I've Been a Stylist for 20 Years—These Are My Key Summer Wardrobe Staples
You've probably heard of celebrity stylist Angie Smith from her work in the past with household names like Holly Willoughby (yes, she was responsible for creating the buzz around Willoughby's sell-out looks) as well as other best-dressed women, including Davina McCall and Rochelle Humes. Smith has a gift for making her clients look effortlessly chic, usually on an affordable budget. She's an advocate for shopping the high street—often mixing high and low pieces in her styling and her own wardrobe—and her talent for uncovering the most expensive-looking finds is unrivalled. Smith can often be found sporting buys from Arket and Marks and Spencer interspersed with timeless accessories from Khaite and The Row to elevate them.
If you already follow Smith on Instagram, you'll be familiar with her feed documenting her life down under. (She moved from London to Sydney a few years ago and started a family.) The regular beach walks may induce envy, but be sure to stick around for snapshots of her laid-back, accessible style.
Her polished but practical wardrobe choices mean that you can bet we want to wear whatever she's wearing. In fact, the whole Who What Wear UK team often find ourselves shopping directly from Angie's Edit—a regular wish list she shares with all her latest and greatest finds. What we love most about Smith's style and content, though, is her "buy less, wear more" mentality. Unlike your average influencer approach, Smith uses her expertise to advise on timeless classics and versatile pieces she'll actively encourage you to wear again and again.
Being based in Australia means she's become particularly adept at curating a wardrobe full of warm-weather staples, so we reached out to her to get the inside scoop for Who What Wear readers on the pieces she's currently recommending to all her clients (and adding to her own basket) for summer.
Keep scrolling to see Smith's edit of summer wardrobe staples…
Shop Smith's Summer Staples
The Perfect White T-Shirt
"A great white T-shirt is so versatile. Once you find a good one, buy at least two."
The Raffia Bag
"This is such an easy bag that goes with everything."
The Swimsuit
The Denim Shorts
The Oversized Shirt
"An oversized shirt is one of the most worn pieces in my wardrobe. I'll throw this linen version over a swimsuit on the way to the beach."
"This one is a slightly thicker version in brushed cotton that works with jeans for a casual look."
The Slip Dress
The Slip-On Clogs
"The easiest way to make it look like you are wearing your clothes and not the other way around is to add trainers or Birkenstock's clogs to your outfit."
The Printed Shirt
"I love a statement shirt. It's such an easy way to add interest to a simple jeans-and-tee look."
The Leather Sandals
"Simple leather flip-flops do the same job as clogs. They make any outfit feel low-key but still pulled-together."
The Nice Top
"You can never have too many cool tops that instantly dress up a pair of jeans, right?"
The White Jeans
"I wear white jeans all year round but especially in spring/summer. They make you look like you've made more of an effort than if you'd just worn the same style in blue denim."
The Gold Ring
"I wear the same jewellery on repeat—it's a mix of fine and chunkier pieces, and wavy gold rings are a real favourite."
The Waistcoat
"Waistcoats are now a big wardrobe staple for me. I love the androgynous feel."
The Co-Ord
"I have a lot of pieces from Free People in my wardrobe, but I feel like my most worn items are their excellent co-ords."
The Sarong
"I live in sarongs when I'm on holiday, and I'm currently looking for an elevated style like this to wear in the evening with a blazer."
The Cycling Shorts
"I wear bike shorts all year around with oversized shirts in the summer and cashmere jumpers at the start of spring."
The Evening Dress
"This is my go to dress for a special occasion when I also want to be super comfortable. I love the sleeves and how it looks even more effortless with them pushed up."
The Blue Jeans
"You cannot beat a classic blue jean with a cool shirt, tank and thong sandals. So effortless."
The Racer Tank
"A simple tank always looks cool with an oversized shirt and jeans. I'm not worried if you see bra straps with this look, either."
The Linen Blazer
"I love wearing an oversized linen blazer in summer over a bra top with baggy trousers and flip-flops—it's one of my go-to looks for evenings."
The Shacket
"I have a few of these kinds of light shirt-jackets, but the Sézane Will style is my favourite. I already own it in white, but I'm thinking about buying the classic blue this year, as the fit is so nice. It's like a smarter longline denim jacket."
The Track Pants
"I love this red. I wear these in so many different ways—from the beach to out for relaxed dinners."
The Summer Knit
"You can't beat a chunky knit with denim shorts in the summer. Always size up, though!"
The Linen Trousers
The Pearl Necklace
"I've been looking for a simple pearl necklace style for ages, and this one is the perfect size to break up my gold jewellery without taking over."
Up Next: I'm a Fashion Editor—These Are the 9 New-In Buys I Just Added to My Wish List
Emily Dawes is the very definition of a fashion multi hyphenate. An editor, stylist and writer with over eleven years’ worth of experience in the industry, Emily is known for her impeccable taste, elegant outfit choices and being able to spot the next big thing in fashion from a mile off. Our readers loyally trust her advice and shopping suggestions; so much so she began her own column documenting the most expensive-looking pieces on the high street, which has become a top-performing piece of content for the Who What Wear brand.
Emily has worked for Who What Wear UK since 2020 in a myriad as roles, spanning from contributing editor and branded content editor. Now, she holds the position of affiliate editor and is responsible for the brand’s overall affiliate strategy, ideation and content execution. Working closely with Who What Wear UK’s affiliate manager, Emily has been instrumental in securing and nourishing brand partnerships, surpassing her goals as standard. Leading the team in tentpole shopping moments including Black Friday and Peak Trading, with Emily’s guidance and leadership, team Who What Wear is in a stronger affiliate position than ever before.
Prior to joining the Who What Wear team, Emily served as YOU Magazine’s acting fashion editor where she managed the fashion team and oversaw all fashion content output for the fast-paced weekly title. Emily is a stylist in her own right, having worked with a slew of VIP clients including writer and television personality, Elizabeth Day, as well as styling and art directing several celebrity cover shoots for glossy print publication, Grazia. Her adept fashion knowledge means brands regularly sought out to work with her as a consultant: previously she has developed marketing and content plans for brands for Cocoon and Edge of Ember. Before entering the industry, Emily obtained a Bachelor of Arts in English and American Studies with International Study from Nottingham University. Fun fact: Emily spent a year studying in America which saw her join a sorority during her time there.
When she’s not working or tracking down the chicest, new-in items to share with our audience, you’ll find Emily bestowing her East London home with her stylish flair, reading everything from the classics to cowboy romance novels and escaping to the country with husband, baby boy and dog, Roo, whenever she can.
Emily is currently on maternity leave.
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