For effortless summer dressing, look no further than this season’s hottest look: co-ords. No longer confined to twin set cardigans and knitted vests, modern brands are taking on the look, with sets ranging from linen waistcoat and skirt combinations to cropped sleeveless tops and matching trousers, or light jackets and shorts.
“Wearing a two piece makes you feel really special, it’s a similar feeling to when you’re wearing a suit,” says stylist Sarah Corbett Winder, who has recently been wearing Sézane’s knitted shorts and tops. “For women who are time poor but want to look and feel fabulous for an occasion, or even just for everyday, it really is the answer.”
The co-ord has many advantages. As I’ve recently found, wearing a Má + Lin black linen shirt with a little Peter Pan collar and trousers (with an elasticated waist band for extra comfort) on repeat from school runs to meetings, it acts as a simple uniform. Yue Jiang, the founder of Má + Lin, cut her design teeth as a fashion buyer in Paris and London, working for brands including JW Anderson, says ease of dressing drives her designs. “For me, nothing is better than a co-ord for the effortless chic,” she says. “They can easily work for different occasions without you having to think how to mix and match your outfit.”