Jess Cartner-Morley's June style essentials: from treat-yourself dresses to high-street bling
I try to be realistic about what people will spend when I do these edits. When we're shopping and see something we like, the first thing almost all of us do is look at the price. What with money not growing on trees and all that. If I see something nice in a shop, then check the tag and find it to be out of my budget (or just overpriced), I move swiftly on. By the same logic, if I spot a contender for this monthly roundup but then discover it's prohibitively expensive – which happens a lot these days, 'sticker shock' being a familiar syndrome in an era of fashion hyperinflation – I am not inclined to include it.
The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.
But we can't be sensible all the time. I don't need to remind you that it's better to buy fewer good, long-lasting things than loads of cheap tat. Then there's the fact that, sometimes, an object is worth spending money on not because it's objectively worth a lot of money, but just because it's worth a lot to you. Plus, June is my birthday month, so you have to indulge me, OK? So, there's a couple of splurges in here, should you be in the market for a dreamy dress or two. But also: the £46.75 swimsuit that's in every chic holiday luggage, and some utterly brilliant earrings for less than £20. Because, that's real life.
Cut-out strap sandals
£28 at River Island
I'm a huge fan of this particular shape of flat sandal, which I find to be sufficiently aesthetic to wear with a dress for a nice holiday dinner, eliminating the need to pack any heels. The key is that the upper of the shoe doesn't cover your toes, and doesn't extend too close to where your foot bends at the ankle. Straps across the front of the ankle rarely look good without a heel. Dismiss anything with a kitten heel (impractical), anything with a dividing post between the toes (blisters) and anything with metal touching your skin (hot). These are pretty perfect, in tan suede or chocolate leather.
Crystal maxi skirt
£155 at Odd Muse
This is a two-in-one to introduce you to a useful concept (the party skirt) and a useful brand (Odd Muse). A really fancy long skirt – think pearls or fringing or feathers – looks chic for a daytime summer do (white shirt, flat sandals, sunglasses) and will be perfect with a neat sweater and kitten heels for winter parties. This maxi skirt comes in white, mint and black (now almost sold out in the latter). Odd Muse is one to keep an eye on. I hummed and hawed and missed out on the Odd Muse piece I coveted this season – the pearl-dotted Ultimate Muse Embellished Midi Dress, £165, now sold out in most sizes – but the skirt is equally fabulous.
Domino earrings
£15.99 at Zara
These earrings hit that perfect sweet spot of being novelty enough to be interesting and a bit of a conversation-starter without ever suggesting that you're anything less than sophisticated. J'adore.
Elizabeth dress
£595 at Reiss£595 at Next
There are two ways of looking at the £595 price tag on this Reiss dress. The first, obviously, is that almost £600 is a lot of money for a dress from a high-street store. But the second is that this dress genuinely passes for top-dollar designer fashion, and a dress with this level of detailing – the pearl and amber teardrop beads at the shoulder cut-out are divine in closeup – would cost five times that from a fancy label. A fellow fashion editor wore this dress at an extremely snazzy fashion dinner in Italy, and it not only passed as designer but was much complimented.
Printed silk-trimmed mini dress
£345 at the Outnet
When I was in my 20s, I had a Pucci dress. God, I loved that dress. When I read that Marilyn Monroe was buried in her favourite Pucci dress, that made perfect sense to me. Anyway, that didn't happen, because I wore that dress on so many nights out – including one where I fell in a swimming pool – that eventually the jersey lost its spring and the colours faded. I still miss it and I still obsess over Pucci, so I hereby point you to the Outnet, where you can often find some summer treasures, like this mini dress with distinctive swirly epaulettes, which is snazzy-beach-lunch perfection and reduced from £690 to £345.
Rhodes cup-size bikini top
£52 at BodenMatching classic bikini bottoms
£36 at Boden
Speaking of Pucci. I'm generally a black-or-navy swimwear gal, but I've fallen hard for this structured Boden bikini top and matching classic bikini bottoms in the joyful, Amalfi-coast-lunch blues, yellows and reds of the Wildflower colourway. Also available in navy and white stripes if you're feeling sensible.
Sign up to The Filter
Get the best shopping advice from the Filter team straight to your inbox. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link.
after newsletter promotion
Lab-grown diamond solitaire studs
From £180 at Fenton
We're hardwired to love diamonds. Lab-grown diamonds – which are very much real diamonds – are disrupting the industry. Fenton is a small, female-founded British jewellery brand using pioneering solar diamonds, grown using renewable energy instead of fossil fuels. A pair of diamond studs, with solid 14-carat gold, starts at £180. Never going to go out of style.
