Jess Cartner-Morley’s August style essentials: lace trims, snazzy knits and one truly beautiful bag | Fashion

Ballet socks

I’ve done reformer pilates for years, and I am a little bit touchy about the stereotype of the pristine blonde, ponytailed pilates princess. We are not all like that! Old black cycling shorts and whatever comes out of the T-shirt drawer works for me. But now that most studios insist on them for safety, I’ve had to buy more grip socks, and when I spotted these on the woman next to me in class, I had to grill her for deets. They are ridiculous but fun. I like to tie the ribbons around my ankles, Noel Streatfeild-style.

Palm tree pendant necklace

L’Atelier 73 is a new-ish London brand that I love for interesting, affordable jewellery. My current crush is these summer pendant necklaces – this one is a palm tree, but there’s also the sun or a cactus – in colourful, enamel-plated copper. The colourful woven rope braid is adjustable so you can change the length to suit your shirt’s neckline or to complement shorter necklaces.

Orange blossom reed diffuser

Reed diffusers work brilliantly for home fragrance, but most of them look hideous. I don’t want to wait for cosy candle season for my home to smell nice, but I also don’t want my bathroom to look like a cheap Airbnb. The answer? This beautiful hand-blown glass piece with a single reed diffuser, which looks as good in your hallway as a Diptyque candle. It’s from Droplet, a brand launched by siblings Sam and Lucie Beecham with a mission to combine Grasse-level fragrance with elevated London design. Available in several scents; I love the citrus-floral orange blossom, with notes of tuberose and magnolia.

For more, read our guide to the best diffusers

No98 Beauty Hydra Bond hair mask

Fragile hair is a problem for me, so I’m endlessly searching for products that really help, and this does. OK, I admit, it was the extremely chic packaging of No98 Beauty that drew me in to start with – but it was the effectiveness of this, the brand’s bestselling product, that got me hooked from the first time I tried it. You have to put it on damp hair and leave it for 20 minutes before shampooing, which is a bit of a faff, but I run a bath, wet my hair and slather this on, then soak with a book or a podcast for a bit. It works!

For more, read our guide to the best hair masks

Organza shirt in light pink

There has been a notable uptick in the number of Topshop pieces being worn on the fashion desk. There is good stuff in there again – and, as deputy fashion editor Chloe Mac Donnell pointed out, isn’t it nice to be able to buy Topshop and know the money isn’t going to Philip Green? I am very into this monochrome lace column panel white maxi skirt, £45, but my top pick is this organza shirt. It’s such an elevated and charming eveningwear option over a colourful contrast bra or camisole.

Ivory cotton cargo trousers

I am pretty wary of ordering high-street fashion online – the fabric is so often disappointing – but I make an exception for Zara Srpls, which is a limited-edition seasonal collection. It’s described as “premium”, but the prices aren’t wildly higher than regular Zara. These perforated-cotton cargo trousers feel breezy and summery – tailored black trousers kill the vibe at this time of year – but they’re still dressy. I might swap out the matching fabric belt for a tan leather one when I want to sharpen things up.

Navy, red and pink fine-knit cardigan

Seriously. There are so many occasions – from late night at a festival when it gets chilly to a restaurant dinner when you want to feel cosy but look snazzy – when a glam jumper is a wardrobe life-saver. In anticipation of the return of one of our most beloved designers, Christopher Kane, when he relaunches Mulberry at London fashion week next month, I’ve been stalking his classic knits on eBay – this fringed hot pink number, new with tags, is £413.68, while this preloved diamante-trim rollneck went for£135.90. Of the newbies out there, my fave is this delicious Essentiel Antwerp cardigan-cum-autumn-jacket. The lace-trim collar! Strawberry buttons! Irresistible.

Le Smart L tote

Longchamp’s Le Pliage bags, a timeless classic for every British teenager who likes to think of herself as half-Sorbonne, are very popular among gen Z right now. (They’re now recycled canvas; I think they used to be nylon.)

The Le Pliage starts at about £115, but Longchamp’s real hero products are the beautiful leather bags, crafted in the brand’s five ateliers in the Loire and Normandy. Le Smart L tote Bag is made from the most luxurious topstitched, grained cowhide leather, with a Hermès-adjacent threaded closure strap, internal snap fastening and subtle gold hardware. £730, but what price true love?

Mabel woven flat denim sandals

Closed-toe shoe season will come for us all, but it is not here yet. A simple flat mule is the most elegant style of sandal. More grownup than a flip-flop or a hiking sandal, it is smart enough for work or to wear with a dress for dinner. These Reiss sandals are made from comfortable knotted open weave, with a padded sole and a cute 2cm heel. Perfect with white jeans, a linen button-down and shades.

Contrast lace trim cami top

This has been the year of bras visible under sheer layers, nighties on the beach. A lace camisole is the classic, and this one is a beauty: the colour is timeless, the eyelash lace looks swanky, the straps are adjustable.