We shot this story during the recent heatwave and no doubt there will be more to come this summer. If our weather pattern has left you weighing up what to wear to feel cool, then let me help. One style rule we can all employ, is to wear more natural fabrics – men and women alike.
Quite simply, you want to start reading the labels of your clothes. Not just the price tag.
If I had £1 for every individual who shops only by price with no awareness of what the ingredients of their clothes are, I’d be richer than Bezos. Just as food labels tell you of nutritional value, I am urging more and more of my styling clients and friends (and anyone reading this) to read their clothing labels to fully understand what they’re surrounding their body in.
I have been left aghast at the marketing of major brands that claim “cloud softness” and “lighter than air” when a closer look reveals the majority of the garment is polyester. Polyester is plastic. When you wash polyester you then release microplastics into the water system; what’s more it can feel cloying on skin when temperatures are soaring.
Five looks to try
Summer casual
This look allows what is a casual summer ensemble to sing loudly. The colours, with the red linen shorts taking centre stage (if they were navy we’d have a whole different, more sombre look) all pop in their own way; they feel fresh. Proof that wool and linen work well together – because we need to be ready for any kind of English summer.
Cotton spun lambswool cardigan, £335, Navygrey; organic cotton vest, £59, Ivy; linen shorts, £125, Sea-M
Small details that elevate a classic dress
The fluidity of this dress really stood out to me. The cotton is given more structure with gathers, cinched waist with hook-and-eye fastening, a puffed shoulder and detailed hem. So often block print can be a bit matronly (sorry) but this felt elegant and a bit different.
Organic cotton dress, £299, Neve & Noor
How to wear a one-shoulder dress if you hate your arms
This one-shoulder look might have a lot of people turning on their heel (“I hate my arms!”) but it doubles as a great skirt, and you can wear a strapless bra with it for support. It’s a brilliant brown – rich hues, almost purply tones, and with the cardigan feels a refreshing colour combination when so much of summer is light creams and soft pastels.
Linen dress, £365, Mondo Corsini
Cotton spun lambswool cardigan, £335, Navygrey
Make denim smart
These jeans are proof that AKYN, the new label from former Mother of Pearl designer Amy Powney, has mastered denim and it can be smart – even with plimsolls. This is just an everyday look, but in the purest of fabrics, and at prices that are more attainable. You only need one great pair of ecru jeans. I really mean that. These tick all the boxes and carry a natural (undyed) charm.
Cotton gingham shirt, £115, Pod & Pip
Undyed organic and recycled cotton jeans, £240, Akyn
The ultimate wafty sundress
We all fell for this on set. It has a waffle-like texture, but it also has a voluminous “waft”. The design team has not scrimped on the cut of this dress. You get a great amount of flare for your spend. And pockets. I love the pockets.
Linen and cotton dress, £195, Poetry
The best natural materials to look out for
In the five looks I have put together here, 100 per cent of what you see is made from natural fibres. No half-hearted attempts. This is where the future lies. More and more of us are waking up to the fact that wearing man-made fibres really isn’t good for our skin, or the planet. Truth be told, cotton isn’t always an ideal alternative as it takes such huge volumes of water to grow, but if you can seek out organic then that’s an improvement (See IVY for great basics). Even better than that is regeneratively farmed cotton (Citizens of Humanity now creates its products entirely from this).
Linen is brilliant. Yes, it creases, but so what? As Kate Allan, founder of Sea-M, says: “There’s something linen does that no other fabric quite manages – it gets better with wear. Like a great pair of jeans, it moulds to you and remembers the shape of your week. Each crease is the mark of a day well lived, and we’ve all spent too long apologising for what good fabric does.”
Next, there’s Tencel, made of wood pulp – again, much better for garments like underwear. (See Stripe & Stare as one option.) I won’t bore you with the health facts but suffice to say I won’t let my children sleep in anything other than cotton or Tencel. We know all this, but we are duped on a daily basis and it feels unfair to stay silent on the matter.
What about swimwear?
A question I’m often asked about is swimwear. Whilst we’ve celebrated recycled polyester and recycled nylon options for many years, the truth is we have a long way to go. Those fabrics are not the answer. (I joke that I will, one day, crochet a plastic-free bikini!)
One name on my radar however is Cornwall-based Solpardus, with its bamboo-based fabric and classic designs. Bamboo is anti-bacterial, odour resistant and helps regulate body temperature by wicking away moisture. Secondly, there’s EarthCove (formerly Pure Earth Collection) which is run by Emma Bianco, who has the ambition of a “Dance Mom” and the knowledge of David Attenborough.
Her Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)-certified organic cotton swimwear is making huge strides in America – with customers and celebrities alike. Just the kind of success small British business deserves.
Use your spending power wisely
The point to make is that going the extra mile and finding that fabric label not only informs you but informs the brands you shop from. Your “spending power” should not be underestimated. Brands monitor what you demand and what you spend on, and what you side-step. I’ve been so close to purchasing (some) really expensive pieces, only to feel short changed given that up to 80 per cent of a garment is polyester. I would forgo buying several items only to spend on one, better-made item.
Every item here has been assessed for its purity of content – not true of all fashion writers, but in 2026, with the way excessive consumption becomes more and more problematic, this has got to become a wider topic for customers of all ages to consider. No, I’m not perfect, but I actively try to have a wardrobe consisting of better fabrics. And no, I don’t dress like a hippy or any other stereotype you might have conjured up.
The best brands to try
Here’s your list. If you have to start anywhere, go to Bamford. And because I can’t afford Bamford, I look to Poetry which also produces a Fabric Impact Report. Music to my ears. For a bold pop that not everyone else will know about try Sea-M – a brand in its infancy but already turning heads. (I cannot get over the cut of these shorts.) For everyday basics, it’s hard to beat Livotte (made in UK, even better) and IVY.
The cream of the crop is AKYN (formerly Mother of Pearl) and their jeans should be on your wish-list. Navygrey’s summer collection has become as successful as its winter hero pieces, proving customer loyalty can exist year-round if the product retains its gravitas and authenticity. Finally, two new brands I’ve discovered are Pod & Pip (who I met at Chelsea Flower Show) and Neve & Noor – who have a great grasp of small-batch production, with truly considered fit.
Aspiga continues to grow its use of organic cotton and caters to both floral lovers and block colour enthusiasts alike. Their Petite vs Regular cuts are to be applauded and its menswear offering is hugely reliable. Other menswear brands I trust (because it is about trust at the end of the day) are Love Brand, Organic Fibres and Neem.
If I leave you with one notion to consider, it’s this. The fashion world is currently dominated by the big names who have the power to saturate your algorithm, Google search, AI results and every train or tube station you use. It can feel like only 10 brands exist in the world. They do not produce the best clothes.
They do win on convenience and often on price. With the spending power I referred to earlier, your spending power, I do urge you to look further afield. Seek out other brands to trust.
And in doing so, you naturally spread your spending, and you will easily reward your wardrobe with longer-lasting pieces that not everyone has, that make your skin, and your own sense of self, smile.
With thanks to The Goring hotel for use of their garden for this shoot