Trinny’s “Essential Summer Wardrobe”*
*the @heymrssolomon edit
I am obsessed with all things Trinny Woodall, the imperfectly perfect 50-something founder of Trinny London, which has made makeup fun again with stackable, dip-able pots of easy, go-anywhere glowiness. But most especially with Closet Confessions, where Lucy, her gorgeous, brainy right-hand woman, asks every single question we’re dying to know and also those we didn’t know we needed to know while Trinny tries clothes on in her closet. (BTW, Someone get Lucy a show, like, yes, it could be fashion but even a detective show, like the kinder, modern, less lonely version of Prime Suspect.) But I digress.
Just to set up what’s at stake here, I want to dip into the depth of this Closet Confessions obsession, as humiliating as it is. For example, how I have trouble falling asleep on Friday nights (am I 4? Is Santa coming?) and bound out of bed at 6 AM on Saturdays (a new edition of Closet Confessions posts at the crack of dawn each Saturday EST.) How I will only watch on my laptop or youtube via an actual TV screen, not my phone. How I put on comfy (but cute) lounge clothes first and assemble the perfect snack. (Calories are meaningless during Closet Confessions. Glazed breakfast items figure prominently.) How I watch each episode multiple times and sometimes later, just as background for the soothing voices, kind of like you might unwind with a glass of wine.
Right. But what I’ve come to understand is that, beyond the delight of the two personalities at play and the fun of being inside Trinny’s actual closet with its jellybean rainbow of coats (some ill fitting — there’s a solve for that!), beyond all that, the obsession is with learning. Which is weird, because when I was supposed to be learning — oh hey, law school — I was never obsessed with it. Now I am. When it comes to fashion anyway, the treat is learning something new. And especially: a new idea. Bring me something I haven’t thought of or seen before, and I’m hooked. Anything from a new way to layer (a vest, long, hanging out like a skirt under a jacket!) to a reason for something that’s worked once but I can’t replicate it because I don’t get why (a jumpsuit that makes me look leggier … because it doesn’t have a break so you don’t see where my butt starts. Aha!). Up until CC (I can shorthand you, can’t I? We are thatclose), there was an exhausting sameness to what’s out there in fashion. Influencers who seem like one.big.influencer. The thinnest issues ever of magazines. And overall just a dearth of ideas. And joy. CC brings IDEAS, ANSWERS, and a reason to PLAY. JOY, in a nutshell. When we need it most.
That brings me here. When I was little, I loved these tiny mice dressed up in detailed costumes. My mom, the English teacher, would give me a new mouse every time I read a book and wrote a report on it. Later I told her it took the fun out of reading! But I have an urge to write about Closet Confessions, specifically, to summarize the latest edition, because there’s so much there, I need to capture all these learnings, because I’m pretty sure I need a shopping list, and because I’m testing a theory that Cliff’s noting it will make it last longer. Maybe it’s how pizza bloggers feel. So. Here goes.
Your summer essentials checklist ala Trinny:
Essentials
- ____very oversized diaphanous scarf in a neutral summery shade (need)
- ____looser cropped high waisted denim (hers are Zara; I got these)
- ____something striped
- ____packable long skirt (“You can do this, I can do this, Cheryl in Customer Service can do it!” Trinny says. She pronounces Cheryl with a hard CH.)
- ____A “co-ord” (Not sold on this idea, but I got a Zara one on eBay)
- ____A pair of light sweat pants
- ____White sweater (would it be weird if I started referring to them as “jumpers”?)
- ____A dress that buttons all the way down (Need. In the loosest imaginable sense of that word.)
- ____A dress that makes you feel effortlessly sexy. (But I have no desire for either effortless or sexy, so maybe no.)
- ____A dress in your best color (no makeup required)
- ____A summer duster (I have, because I was imitating Maria Gangemi of M.Gemi fame. Haven’t worn it. Maybe I’ll just throw it on for a meeting this week.)
- ____A jumpsuit you can dress up + down
- ____A light summer trouser with some visual interest
- ____An event dress
Your Basics (i.e. what you’re supposed to have on hand to pair with the essentials)
- T shirt (Trinny likes a Rag + Bone. Ordered.)
- white blazer
- white long gilet (that’s vest, to you, ok us, Americans)
- long white necklace (forever looking)
- straw hat you love
- white trainers (I am English now.)
- raffia bag
- silky sleeveless top
The lessons
1. A vest with a tee sleeve poking out can look odd — try pushing in the sleeve. If you’re concerned about your arms, go for a wider vest sleeve. You can alter a blazer to get this effect too. (BTW don’t miss the CC on alterations; one of the best.) Your arm, sleeveless, will look narrower in contrast. Bonus: the effect is stronger with a vest with a padded shoulder. (Here’s one I love.)
2. Hot weather can be less about the length or fabric and more about the looseness. No sweaty stuffed sausages, here!
3. Make a tee and skirt go from 2 pieces to a look with jacket, necklace, lip. Or gilet + lip.
4. Pants with an elastic waist are so useful. Pull down to get more length with a higher shoe, back up for a sneaker.
5. Try a crossbody to jazz up a look vs heels every time.
6. A hat can really “do something” to a very casual look. The height of the crown/brim is key.
7. There is such a thing as a casual necklace. Try that with pants in a sweats-like material and a vest.
8. Avoid the look of a tee sleeve under a transparent top. You’re not an American business man are you? (hell no!) Cut or push away the sleeve.
9. Wear a button up dress as a dress, but also unbutton all the way and use it as a duster (with sneakers!). Aim for the same length as the pants under it.
10. Give awkward-length pants a summery edge by shortening them.
11. If something is a tiny bit short, make your shoe a wedge with the same color of the item.
12. If you want legs looking longer, in addition to the usual approach (higher heel), try just hiding the point where the leg starts to confuse the eye. Here, a jumpsuit that goes straight down in a roomy way, not going in at the butt. In other eps, Trinny does it with a big scarf, covering the waist of her pants.)
13. Calm/define a cupcakey dress with the break of a dark belt.
14. Use a thin belt when you don’t want to take too much space on your body or a dress is busy, but want that visual break.
15. Don’t be afraid of a darker lip in summer. You want darkness to counter looks that are too precious. (So you don’t “feel a little bit like a souffle,” says T.)
16. If you feel comfortably sexy, it’s ok to get that dress again. And again.
I feel very exposed now. Luckily things will be looking up by Saturday. Around 6 AM.
