I Always Get So Many Compliments When I Wear This Easy, Two-Part Outfit

I'm a dress girl through-and-through but this summer I've found myself gravitating towards chic top and skirt co-ords over and over again. So much so that I appear to have amassed quite a collection! Why are they so good? Well, they give the elegance and ease of a dress while providing you with that styled-up coolness you can only get from expertly combining separates together. Great for work, parties, holidays and more, they have become my secret fashion weapon in 2024!

So no matter your upcoming summer plans, join the matching set fans by investing in one of these winners from Free People, Mint Velvet, Whistles and more.

Shop My Favourite Co-ord Sets Looks for Summer:

1. Summer White

The quality of this Mint Velvet co-ord is unbelievably good for a high street brand and I've seen women of different body shapes looking spectacular in it—I'm convinced it suits everyone and it'd be great to go up even further with the sizing range. Each piece is lined well which makes the slinky fabric still feel really elegant and soft but infinitely more flattering and a better fit. Sure, it has a bridal feel to it, but I think when you combine white pieces with mix-and-match accessories you instantly lift it out of wedding territory.

Shop the Look:

2. Butter Yellow

The detailed fabric! The perfect shade of butter yellow! I knew as soon as I saw this unique co-ord from Whistles that I had to have it. I like the idea of styling it with a black bra like the ecomm images on their website. I also think this top is going to look so cool with denim.

Shop the Look:

3. Shirred

I feel like Peachy Den's Deba set has been following me around on Instagram, and now that I've tried it I totally understand why it's permanently sold-out! This is so easy and comfortable to wear, and yet elevated and elegant too. I love that it can be styled in so many ways—I've seen girls 15 years younger than me pairing it with sporty pieces, but you can just as quickly smarten it up with heels.

Shop the Look:

4. Polka-Dot

I couldn't resist trying this set on from French brand Rouje when I was in Paris for work recently, and, well… it came home with me! This has a 1940s feel to it with the crepe polka-dot fabric, wrap skirt and ruched, square-neck top, and I like having a more retro skirt co-ord in my burgeoning collection!

Shop the Look:

5. Gingham

If any one brand could say they practically own the trend for waistcoats, it's Aligne! Theirs are a thing of legend, and I was lucky enough to snap up this gingham set a couple of months ago. It is really comfortable to throw on and yet very smart thanks to the tailored cut of the vest and the pleats on the skirt.

Shop the Look:

6. Nautical

I had a ridiculous amount of fun wearing this nautical-theme skirt set for an event with Free People recently. Everyone asked me about it and I can understand why! The detailing is brilliant and the cut is really whimsical, yet it's grounded via a classically summery blue-and-white colour palette. I'm very tempted to get it in brown as well…

Shop the Look:

Shop More of the Trend