckerberg certainly seems to think so. In June 2025, Fortune reported on the following comment made by the Meta CEO. “I think in the future, if you don’t have glasses that have AI or some way to interact with AI, I think you’re kind of similarly, probably [going to] be at a pretty significant cognitive disadvantage compared to other people and who you’re working with, or competing against."

Technological advances that make people's lives more "advantaged" are inevitable. But if the billionare makers behind them (as well as the promoters like Kylie Jenner; also a billionare), haven't considered what the consequences might be for more vulnerable members of society if they are misused, then it's not just a failure of responsibility but potentially dangerous. I've worn glasses for short-sightedness since junior school, have owned at least seven pairs (of all descriptions) since and can say with a degree of certainty that one of Meta's—even the cat-eye style of Kylie's—won't be telling me the "feels like" temperature anytime soon. Call me a Luddite, or a person at a "signature cognitive disadvantage"—that's fine—but a pair of glasses doesn't need to find me a recipe or take a photo of the resulting dish.

If your holiday bag is your work bag, you're doing life wrong. A dramatic statement but one that is borne out by facts. Just how are you supposed to relax and unburden yourself if you're quite literally carrying the weight of the world (and the work that waits for you at home) on your shoulders? The answer is to go for a diametrically-opposed accessory. And what tastemakers have chosen as very "summer 2026" is the drawstring bag.

It's this season's version of a clutch bag or evening purse, prioritising a statement exterior (think beads, patterns and luxurious fabrications) over a spacious interior. Having said that, these pouches can fit everything you need to stroll down to your local trattoria (Prada's has a fairly lofty height of 35cm if you've taken to carrying around a wooden fan alongside your essentials).

Rather like this summer's trend for novelty bags, a drawstring pouch has an "out-of-office" charm that you can't quite emulate with a leather tote or bowling bag. Size definitely comes into play here. See Marianne Smyth's grey tank, silk chartreuse trousers and minimal flip-flops? An imposingly-large handbag would have taken over, muddling the simplicity of such an outfit. Casa Allyon's grey suede pouch, however, doesn't muddle anything. It's chic, lightweight and impressively carefree.

A drawstring pouch can also be carefree but with dressy attitude. When Florrie Thomas visited The Lakes by YOO, a luxury sustainable hotel located in the Cotswolds, she styled her knit dress (a ripe shade of tomato) with a peach drawstring bag to pose on the wooden deck.

Another approach is a pouch with one handle that can be threaded through the other (Violetta Fainšil's fringed bag added extra dimension, not to mention interest, to a semi-sheer dress on her holiday in Marseille).

The best thing about a drawstring bag—or satin pouch—is that, contrary to popular opinion, you don't have to retire it once you're back at work. Marina Zholobova might have carried hers for a wellness-resort stay, but her outfit had "back to school" energy that's perfectly in step with September (a shirt, a knee-length skirt and point-toe pumps). You might have to slip your laptop into a slim leather tote, and surrender to carrying two bags on your commute, but it's worth it to have a hint of holiday about your person.

The Best Drawstring Bags

When Hailey Bieber posted a picture on "Rhode Island" (get it?), she did so wearing a pair of flip-flops from what might be the brand of summer 2026: STAUD. The Freja leather sandals—a barely-there thong with a 6cm heel that feels somewhere between naughty and nice—is a fitting symbol of a brand that found a following courtesy of its handbags (and still does) but has now built its ready-to-wear to be similarly formidable.

STAUD is summer, summer is STAUD. That is the impression you get from its tagged images on Instagram, whether it's a little beaded purse adding interest to butter yellow capri pants on Whitney Port, or a lime silk kaftan on Blair Eadie, its zesty shade contrasting with her peach background.

It's also managed to position itself as enviably vacation-adjacent; the brand that's ideal for the "holiday" version of you. Take its collaboration with Da Adolfo, a famous seafood restaurant in Positano. Featuring the eatery's motif that runs along the bottom of its umbrellas—a red fish—on garments such as cheerfully-striped rugby shirts, swimsuits and crocheted bucket hats, you can almost taste the salt in the air just scrolling through the collection on Net-a-Porter. The Instagram comments summed up the pairing: "Such a vibe!!!!", "Summer, distilled ❤️" and "Heaven."

