Five key pieces in my wardrobe this season….

Summer fashion is a hard thing to pin down. Much like the British sunshine, it’s fleeting, barely there and then gone again, and every year it’s completely different. In London, it was all about tailored summer dresses or smart preppy skirts, coupled with heels and big jewellery. In the country, I need more practical things to romp about the house in.

When I’m buying summer clothes, I tend to pick a core colour scheme, and then work everything around that. It helps me focus when I’m shopping and ensures I have a variety of outfits, rather a series of redundant pieces. This year I’ve gone for my favourite – blue and white – with red or coral accents. These are pretty popular seasonal colours, so it’s been easy to pull together a few looks that feel easy and comfortable for our busy, active country life…

Smart/Casual Shorts: These shorts are a great bridge between smart tailoring and comfy cotton house shorts. The stripes, pockets, buttons all create the air of something more tailored, but the soft cotton jersey material and the loose fit makes them perfect for throwing on on a hot morning. They go with nearly everything and are not too short. (Striped Shorts, £14.99, H&M)

Coral Flats: I love Toms, they are so comfy, hardy and brilliant for our lifestyle down here. This Coral Striped pair have a lovely summery feel, and look great with a tan, plus they feel a little more special than the standard one block colour. (Coral Stripes Women’s Classics, £39, Toms)

Party Dress: With a variety of christenings and birthday parties to attend this summer, I needed one dress that was a bit smarter, but not so flimsy I looked like I was trying to hard to rock boho chic. This striped cotton dress is smart enough to wear with heels, but loose cotton so it’s cool and easy to throw on if you’re in a rush. The colours feel very me and are lovely and summery. (Engineered Stripe Chambray Dress, £110, Karen Millen)

Red Wedges: A great pair of espadrille-style wedges, comfy in the extreme and low enough you can wear them during the day, these go with everything I own – from the above party dress to my cropped jeans – and just help me walk a little taller when I need to! (Sophia Espadrille in Red, £40, Crew)

Summer Shift: This sweet red and white boho cotton shift dress is so light and so comfy, it’s my holiday essential this year. Perfect for throwing on after a swim, it’s just decent enough length-wise to appropriate but light enough to feel cool in the sun. Plus, for a more English way of wearing it, just pair with jeans or navy blue shorts. Very cute. (V-Neck Embroided Smock Dress, £25, Asos)