how to style the bardot top
Sat at the bar of The Old Shep pub in Chorley Wood on a hot Summer evening, the hottest guy in school turned to me and told me I had great shoulders. It was a rambled, fumbled compliment that has stuck with me ever since. The thing is, I’m usually the kind of person who gets so flustered when paid a compliment that I forget the moment ever took place. But this was unexpected and startling, taking me completely off guard that I remember the moment vividly. I remember what I was wearing and how my jumper had slightly dropped off my right shoulder, the slim line Gin and tonic in my hand and the warm breeze which smelt of Summer. Perhaps this explains why every year I am drawn to evert bardot top on offer that at ever check out, online or off, I have to have a word with myself before paying “Do you really need another, Lydia?”, “In what way is this style different to the hundred others?” it is often futile but at least I recognise the behaviour pattern.
Therefore, with my wardrobe fit to burst with yet more bardot tops I wanted to put together a few styling tips for how I feed my favourite top into my current wardrobe.
[lem_title]STYLE[/lem_title]
I’ve mentioned time and time again how my style shifts in the warmer months to a much more feminine style and my biggest influence in this comes from the Luxury Parisian Fashion house, Chloe, and whilst I own a couple of handbags and shoes from the Designer. The clothing tends to be a little out of my justifiable price range which is where the high street really is my first port of call. I look for cotton like fabrics and broderie anglais detailing as found on this incredibly cute and affordable option from Boohoo that I am currently wearing to death.
[lem_title]SKIN[/lem_title]
The skin on your shoulders is your best accessory so take care of it, pamper it and bare it with pride. I exfoliate using an exfoliating mit every morning and tend to apply my tanning oil rather than moisturiser. This actually keeps my skin so nicely hydrated whilst providing a healthy bronzed glow which pops next to the top. Sometimes I like to dust a little of my favourite highlighter on to my collar bones and shoulders to make them extra radiant.
You can see my tanning routine here.
[lem_title]DENIM STYLES[/lem_title]
I always like to dress down the femininity a little with a good pair of distressed denim and thankfully thanks to denim trends currently you don’t have to go cutting up your favourite pair just yet. I got this pair from the denim brand, Paige and they are a girls best friend. Giving even the most non curvaceous of us, a little extra help in the booty department. But aside from all the help and form fitting, they are also out of this world comfortable. Money well spent I’d say.
[lem_title]SUMMER BOOTS[/lem_title]
Boots are not the first thought when shopping for Summer, but for me they are always high up on my list of priorities. As much as I enjoy the freedom of Sandals, boots are far more representative of my Summer style than anything else. Due to the changable weather of the Cotswolds, I had to opt for a pair of wellies on this occasion, but usually my style of choice is low slung ankle boots with studs and details to really add contrast.
How do you style your bardot tops? Let me know in the comments below.
Photography by Ali Gordon with the Olympus Pen E-PL7 & 75mm Lens.