The "out-of-office" section of your wardrobe can't take up too much real estate, but the point about this collection is that weaving a piece into your everyday life—a straw bag shaped like a fish, say, or a square-necked sundress decorated with cascades of studs—will instantly pick up your mood.

And if the novelty bags or beaded flip-flops don't feel "useful" enough, STAUD's summer dresses are truly unparalleled. For wedding-guest season, the brand's minimal red column dress—its strapless neckline and shade of pomodoro means it's impossible to ignore—will serve excellently well (Blair Eadie's trick is to pair a bold dress with an even bolder necklace, FYI). Daytime calls for something airy and easy to pair with straw baskets and sandals. Enter STAUD's Margi, a pleated cotton-poplin sundress available in white, black, burgundy and vanilla.

Never felt like summer was "you"? STAUD might have something to say about that.

Shop Our Favourite Staud Buys

Carrie Bradshaw's taste in men—and her tendency to boomerang straight back into their arms—might be what you'd call a "red flag" in modern dating parlance. But if there's one long-term commitment she got right, it's to corsages, not a dalliance but a love affair that lasted for a six-seasoned show, two movie spin-offs and a reboot.

The accessory is once again getting its flowers at Haute Couture Week, the twice-annual event currently happening in Paris. Outside Dior, Alexa Chung wore a black dress gathered at the left hip, a corsage (plus a stream of powder blue flowers) providing its satiny fabric with extra fabulousness. The flora theme continued inside the venue, a veritable hot house, and on the catwalk itself, where corsages were used to decorate lapels, waists, hips and even handbags (the brand's refined top-handle, the Lady Dior).

Like its cousin, the brooch, corsages have a reputation for being old-fashioned (fusty, even). The fortunes of both have been reversed this season, however, with floral pins being deployed—left, right and centre—to give the most basic item of clothing a decided flourish.

Tory Burch's T-shirt is one such example, a crew-neck design that comes with a bloom—its petals tinged pink—on the left-hand side. You can see how it would elevate the most basic or muted of bottom halves (cargo shorts, say, or black linen trousers), lending finesse to an unfussy outfit.

If chest height feels too season three Carrie, try pinning it somewhere "random"—just above your hip bone or a bag strap—and see how that affects the essence of your look. You can also play with the size (Blair Eadie's feathery explosion might be the ultimate evening corsage).

Our prediction? It might be the start not of a summer fling but an enduring romance.

Shop The Best Corsages

It's hard to summon a put-together outfit when the weather is set to scorchingly warm, which is why it's best to rely on pieces that were—quite literally—made for each other: co-ords.

Timed perfectly to coincide with our latest heatwave comes not one but two collaborations that include the kind of co-ord—easy and yet elegant—that will make holiday packing, but also getting dressed for the office, not a cinch but certainly manageable. The first comes from Monikh Dale, who's once again partnered with resort brand Faithfull, creating a capsule, Monikh x Faithfull, that mirrors the minimal silhouettes, and earthy colour palette, of the stylist's own wardrobe.

Alexis Foreman has also collaborated with Asceno, another brand that does swimwear, and summer dressing, with an ease that you'll very much want to emulate. The AF x Asceno co-ords, available in espresso, white and black, are made from materials that will feel cool against the skin (the silk-twill tunic and matching pants set is particularly tantalising).

Keep scrolling to see which co-ords suit which occasions, although, truthfully, anything that feels comfortable will also look chic. And in this weather, that will be music to most ears.

Holiday Co-Ords

Sarah Corbett-Winder's takes a "pile it on" approach to holiday dressing, but grounds the look with this checked two-piece—also from Faithfull. A shirt-and-shorts set is another tried-and-tested co-ord when you're by the beach, allowing you to separate the components and make them work harder (it's not their holiday!) with everything in your suitcase.

Evening Co-Ords

A knitted co-ord works especially well after the sun has set when you might otherwise need a layer. The Monikh x Faithfull collaboration has a plum duo—a slouchy knit that drops off one shoulder plus a maxi skirt—that will be effortless to wear but still make an impact.

Office Co-Ords

The office can be an oasis of air-conditioning during the hottest weeks of summer, but you have to get there in one piece. Ironically, a two-piece might be the slickest way to do heatwave workwear; a shirt-and-skirt set being a particularly good option that you can pair with simple leather sandals.

