Olivia Allen

1 day ago | vogue.co.uk | Olivia Allen

When I think of denim shorts, I’m immediately transported back to traipsing up and down Portobello Road – bubble tea and digital camera in hand – on the hunt for the perfect pair of vintage Levi’s for jumping around to the Arctic Monkeys at Reading Festival, fresh off the back of my GCSEs. They had to be barely-there, with massive pockets that hung past the hemline and ideally paired with a crop top that would disintegrate in the rain.

1 day ago | vogue.co.uk | Olivia Allen

We may earn a commission if you buy something from any affiliate links on our site. At this point, we’re all familiar with naked dressing. What started as a flash of nip on the runway has well and truly entered the mainstream. Sheer tops and thongs on show are now par for the course across red carpets and summer wardrobes alike. While Cannes still clings to its old-school modesty requirements, the rest of the fashion world is more than happy to leave little to the imagination.

2 days ago | vogue.co.uk | Olivia Allen

During a blissful bank holiday weekend, I was reacquainted with the versatility of the simple T-shirt dress. What started as a wholesome fish and chip supper at a rural Airbnb quickly descended into a night out in the nearby town and I realised my cottagecore midi skirt wasn’t quite dance-floor ready. Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one in need of a little on-the-go styling.

4 days ago | vogue.co.uk | Olivia Allen

There are two types of people in the world: those who can understand the satorial appeal of a pair of £10 rubber flip flops and those who need to get off their high horse. Until recently, I was in the latter camp, deeming the beachside staples as the reserve of toddlers on holiday or adults adverse to a structurally sound shoe. However, time heals all wounds and I have come around to their versatile appeal.

4 days ago | vogue.co.uk | Olivia Allen

There’s a vibe shift underway. The word chic, once reserved for the likes of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and ’90s Calvin Klein, has become devoid of meaning. Diluted by an endless stream of Old Money aesthetics and “things I find chic” videos, it has gone the way of legendary or iconic – overused into insignificance. In the stranglehold of quiet luxury and the TikTok-ification of everything, chic is now less about elegant je ne sais quoi and more about sterile minimalism.