It all sounds so easy doesn't it? I just wish I had the balls to actually do it. It takes guts to haul yourself out of the safety zone and navigate your way across the pigment rainbow, especially for a wimp like me who stays true to the 'reduced midlife palette' – a blend of high summer Leonard Cohen (lots of ecru and optic white) and generic delivery driver staples (blue, khaki or black). If you're a creature of habit in the shade stakes, our impending winter of discontent is probably a good time to springboard your way towards a brighter future with the careful integration of some new threads. Scientific research has shown that colour affects our physiology – it has the power to change our blood flow, alter pulse rates and impact our mood.
In short, striding out in zesty separates is the perfect antidote to a dour political landscape. No wonder Timmy Mallet always looked so happy! For Resort 20, Studio Nicholson have taken cues from the industrial designs of Dieter Rams, who favoured the lesser known RAL 9002 (off-white to you and me) for the majority of his radios and audio equipment. Brainbox Rams kept the visual noise to a minimum by restricting colour and using it sparingly on his products. For him, adding pop of bright green or orange denoted 'action' and us humans seemed to understand this instinctively – he had the foresight to put the essentials into the spotlight for us. Across the new season, alongside tried and tested hues of inkwell navy, bone and toffee tan, there's the surprise of saffron, bringing the stalwarts into sharp focus and acting as a citrus highlighter, ready to pair with the more familiar aspects of our modular wardrobe.
There's a crisp, peaceful lightness to the construction – welcome relief from the drudgery of hefty cold weather padding. Modern layers have been cut with maximum slouch, reinterpreting the language of volume by giving us room to breathe. There are knits to cover all climates with silk/cotton mix roll necks and polos offering a lighter thermal alternative. For times when a little more warmth is needed, 100% lambswool options are proportioned to sit neatly across the hip, with subtle side split and generous patch pockets for practicality.
An emphasis on freedom runs throughout, with rustic, romantic gathered cuffs and billowing dresses that work worn solo or teamed with trousers underneath. Fabrics are strong and scrunchy – recycled taffeta nylon unites elegance with performance characteristics, together with sporty snappers, poppers and Japanese elastic cord for effortless, reliable cinching. The hero for me is the parachute poplin. Super lightweight but supremely durable, it keeps its structure so beautifully, bringing carefree movement without ever feeling starchy or stiff.
Resort covers all bases, but can sometimes feel like a tricky season to describe. Perhaps it's best to say it's ideal for this awkward time of the year, when we're dipping in and out of different atmospheric conditions. Think of it in terms of shed and build. It's about creating a colourful veneer with functionality at the core, adding and subtracting as you see fit.
Leanne Cloudsdale is the Studio Nicholson Editor at Large