Weekend Co-Ords

Many of the above co-ords will be suitable for off-duty, but the truly savvy will shop for a versatile set that can be worn multiple ways (a minidress that can also double as a top or subtly-tailored linen pants that can be styled with their partner or any of your other button-downs).

With a heatwave settling over much of the UK, what did you learn from our last hot spell? Not to wear knee-high boots (I don't know how the girlies do it)? Switching your baseball cap for a sweat-wicking bandana scarf? Both are excellent takeaways but my area of interest has shifted to denim. It's such a staple for many of us that it feels wrong to exclude the fabric as soon as temperatures soar. But how can you sport it and not feel dizzyingly hot?

The A-list has come up with several answers. Firstly, Zoey Deutch's baggy jeans in an elegant indigo shade. I know, I know, wearing jeans that might pool at your ankles, adding extra inches that need to be dragged around, sounds like the opposite of heatwave-approved but, trust us (or Deutch), it's actually a more cooling way to wear jeans than anything more tailored, especially if you follow her advice about what to pair them with (more on that later). And P.S. Dark denim will hide any unwanted sweat marks and, ultimately, look far chicer than anything mid-blue or bleached.

Secondly, Bermuda shorts (or jorts), which have been trending for the past few summers and, surely, need no introduction. Again, they're slightly looser on the leg, allowing for crucial air circulation, but still have a tailored cut that's suitable for work, especially if you opt for a dark-blue denim.

Lastly, Rihanna's favourite: capri pants, denim edition. These are slimline but can also be paired with barely-there tops for balance (think, whisper-thin silks or cowl-neck halters) and ankle-tie heels for a look that's perfect for heatwave date nights (fiery, indeed!).

Baggy Jeans

Baggy jeans in a heatwave?! An understandable question/exclamation but here's the thing—you're always going to be hot when it's a heatwave, and if you still want to wear denim, you should know that a baggier cut might have more fabric but with crucial wiggle room on the leg, thanks to a wide-leg cut, it's going to feel a lot more cooling than a straight or skinny fit. Of course, it matters what you wear it with. Enter Zoey Deutch, whose ribbed tank and heeled flip-flops felt like a no-muss, no-fuss take paired with indigo turn-up jeans.

Bermuda Shorts

Instead of short-shorts, Bermudas have the edge this summer, especially pairs with a gentle flare or indigo wash like Ella Hunt's. Find a smart Bermuda, like the below pleat-front pair by COS, and you can most definitely wear them to work, tucking in a white shirt or knitted tank for a polished but positively cool outfit forecast.

Denim Capri Pants

Rihanna used to wear capris in the early '00s—and, 20 years later, nothing's changed except the fact that, now, she pairs them with the ultimate combination: double dark denim. It's a super-cool spin on a trouser suit—don't you think?—and, while you might not be able to wear the top half during a heatwave, it's a duo that's perfect for sultry evenings.

Welcome to Style Briefing, a deep dive into the groundbreaking labels redefining fashion. From exploring their history to spotlighting the hardest-working hero buys for your wardrobe, we decode not only the designer behind the brand but also their latest collections and the signature style tribe they inspire.

In this latest installment, we turn our attention to the exciting new era of Celine under Michael Rider. Having spent a decade working alongside Phoebe Philo before returning to the house as Creative Director, Rider has ushered in a fresh chapter that has reignited excitement around the storied French label. Here, we break down how, in less than two years, he has built on Celine's already-iconic status, further cementing its position as one of the world's most coveted luxury fashion houses, with stylish women everywhere eager to buy into his vision.

The Designer

When Michael Rider was appointed artistic director of Celine in 2024, it signalled a kind of homecoming—not just for the designer but for die-hard fans of Phoebe Philo. You see, Rider served as design director of ready-to-wear for a decade from 2008 to 2018 under Philo, honing his design language beside one of the most influential creatives in the sphere of women’s fashion, and contributing to the cult of @oldceline, the account that was created after the changing of the guard that brought in Hedi Slimane. While Slimane’s appointment initially divided opinion among Philo loyalists, his tenure proved undeniably successful from a commercial standpoint, driving significant growth for the house and attracting a new generation of loyal consumers.

