Now that we’re seeing the first sights of sun here in the UK, we’re already planning our spring/summer looks for this year.

This week, we’re spotlighting our Freya, Grace and Olivia Hoops! The faux pearl detailing adds a romantic touch, great for elevating an outfit for day-to-night dressing. What's also great about these is that they're surprisingly lightweight - the largest (Olivia) comes in at only 9g, so you can keep them in all day long! We're styling them up with a few small brands that are on our radar.

Inspiration

Cottagecore is everywhere we look in social media, just head to our Garden Pinterest board and you'll see what we mean. From gingham tablecloths to long, flowing skirts and delicate florals, we think some of our pieces fit right in. Here's a few images that we're taking inspiration from for our picnic-turned-chic style.

1. Puff sleeves and Prairie dresses

When we think of spring outfits, the first thing we think is dresses (and finally getting out of our sweatpants giving our legs the freedom they deserve)! We’ve recently seen a resurgence of the prairie dress and we think this is the perfect way to ease yourself into the trend. The tiered fabric and puffy sleeves give you a super flattering silhouette and the high neckline is a great blank canvas for jewellery.

We love keeping it monochrome like we have below, matching the Grace Hoops in White with a crisp white dress. This is a great piece that can also be worn transitionally in the Autumn and is a simple way to make a bold style statement. We love the ruffles of this blouse from one of our favourite brands Ilke & Ernie. The shirt is sold out, but they have some other amazing pieces too, all sustainably sources (all recycled/reused fabric) and ethically made in Brighton.

If you’re looking for an investment piece, Naya Rea has some amazing pieces. A female-owned brand taking inspiration from the founder and designer’s Siberian heritage, they use high quality materials and unconventional cuts to create whimsical pieces made to last. The Elizaveta Dress is great for recreating a more contemporary take on this look, but if you’re a not a dress person, why not try a textured collar. These are everywhere right now, and are great for adding to pieces you already own for a quick 2021 update. Wear over a dress or style over a t-shirt for a more casual look.

If you’re more of a maximalist, we'd recommend adding some colour to the mix. Florals do the trick here for obvious reasons and we've found some wonderfully colourful prints over on Omnes. Omnes is a brand working to be as sustainable as possible, from sourcing fabric from environmentally certified factories to providing a fabric recycling scheme, and they’ve got some pieces that have caught our eye! We love the shape of the Daphne Dress - made using BCI Cotton, the ditsy florals of the Blue Squiggle Floral colourway and the 60s look of the Smudges Floral are our top picks!

If you're not a big flower fan, have a look at Sika Designs. A black and female-owed brand hand making apparel and accessories inspired by and made with Ghanaian fabrics. We’re big fans of the Canary Dress and the Justina Dress, both made using batik cotton, prints you won't find anywhere else. We love these with the subtle marble texture of the Olivia or Grace Hoops in Emerald, perfect if you're brave enough to colour clash!

2. Gingham for days

It may be cliche but we can’t deny our love for Gingham. It’s timelessness is arguably the best and most versatile print for the summer months, perfect year in, year out! We love to match a large print with the Olivia Hoops, which are also large but surprisingly lightweight for a no-fuss outfit that makes a big impact, as we've done below - this one is from 323, a independent brand based in Los Angeles. We love the Organic Cotton Maxi Dress from Omnes for this. The combination of navy and white will go well with each of our white, lilac and emerald earring shades.

For something a little bit more fun, Olivia Rose the Label is where to look. An independent British brand, each piece is made by hand, to order by founder Olivia Rose in her Edinburgh studio. The Picnic Dress in Pink & Blue is like summer in a garment, team it with our small Freya Hoops in Lilac for a gorgeous pastel palette. It will be restocked in April so set your reminders.

If you're in market for some trousers, we found a great pair from By Megan Crosby. We're big fans of this brand - you may have seen them mentioned in our 'Top 12 non-medical medical masks from independent designers' blog last July. They're pieces are made to order here in the U.K., and are joyfully colourful! We couldn't think of a better duo than their Rae Organic Cotton Lilac Gingham Trousers and our Freya Hoops in Lilac. A match made in heaven.

3. More is more, accessories galore!

We love a bit of colour, so adding a head scarf is a fun way to mix up your look and also stay on theme. These silk ones from Lisou caught our attention over on Instagram, and they have so many gorgeous  prints to choose from. Made using 100% silk, these will be gentle on your hair and protect your head from the sun.

Our very own maker Arturo's brand Boi Feathered has some fabulous ones too! The aptly named Picnic Date is our pick for this look, combining red gingham cotton with a fun ostrich feather trim in baby pink, it'll add a bit of glam to your everyday style. We also spotted one we loved when we we're adding those lilac trousers in our basket over on By Megan Crosby. Rainbow + gingham = our new fave print.

We've styled a scarf around a bun, but wear them over your hair down, a ponytail or wrapped to keep your hair out of the way completely - the possibilities are endless! They’re great to wear elsewhere too; tie around your neck for a retro nod, or attach it to your bag for a fun pop of colour!

If you’re wanting to go full on cottagecore, team your pearly hoops and chosen outfit with one of our Garden pieces, the Strawberry and Mini Orange necklaces spring to mind. These will add just the right amount of whimsical to your look!

Shop the Freya, Grace and Olivia Hoops in Statement Earrings.