Iphi top
£39 at Blacktogrey
No self-respecting Jane-Birkin-in-Provence is complete without a barely-there superfine T-shirt. Blacktogrey is a sustainable label making simple pieces designed with end-of-life recycling in mind. (Send your worn-out piece back, and Blacktogrey will do the recycling for you.) The boat neck detail elevates this top.
Las Flores swimsuit
£46.75 at John Lewis
John Lewis tells us that this one-shouldered swimsuit has been a huge hit: customers love it because the shoulder detailing and sturdy, non-transparent fabric make it perfect for wearing as a top, so it does double duty on holiday. A smart buy.
Carpenter straight-leg trousers
£32.50 at M&S
Poor old M&S has had a time of it, hasn't it? At the time of writing, online orders are still paused. A silver lining for me has been that when I've nipped into M&S to buy things I couldn't order online, I've spotted a few nice bits that I'd missed on the website. These Carpenter straight-leg trousers have little touches of utility styling that make them feel weekendy – deep pockets at the hip, a hammer loop, robust fabric that turns up easily when needed – but a sleek outline, and belt loops if you want to smarten them up.
Jacquard weave dress
£37.99 at H&M
Let's end on a steal. I love this H&M jacquard weave dress for two reasons. First, the fabric, which is nubbly and tactile and looks way more expensive than it is. Second, the fit, with soft gathers at the waist and a slight scrunch to the side, well-thought-out details that blur the details of your outline in a graceful way. The pale pink is sold out in most sizes, but the ivory is cute too.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
39 minutes ago
- The Independent
Cost of ‘minimum retirement lifestyle' has fallen amid lower energy prices
The minimum amount someone needs in retirement has fallen, amid lower energy prices and people's changing expectations, according to calculations. The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) sets three different retirement lifestyles – minimum, moderate, and comfortable, to give people a general indication of the kind of lifestyle they may be on track for in retirement. The cash amounts for each standard are regularly updated. This year, the cost of a minimum retirement living standard for a one-person household has decreased by £1,000 per year to £13,400, while for a two-person household, it is £21,600, down from £22,400 a year previously. The changes are mainly due to a substantial reduction in energy costs and some small spending adjustments made to the living standard by research participants, the PLSA said. The minimum standard covers people's basic costs, with some money left over for 'fun'. Research discussion groups for the minimum standard reported some small changes in what they need for a minimum standard of living, clothing, hairdressing, technology purchases, taxi use, and charitable giving, although participants agreed that the budget for rail travel would need to rise, the PLSA said. The amounts needed for moderate and comfortable standards have increased slightly, reflecting the impact of inflation across many spending categories being offset by decreases in energy costs, the report said. For a moderate lifestyle, a single person would need £31,700, up by £400 from £31,300 previously, while two people would need £43,900, up by £800 from £43,100 previously. For a comfortable retirement, a single person would need £43,900, up by £800 from £43,100 previously, and a two-person household would need £60,600 – a £1,600 annual increase from £59,000. The retirement living standard amounts for 2024/25 were calculated by the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University on behalf of the PLSA. Across all retirement living standards, weekly domestic fuel budgets had fallen significantly since the previous 2023/2024 update. The standards are a guide to the costs of living in retirement and not fixed savings targets. Zoe Alexander, director of policy and advocacy at the PLSA, said: 'For many, retirement is about maintaining the life they already have, not living more extravagantly or cutting back to the bare essentials. 'The standards are designed to help people picture that future and plan in a way that works for them.' She said that for many people, saving more than the minimum contributions required in their workplace pension could help to give them a better chance of the kind of retirement they want. The PLSA said the role of the state pension also remains vital, particularly for those at the minimum level. With many people carrying mortgages into later life, the research also underlined the tension between paying off a mortgage and retirement for some households. More than half (58%) of people said they expect to be mortgage-free homeowners by the time they retire, but 17% expect to be homeowners with a mortgage or loan and 8% expect to be renting from a private landlord. Meanwhile, 7% expect to be renting from the council and 8% anticipate that they will be renting from a housing association. And 1% expect to be living 'rent free' in retirement – meaning they anticipate they will be living in someone else's home and not paying formal rent. Professor Matt Padley, co-director of the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University, said: 'The consequences of the cost-of-living challenges over the past few years are still being felt, and we've seen some subtle changes in public consensus about minimum living standards in retirement, resulting in a small fall in the expenditure needed to reach this standard. 