Before Celine, Rider worked for another industry trailblazer between the years of 2004-2008, Nicolas Ghesquière, who then held the reins at Balenciaga. The American designer, who was born in Washington, D.C., has essentially worked for three household names in fashion because, after his first stint at Celine, he graduated to helming the womenswear arm of Polo Ralph Lauren. Known for its iconic prep—and tastefully executed sportswear—you can see the fruits of all three in what the internet is now calling “Current Celine”.

Style Notes

Michael Rider has already defined his Celine, choosing three words to encapsulate its essence before his first show for SS26. “Celine stands for quality, for timelessness and for style.” To those, one could add a certain intelligence—these are clothes for thinking women—and focus on the female gaze. Phoebe Philo’s most enduringly referenced pieces always lent a specific air to whoever bought them, whether it was the grass-coloured, menu-printed blanket (with entries including, “Bangers and Mash, £4.99” and “Jam Roly Poly”) or her black sock boots complete with contrast beige toebox. That air was hard-to-put-your-finger-on, cool yet clever, and it’s a legacy that is being continued by Rider, a designer who understands how to make easy, and yet erudite, clothes.

The Collection

Celine’s Parisian HQ—16 Rue Vivienne—was the venue for SS26, or, more specifically, its courtyard, with show-goers happily shaded beneath the canopy of trees lining either side of the catwalk. The setting, a snapshot of a breezy city life in spring, mirrored the collection in some respects; clothing that was classic-with-a-twist—artful yet undeniable wearable.

Rider presented a fully-realised wardrobe, with facets of tailoring (tuxedo jackets styled with skinny jeans), prep (navy blazers worn over high-waisted chinos) and feminine sculpture (jersey gowns twisting around the body), offering his customer “hero” pieces to collect—and wear for a lifetime (the cropped biker jackets, scarf-lined trench coats, gilded Celine logo belts, which have already flown off the shelves, and leather Derbies). The colour palette was distinctly Philo-esque, primary shots of canary, tomato and cobalt, which intersected with plenty of black and white.

“Old Céline” was how the fans referred to the brand under Philo (Hedi Slimane famously scrapped the brand’s accent over the first “e” when he joined the maison). Maybe Rider’s era could be defined as “New Old Celine”, considering his association with Philo, Or, maybe, he will carve his own path, while paying homage to the house’s storied heritage, and many chapters.

The Icons

The Celine belt sn’t just a thing of beauty; it’s a bona fide cult accessory. Cleverly incorporating the brand’s distinctive logo — two interlocking Cs rendered in curved gold-finished plates — it strikes a balance between statement-making and sophistication. The effect is arresting and artistic, a far cry from quiet luxury, while also serving as an ingenious marketing tool that continues to captivate customers past, present and future. A staple among some of fashion’s most stylish names, it has the power to transform even the simplest outfit.

The Impact

Whilst the house doesn't publicly discuss its sustainability practices, Rider used the words “quality” and “timelessness” to describe his Celine—and they go some way to helping the brand’s case when it comes to consumption. These are clothes that speak for themselves, outside a seasonal trend cycle, and, as such, should almost become collector’s items (rather like “Old Céline”, which surely still does a brisk trade on resale platforms).

Celine Fan Club

With a rollcall of fans including Meryl Streep, Tracee Eliss Ross and Michaela Coel, Michael Rider is certainly doing something right. After his most recent show, in fact, Ross commented on Instagram: “my my my MICHAEL RIDER what a collection.” It's also becoming a red-carpet threat (Hacks' Hannah Einbinder wore the coolest "gown", actually a turtleneck and tulip skirt, at this year's Cannes Film Festival).

The Marie Claire Edit

What’s special about this collection is that you could cherry pick one item and deploy it whenever an outfit needs a little something extra. This is as true of the “everyday” garments (the brand’s cotton-twill black trousers), as the look-twice accessories (the honeyed sunglasses). Here are just some of our favourites below.

Zendaya is the opposite of a "smug married", except on last night's red carpet for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which took place in a meltingly-hot Paris, she had every right to be; not so much because of her husband but because of what she had chosen to wear: a gorgeously oversized T-shirt. Vintage, and naturally depicting the film's titular superhero, it was cool in both senses of the word; a lesson in undone summer dressing and not trying too hard.

