In unprecedented news, London is currently facing a record-breaking heatwave, meaning that the city’s best-dressed are forgoing their tailored jeans and favourite ballet flats for something both figuratively and literally cool.
Indeed, for the past week, as stylish denizens come to grips with the scorching temperatures, pretty summer dresses, functional sandals and protective sunglasses have become the unofficial uniform.
But whilst the rest of us are seeking a reprieve in floaty minis or a dip at the Hampstead Heath ponds, Margot Robbie just eschewed everything we thought we knew about warm-weather dressing, arriving at a prestigious event in Mayfair wearing the least likely ensemble for the climate.
Whilst attending the unveiling of homeware brand RH’s new flagship space on Burlington Gardens, the actress denounced wearing anything too flouncy or breezy, instead opting for the sharp and architectural approach to dressing she’s come to adopt whenever she’s in town.
(As you may recall, she kick-started her love affair with precision tailoring when she stepped out in a Napoleon-era military jacket for the debut of the West End play, 1536, a little over a month ago.)
For the occasion, she wore polished culottes with black court shoes, confirming that when it comes to fashion, no amount of red warnings for extreme heat from the Met Office should get in the way of delivering a good look.
Still, as one of the most influential dressers around, it does ask the question of whether we’re all being a bit too rigid with our approach to heatwave dressing? One might argue that you could view the scorching temperatures as a way to get more experimental with your wardrobe, considering inventive new ways to incorporate polished shorts or structured staples into your ensembles, rather than just relying on a throw-on-and-go piece that does the heavy lifting for you.
To those people, I bid you all the best in your endeavours. Getting through this week is a matter of survival, then style. So whilst Margot might look a million times cooler in this all-black look than I do in my linen trousers and wafty tank tops, there’s no way I’d ever think about getting on the Tube wearing sleeves as long as hers.
Nevertheless, the option is there for when the temperature does eventually drop. (Which, knowing the United Kingdom weather pattern, is only a matter of days away.) Margot has often made culottes look their coolest, especially when she paired them with mesh shoes and a crew-neck tee from Australian brand Beare Park when touching down at the airport whilst on her Wuthering Heights press tour.
Now, she’s given us another reason to invest in them, especially if you’re after something both polished and minimal for a ritzy day out. Ahead, shop the best culottes currently available to shop. Who knows, you might even see yourself reaching for them before the weekend is over.
Shop Margot Robbie's Culottes and Court Heels:
Reformation's basics are like catnip for cool girls.
The satin fabric brings such an elevated touch.
For those wanting something a little more appropriate to the current climate, try this embroidered silk pair from Toteme.
The Inez pumps are such a great alternative to court shoes, too.
If money were no object, these are the culottes I'd be investing in.
Simply elegant.
Trust M&S to stock expensive-looking tailored essentials like this.
You really can't overlook the high-street giant for stocking the incredibly essential wardrobe items at an accessible price point.
This glossy style brings such an editorial finish to the trend.
The eponymous shoe brand of designer Nina Christen brings all the lessons she learnt whilst working at The Row, Loewe and Bottega Veneta into one exceptionally chic style.