The Summer of No Return

As restrictions begins to relax in the UK, there seems to be a spring in everyone’s step as families are finally allowed to hug each other, friends are allowed to meet up for dinner in restaurants, while travellers are brushing off the dust from their passports. Indeed, the final step of removing all Covid restrictions seems very near now and this could be the summer of no return. No returns to strict measures and indeed a step away from the casual wear.

The weather has also made a huge U-turn from the cold and wet days to glorious sunny days. Here I am typing this post outdoors with the sun kissing my cheeks and a tall glass of Pina Colada on hand. I am indeed ready to have a wonderful summer (within the permissible safety requirements, of course). To enable this, I also need my wardrobe to be matching my mood. After all, I have been in fashion isolation for such a long time that my sweatpants have called it quits.

My initial plans were to have sustainable but comfortable fabrics and first thoughts turns to tencel but I also considered linen. That’s when I saw this gorgeous checked pattern linen fabric in a purple/blue and a different one in beige/yellow. Immediately, the thoughts of village fete comes to mind with bunting, home made lemonade, jams and cakes under a canvas tent in a village green; a fantasy of an idyllic summer evoking the 1950s. Such is the resemblance of post war with post covid.

I quickly snapped up the two lines fabric but also added a pure white tencel/linen mix fabric for a shirt I also wanted to make. When it arrived, it dawned on me that I have to match the checks of the fabric when sewing the trousers. I rolled my eyes but kept calm and carried on. I took my time to match, cut and sew these two trousers and the shirt but I savoured that image I had in my mind of what it would look like when it’s completed.

The purple/blue trousers matched well the shirt I made previously and on a hot day, it was extremely comfortable to wear.

I know linen can be a pain in terms of creases but I also know that in terms of comfort on hot sunny days, the fabric is unparalleled for comfort.

I can happily say that I fulfilled both my fantasy and my sustainability brief. Village fete, here I come.