'In these uncertain times, planning in concrete ways for the future is ever more important, and the RLS (retirement living standards) help people to think in more concrete ways about what they want their retirement to look like, and how much they will need to live at this level.' More than 1,500 people were surveyed across the UK by Yonder in May for the consumer research. Here are the percentages of people who expect to own their home outright when they retire, without a mortgage, according to the PLSA: Scotland, 61% North East, 58% North West, 60% Yorkshire and the Humber, 54% West Midlands, 61% East Midlands, 58% Wales, 56% Eastern England, 66% London, 53% South East, 56% South West, 56% Northern Ireland, 68% And here are some examples of what the PLSA's different retirement living standards entail: Minimum lifestyle (Enough for a feeling of financial security and to be able to take part in daily life): Single person – A budget of £200 to spend on DIY per year; around £55 a week to spend on groceries, £30 a month to spend on food out of the home, £12 per month for takeaways; no car, but a bus pass and £30 per month for two taxi trips and £180 per year to cover three rail journeys. Enough money for a week-long UK holiday annually, a TV licence and broadband plus a streaming service with ads and £20 per week to spend on activities. Up to £450 for clothing and footwear and £20 for each birthday and Christmas present. Two people – A £200-a-year budget to decorate and maintain the condition of your property. Around £109 a week to spend on groceries, £60 a month per couple on food out of the home, £24 a month per couple on car, but a bus pass, £30 per month to cover two taxi trips, £180 per year per person to cover three rail fares. Enough money for a week-long UK holiday. TV licence and broadband plus a streaming service with ads. £20 a week per person for activities. Up to £450 for clothing and shoes per person. A budget of £20 per birthday and the same amount for Christmas presents. Moderate lifestyle (More financial security and flexibility): Single person – A budget of £500 a year to maintain condition of a property and a £300 contingency. Around £56 a week to spend on groceries, £32 a week on food out of the home, £11 a week on takeaways, £106 a month to take others out for a monthly meal. A three-year-old small car replaced every seven years, £22 a month for taxis, £104 per year on rail fares. Enough money for a two-week three star all-inclusive holiday in the Mediterranean and a long weekend off peak break in the UK. TV licence and broadband plus two streaming services and £43 per week for activities. Up to £1,548 for clothing and footwear and £30 for each birthday and Christmas present, £200 a year to donate to charity, and £1,000 for supporting family members. Two people – A £500 a year budget to maintain condition of your property, with a £300 contingency. Around £103 a week to spend on groceries, £63 a week per couple on food out of the home, £21 a week per couple on takeaways, £106 a month to take others out for a monthly meal. A three-year-old small car replaced every seven years, £22 a month on taxis per household, £104 a year on rail fares per person. A two-week three star all-inclusive holiday in the Mediterranean and a long weekend off-peak break in the UK with £321 spending money. TV licence and broadband plus two streaming services and £43 a week per person for activities. Up to £1,548 for clothing and shoes per person. Gifts of £30 for each birthday and the same amount for Christmas presents, plus £200 per household a year for charity donations. £1,000 for supporting family members. Comfortable lifestyle (More financial freedom and some luxuries): Single person – A budget of £600 a year to maintain condition of your property, with a £300 contingency. Around £75 a week to spend on food, £42 a week on food out of the home, £21 a week on takeaways, £106 a month to take others out for a monthly meal. A three-year-old small car replaced every five years, £22 a month to spend on taxis, £208 per year on rail fares. A two-week four star half board holiday in the Mediterranean with around £100 per person per day spending money and three long weekend breaks in the UK with £400 spending money per break. Extensive bundled broadband, streaming and TV entertainment subscription plus £54 a week for to £1,548 for clothing and footwear each year. A budget of £50 for each birthday and Christmas gift, a £300 per year charity donation, £1,000 for family support. Two people – A budget of £600 a year to maintain the condition of the property, with a £300 contingency. Around £134 a week to spend on food, £85 a week per couple on food out of the home, £32 a week per couple on takeaways, £105 a month to take others out for a monthly meal. A three-year-old small car replaced every five years, £22 a month on taxis per household, £208 a year on rail fares per person. A two-week four star half board holiday in the Mediterranean with around £100 per person per day spending money and three long weekend breaks in the UK with £400 spending money per break. Extensive bundled broadband, movie streaming and TV entertainment subscription and £54 a week per person for activities. Up to £1,548 per person for clothing and shoes each year. A budget of £50 for each birthday and the same amount for Christmas presents, £300 per person per month for charity donations. £1,000 for supporting family members.
