June arrived in a flurry of hope. Hope that this was the year I’d finally wear linen trousers without creasing them into oblivion before I reached the front door. Hope that the weather would settle into some kind of reliable rhythm (it didn’t). Hope that I’d manage a whole month of getting dressed like an adult woman who had her life vaguely together.
Naturally, none of that happened.
But I did wear some clothes.
So here’s what June looked like in my wardrobe: light layers, linen attempts, sandals I forgot to break in, and a rotating cast of “clothes that only looked good when I was standing completely still.”
Week 1: The Sun Came Out and I Panicked
You know when the sun suddenly appears after weeks of grey and your brain forgets how to dress for it?
That was me.
I flung open the wardrobe, shouted “We’re doing this!” and pulled out a strappy maxi dress that hadn’t seen daylight since 2021. I didn’t check the weather app. I didn’t consider the logistics of doing the school run in jelly legs and a dress that catches every passing breeze like it’s in a Shakespearean forest scene.
By 10am, I had goosebumps. By 11, the clouds were back. And by 3pm, I was in a cardigan I’d “borrowed” from Lost Property at work, walking around like a woman who had made choices and was now living with the consequences.
The lesson: Always carry a layer. Even if it’s June. Especially if it’s June.
Week 2: Linen and the Lie of Effortlessness
Ah, linen. The dream. The myth. The fabric that promises breezy elegance but delivers a look best described as “crumpled napkin after a family BBQ.”
I wore linen wide-leg trousers with a linen vest on a day when I had two meetings, one child’s dentist appointment, and a vague idea I might pop to Sainsbury’s. Spoiler: I did all those things looking like I’d slept in a paper bag. A stylish paper bag, but still.
Midway through the day, I caught a glimpse of myself in a shop window. I looked like I was either incredibly relaxed or had given up entirely. Possibly both.
But oh, the comfort. I will forgive linen anything if it means I can sit cross-legged on the sofa and not feel the waistband of my jeans pressing into my soul.
Week 3: Sandal Blisters and the Great Toe Debacle
This was the week I decided to be a sandal person again.
I unearthed my Birkenstocks from the back of the cupboard where they’d been sulking all winter, gave them a quick shake (to remove the spider I was sure lived inside), and slid my feet in.
Two hours later, I had matching red stripes across the top of both feet and the walk of someone who’d made some deeply poor choices. I persisted, obviously. Because once you commit to a summer shoe, you ride it out like a dignified woman with blisters and pride.
Also had a day in strappy gold flat sandals that made me feel wildly sophisticated, until one of the straps snapped while I was crossing the high street and I had to hobble to Boots with one bare foot and one smug one.
Week 4: The Light Layer That Saved My Sanity
By the end of June, I finally found my groove. A loose cotton button-up shirt (blue and white stripes, slightly oversized, suspicious tomato sauce stain near the hip) that went over everything.
Wore it over dresses when it was breezy. Over vests with trousers when I wanted to look like I had my act together. Wrapped it round my waist for no good reason except it made me feel like I was in a 90s teen movie.
It was the MVP of my month. That and my big sunglasses, which conveniently covered the fact I hadn’t done mascara since mid-May.
Honourable Mentions:
- A midi skirt that kept flying up in the wind outside the Co-op.
- A pair of culottes that looked excellent standing still but gave me a situation when walking uphill.
- A kaftan I wore as a dress for a garden party and accidentally flashed most of the neighbours when I bent down to pick up a sausage roll.
Final Thoughts from the Changing Room of Life
June was a linen-clad, sandal-shuffling, cardigan-sneaking kind of month. I wore what worked. And when it didn’t work, I wore it anyway and laughed about it later.
Because real-life wardrobes aren’t full of curated capsule collections and pre-ironed co-ords. They’re stuffed with cotton tops that looked great online, trousers you forgot were too long, and a weird loyalty to one ancient pair of sandals you insist on keeping just in case.
And honestly? That’s kind of perfect.
Here’s to July: more sunshine, fewer blisters, and maybe – just maybe – a belt that actually fits.
💬 Tell me: what was your favourite outfit this June? Bonus points if it involved an emergency cardigan or a dramatic sandal-related incident. Facebook – Mylifeandstyleover40.
Take care, stay safe.
Becks xo
My life and style over 40 