The vintage T-shirt—or, in some cases, the vintage-esque T-shirt—is proving to be a hot-girl saviour this summer (especially if you dress it up with a pair of jelly shoes or smouldering heels). Jennifer Lawrence's off-duty wardrobe revolves around a rotation of tees—one of which pledges her allegiance to Mickey Mouse—which she pairs with elevated joggers or studded pants.

Alexa Chung is known for her vintage nous but, also, her "outfitcam" selfies that she's been posting on Instagram, most of which include what is a graphic or slogan tee (that's either vintage or has a lived-in look) from her extension collection.

Teaming hers with the ideal heatwave bottom half—fluid slips that grace the mid-calf—Chung makes a (very convincing) case for re-embracing the vintage-looking T-shirt, an item of clothing that might have defined your early '00s wardrobe if you were obsessed with the Olsens.

Vestiaire Collective's T-shirt section carries a wealth of pre-loved designer tees, but, really, your best bet is probably hanging in your local charity shop or nearest vintage boutique. And like Zendaya, who chose a motif that meant something to her, the best tee will telegraph something about your personality, whether that's your favourite band or cartoon character.

Shop The Best "Vintage" T-Shirts

If Loewe's pre-fall campaign feels like the piece missing from your summer dressing puzzle—with visuals that feature a man facing the sea; a gentle breeze lifting the vertically-striped shirt tied around his waist to expose a tantalising hint of under-cheek—you're not alone. But as well as this reference, there's another one that feels very on-point for summer 2026; the repositioning of stripes as not just the print but the only print when temperatures rise.

Photographed by Talia Chetrit, several of the images (shot with a backdrop of ocean or stacked sun-loungers) feature a preppy deckchair stripe; a scene-stealing pattern that feels very high-summer. Since then, the stripe has dusted itself off, cropping up repeatedly in decidedly chic settings—and reminding us all why it's a classic for a reason.

The Breton, no surprises there, has emerged as the seasonal favourite once again. At the Cannes Film Festival, Anais Demoustier wore a striped rugby T-shirt—comprising navy blue and butter yellow—at the photocall for La Vénus Electrique; a sporty take on the Breton.

Influencer Alexis Foreman has also been championing the Breton, with a limoncello version that gave the piece something of a twist from Matteau. While you can stick to what you know with a navy-and-white Breton, this summer pushes the stripe ever-so-slightly out of its comfort zone, whether that's with a variegated pattern or with a punchier colour palette like Foreman's.

It has been impossible to miss striped jeans and trousers on Instagram, with the trend emerging as one of the easiest ways to introduce colour into your wardrobe with minimal effort. For inspiration on styling bold striped trousers in a way that still feels effortless, look to Maria de la Orden, co-founder of the Barcelona-based La Veste. Her signature Pippi trousers are available in 11 different colour combinations and have become a favourite among the fashion set. Meanwhile, Blair Eadie has long made colourful dressing her calling card. If there's a striped piece worth knowing about, chances are she's already wearing it. Seen here in an off-the-shoulder dress by Staud, she demonstrates another easy way to embrace the trend for summer occasions.

Perhaps that is the secret behind stripes' return for summer 2026. As our lives become increasingly busy, pieces that simplify the getting-dressed process are exactly what we're gravitating towards—and few trends work harder than stripes.

Shop our Stripes edit:

The Breton, Revisited

Striped Dresses

Not as ubiquitous as its floral counterpart, the striped dress still has form during summer. And this year, resortwear brands have backed the print, from Cala de la Cruz, which has actually combined florals and stripes on a graphic mini dress, to Staud, which has given a long-sleeved knit cover-up a bold vertical stripe in shades of turquoise, canary and brown.

Striped Shorts

Loewe's campaign made a (very convincing) case for striped shorts—and there's plenty of versions on shop floors with a similar vibe (pretty yet playful). Lido's elasticated waist and primary-coloured stripes are particularly fun, while Reformation's Bermudas, which are slightly more subtle, are 10/10 chic. (Psst: Even if your striped shorts don't have a paperbag waist like Loewe's, you can still size up, roll up the cuffs so the white pocket linings peek out. Clever, no?)