The Independent
39 minutes ago
- The Independent
Trade Secretary to push for timeline on US tariff exemption
Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds is set to meet US officials on Tuesday as the UK aims to set a timeline for its exemption from President Donald Trump's tariffs. Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Trump announced the broad terms of an agreement last month that would exempt the UK from some of the US president's tariffs on steel and cars while increasing market access for other goods. The Prime Minister hailed the announcement as a major achievement, saying the UK was the first nation to reach such an agreement with Mr Trump. But the details are still being worked out ahead of a formal deal, and the Government hopes for an agreement within weeks. Mr Reynolds is expected to discuss implementing the deal during talks with US trade representative Jamieson Greer in Paris on Tuesday, where he is attending a meeting of the OECD. That meeting comes amid uncertainty about the future of Mr Trump's tariffs after a US court last week ruled many of them unlawful, before an appeals court reinstated the levies pending a further hearing. Last week also saw Mr Trump announce that he would double tariffs on steel to 50%, starting on Wednesday, and it remains unclear how the UK would be affected. Mr Reynolds's visit to Paris is part of a three-day trip, during which he is expected to meet other trade ministers and attend a G7 ministerial meeting before heading to Brussels for meetings with his EU counterparts. During the trip, the Trade Secretary will argue that the UK is a dependable partner in an era of increasing global volatility. He said: 'Our deals with the US, EU and India are proof that the UK is the most connected country in the world to do business. Along with our modern industrial strategy, our Plan for Change is making the UK a safe, stable bet in uncertain times. 'We recognise our relationship with G7 allies and EU counterparts must continue to evolve and deliver a better trading environment for our businesses and exporters. 'That's why we want to wipe away costly, business-blocking barriers and open up opportunities to grow our economy, create jobs and put more money in people's pockets.' Andrew Griffith, Conservative shadow business secretary, said: 'Labour told the British public we had a deal with the US – but one month on there is no deal in sight, meaning British businesses and workers continue to suffer because of Labour's failed negotiations. 'After snatching the winter fuel payment, lying about not increasing taxes, and misleading the public by saying the US trade deal was done, the public will rightly not trust a word Labour says. 'As all the other political parties wrangle over how to spend more taxpayers money, only the Conservatives are committed to being responsible with the public finances.'
The Independent
39 minutes ago
- The Independent
Vital routes to be protected as part of buses overhaul
Vital bus services will be protected from sudden cuts under new legislation, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced. Councils in England will put strict requirements in place before 'socially necessary' routes can be changed or cancelled, the department said. This is aimed at services to locations such as hospitals and schools. The measure is part of the Government's Bus Services Bill, which reached its second reading in the House of Commons on Monday. This will lead to an overhaul of buses, such as by giving all local transport authorities new powers to run their own services. The Government will also reduce some of the red tape involved in bus franchising, including reducing the minimum period between local areas taking control of services and being allowed to start operations. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: 'We're committed to giving local leaders the power to shape the bus services their communities rely on. 'Our Bus Services Bill is a big step forward, protecting vital services that people depend on to get to work, school or essential appointments. 'We have taken a decisive step towards better buses, building on our £1 billion investment to improve and maintain bus services, keeping people connected, driving up living standards and growing the economy.' Ben Plowden, of lobby group the Campaign for Better Transport, said: 'Buses are the most-used form of public transport. 'Preserving vital bus services has long been central to our campaigning, so the new protections in the Bus Services Bill are very welcome indeed. 'Protecting existing services, and identifying and filling gaps in the network, is the way to ensure everyone can access opportunities and stay connected.' Conservative shadow transport secretary Gareth Bacon attacked the Bus Services Bill as 'an ideological move that threatens essential services'. He said: 'They scrapped the £2 fare cap, slashed support for routes, and now want to strip away safeguards so councils can seize control of networks they aren't capable of operating. 'This is about Labour clinging to a fantasy of municipal socialism, whatever the cost to those who rely on local transport. Without the requirement to prove any benefit to passengers, Labour-run councils will be free to run yet another public service into the ground. 'We're not opposed to local decision-making. But this Bill offers no real investment, no credible delivery model, and no route to better services.'
