SHANE WATSON: I'm a fashion expert. This is the anti-ageing £22.99 H&M dress that EVERY 50-something woman needs this summer

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You may be familiar with Seasonal Affected Fashion Anxiety (SAFA). If you are a sufferer it hits at roughly the same time as hayfever and by mid May you’re experiencing most of the symptoms.

For any lucky 50-something women out there who don’t know what I’m talking about, SAFA is the fear of leaving behind navy and grey, high neck jumpers, all the no-dirt-showing colours and long sleeves, plus (worse) fretting about what we wear instead.

And, let’s face it, the prospect of switching into lighter, less covered-up clothes gets more daunting with the passing of every year.

It’s the re-entry that’s hard. Once we’re through the early stage, we’re OK – it’s finding the right pre full-on-summer wear when we’re just out of dust sheets that’s daunting.

Fortunately, I have some tips for alleviating the worst of SAFA…

Ditch your greys

Colour is the fastest, safest way to dip a toe into the next season without changing very much. Note: don’t wear black at this point. There’s lots of time for summer black and dark navy, but in May it feels autumnal. Instead go for chocolate brown, cinnamon, tan, olive, khaki, dark reds.

Wear those white jeans

These are the months when they look their freshest and best contrasted with a medium weight jacket or sweater.

Barrel Leg Jeans, Ecru 

Patch Pocket Subtle Flare Jean 

And a shorter jacket

You may have one tucked away, if so bring it out and wear it with a lighter blouse. Short looks more summery and it doesn’t have to be super lightweight or pale. The really useful shorter jacket is that brown suede one we keep hearing about: light but not too light; leather but not wintry. John Lewis does a forever boxy style in tan (£299, johnlewis.com) or Tu Clothing’s khaki suede effect jacket (£28, tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk) is a steal.

John Lewis Suede Jacket, Natural Tan 

Dig out a linen shirt

My lifesaver when the sun comes out before I’m feeling ready to commit to summer is a boyfriend, striped linen shirt (£120, withnothingunderneath.com). They’re not the cheapest on the market but they last for years and they seem to crease less. I wear it the way I wore a polo neck in winter. With denim. With brown cords. With ecru trousers. Tucked into an A line skirt. Also on days that are not so warm, it looks Just Summery Enough under a knitted vest.

‘The Boyfriend’, With Nothing Underneath  £120

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Pure Linen Oversized Girlfriend Style Shirt, M&S  £39.50

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Don sunglasses

Cool, classy shades will summer up your look instantly and shades allow you to wear sweaters, light wool blazers, a trench coat – all the ‘transitional clothes’ – without looking like you’re a summer refusenik. Try Cos for designer-look Seventies style aviators (£75, cos.com)

Aviator Style Sunglasses  £32

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Black Aviator Metal Sunglasses  £16

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Put away your tights

Wear flat shoes (loafers, square toed flats) with bare feet (or concealed socks). When you’re not ready to show your calves (and I’m not), a flash of bare ankle under the hem of your trousers or a skirt goes a long way.

The flats the fashion girls swear by at the moment – because they’re high enough in front to be flattering and sturdier than ballet pumps – are LK Bennett’s square toe flats (£159, lkbennett.com). Likewise bare toes (plus pedicure) in open leather sandals is a top Summer Refusenik compromise.

Antigua Leather Square Toe Ballerina Pumps  £75

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Refined Square Toe Ballerina  £295

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Sunny up denim

Keep wearing all your denim, but add an unmistakably summer element. A butter yellow knit top (£55, marksandspencer.com) or a white broderie-trimmed blouse. Don’t look for brights yet. They’ll feel too Carmen Miranda and you’ll fall back on your dowdier winter wardrobe.

BASIC PLAIN KNIT SHORT SLEEVE TOP 

Get a raffia bag

When bright or white accessories still don’t look right, but you want to move away from dark leather, raffia goes with everything and looks Just Summery Enough.

And Other Stories does a neutral woven straw hobo bag (£87, stories.com); M&S has several raffia styles including a slouchy shoulder bag with a leather look strap (£39.50) and Mango has a good raffia belt with an oval brass buckle (£22.99, johnlewis.com) to go round the waist of a skirt or shirt dress.

Marian Straw Wide Belt, Light Beige  £22.99

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Straw Woven Mini Basket Shoulder Bag  £39.50

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Pick up a shirt dress

Just push the long sleeves up a bit and add a raffia belt. H&M has a button-through midi shirt dress in nine colours and patterns (£22.99, 2.hm.com) and Zara has a good selection, too.

Pop on a silk scarf

All the colours you’re not ready to wear head to toe, usefully employed to hide your neck. The best places to find silk squares are Toast (toa.st.) and Zara.

Fluid Maxi Shirt Dress 




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