Striped Trousers

A striped trouser doesn't have to mean boardroom suiting. Having said that, Toteme's reverse pinstripe is particularly novel on a balloon-leg silhouette—don't you think? Elsewhere, Mango's wide-legged, and wide-striped jeans take a different—but no less interesting approach—with the kind of personality that means the rest of your outfit can take the day off.

Striped Totes

Unless you're ready to go all in and mix clashing stripes (it is summer, after all), why not ease into the trend with a bright tote bag paired with your existing summer outfits?

It might be a touch masochistic—spying on the holidays of the A-list, whether they've chartered a private yacht or set up camp on a fabulously sultry island—but it can also be a useful research exercise, a fact-finding mission that will help you decide to what to buy for your own out-of-office (or heatwave) wardrobe.

The VIP getaway to prick my antennae most recently belonged to Net-a-Porter, whose CEO, Heather Kaminetsky, co-hosted a weekend with Catherine Holstein, founder and chief creative officer of Khaite, in Florence. The occasion? A celebration of an exclusive capsule, which is now available to shop on Net-a-Porter, as well as the reopening of Villa San Michele (Belmond-owned, it's just undergone an extension renovation).

The takeaway—as well as the timeless beauty of Tuscany, of course—is that sheer is (once again) a trend worth bookmarking this summer, especially the grown-up takes spotted on the weekend's celebrity guest list. Gemma Chan wore a sleeveless column gown that, actually, didn't show any skin courtesy of a slip that created a triangle of exposed skin, adding interest with just a whisper. Alexa Chung packed a mint-green strappy top, which came pleasingly ruched and, again, didn't shout but merely suggested what lay beneath. (Incidentally, Da'Vine Joy Randolph beat them both to it at the premiere of Euphoria, styling out a black lace two-piece—a peplum-waisted top and kick-flare trousers—with the merest hint of sheer.)

It's hard to imagine a better way to style out the heat (at home or in Florence), where you can be covered up but still feel cool and have a hint of skin on show. This is how to wear sheer everywhere—in the office (as long as it's layered over something opaque), out for dinner and on holiday, maximising its potential for elegance while keeping things easy. And, interestingly, this version of sheer—grown-up and subtly attention-grabbing instead of "naked"—arrived on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival.

Riley Keough's Chanel "suit"—a three-piece look that comprised of a button-down top, a knee-length skirt and a crew-neck jacket, all made of a gossamer-fine material that almost seemed invisible (and certainly must have felt like it)—was a modern take on the sheer trend, and, with an in-built triangle bra and chic boxer shorts, did not rely on revealing but concealing.

For a slightly more practical, everyday approach, choose a solid pair of shorts with a bra top and a loose, sheer shirt. There are varying degrees of translucency to choose from, depending on your preference, because confidence goes hand-in-hand with comfort where sheer is concerned. Alternatively, a layered organza dress is a smarter option for the office. While neutral tones can feel a little too undressed, choosing a bold shade of red and pairing it with minimalist sandals creates a low-lift, high-impact outfit.

It's still not an easy trend to buy into but pick the right pieces—i.e. ones that mean you can still wear a bra underneath (and not just a wireless triangle style)—and you'll almost certainly find they're surprisingly versatile. Blouses or button-downs are one of the best entry points into sheer, particularly styles that are breathable enough to accommodate something underneath like this asymmetric cape from Massimo Dutti, which you could easily slip over a silk dress or camisole to create wafty layers. Dissh's organza-silk top, with a simple round neck that contrasts with its drop-waist peplum hem for drama, is more than semi-sheer but could so easily be styled over a bandeau-style bra (preferably the same colour as the blouse, which comes in black, chocolate or beige, so that it doesn't stand out) or a more sporty crop top if you prefer something with straps.

I would personally avoid totally sheer trousers or skirts—which do exist!—but you can dabble in skirts that are basically a mini and midi, with a translucent panel at the hemline (Reformation's column style, which is opaque until approximately the mid-thigh then sheer all the way to the ankle, is more than appropriate for on- and off-duty).

Revealing just a whisper, and concealing plenty too, the sheer trend might be your ticket to glamour in Tuscany—or, frankly, wherever—this summer.

Shop The Best Sheer Pieces