Easy breezy: pretty broderie anglaise for summer cool

A summer wardrobe regular, broderie anglaise, with its cutout eyelets, is cool, floaty and lightweight – in other words the perfect fabric for the season

There are two ways to play it. The first is to embrace the romanticism of the look: think crisp white poplin dresses, tie-front tops, petticoats and visions of idyllic picnics and lounging in summer meadows. Susan Fang’s frilled broderie anglaise concoctions (left) unashamedly lean into the romance of the trend – as did the finale dresses at Chanel’s recent resort show in Marseille. Get the look with Madewell’s tank dress (£159) and Zara’s cutwork midi style (£55.99), or hit up a vintage market for a bargain.

The other option is to mix things up. A broderie anglaise shirt, for example, is a useful beach cover-up over a bikini. Try New Look (£22.99) or Y.A.S’s scalloped cuff style (£70) from asos.com. Balance the flounce factor by styling it with denim shorts or wide-leg jeans for a festival or weekend barbecue. Swap white for a pastel shade, like Sandro’s pale blue two-piece set (3, below) or wraplondon.co.uk’s strappy lemon sundress.