KAIKAI

Regardless of your age, the approach to dressing for stylish occasions this summer seems unanimous. Think: “What would a glamorous granny do?”

Vogue has declared it a “senior citizen summer”, with fisherman’s sandals and comfortable slip-ons soaring in popularity. Kaia Gerber and Alexa Chung (both deemed “It” girls, despite being 24 and 42 respectively) have discovered the ease of wearing a loose cotton nightdress out and about in the heat. Grandmother Joan Collins, 93, has been raising the bar with fashion dispatches from sunny Saint-Tropez.

Other styles once labelled “old-lady-ish” have been given a fresh spin, from Miu Miu’s crochet bags to Rixo’s “blouses from another era”. On TikTok, meanwhile, Italian nonnas are the latest obsession, wearing bandanas and relaxed linens, ideally while batch-prepping soffritto.

There are, of course, rules to embracing these pieces in a modern way. First, don’t wear them all at once. Offset something deliberately “granny” with something unmistakably modern (or bling, as Joan would do). Wear that nightie as a top with jeans or balloon trousers, or add edge with bold gold jewellery.

After that, it’s all in the attitude. Have fun with this maximalist aesthetic on holiday or at home, whatever your age.

Here are six items that have been rebranded as fashion essentials.

1. The nightie dress

It doesn’t matter what length you choose; what matters is that it’s cotton, breathable and prettily gathered, smocked or pleated around the sleeves and neckline. It’s a look that works with a zero-fuss shoe – ballet flats for a city day out or simple flip-flops on holiday evenings.

A white day-nightie is the “truest” iteration of this trend, but I think it’s easier to pull off wearing it in black if you want the ease and elegance without the actual sleepwear connotations. The sleepwear label Their Nibs offers endless gorgeous prints that really will work for day. On the website of the British label If Only If, you can see both a mother and daughter figure trying on each style; at By Soren, the older models also show how it’s done. Elsewhere, at Free People, they show how you can layer a mini dress over pleated trousers for an alternative look.

Clockwise from top left: cotton mini dress, £118 at Free People; Otta dress, £175 at By Soren; square neck nightdress, £42 at Their Nibs and cotton nightdresses, from £110 at If Only If

2. The grandpa sandals

Strappy, sturdy and comfortable – what’s not to like about a fisherman’s sandal style? The clunkiness of them serves as a perfect foil to any flouncy summer dress. Marks & Spencer has one of the best versions on the high street this year: a suede pair, woven and buckled, for £55. Beauty director Sonia Haria has been wearing them on repeat and has proved that the olive colour serves as an alternative neutral and really does go with anything.

From top: leather sandals, £195 at Grenson; suede sandals, £41 at M&S; leather sandals, £64 at Jigsaw

3. The knitting bag

There are Miu Miu versions for over £1,000 and Dries Van Noten brocade gems for £565. Then there are iterations at Zara and Mango for £35.99. The traits to look out for are crafty beaded and crochet totes, often with wooden top handles. It’s a busy, statement-making bag – so keep it small and make it the focal point of an out-to-dinner outfit with a dress such as this from With Nothing Underneath.

From left: beaded bag, £1,820 at Miu Miu; bamboo handle bag, £35.99 at Mango; jacquard bag, £565 at Dries Van Noten at Net-a-Porter

4. The bucket hat

Another “old lady” beach essential, that has come chic. Bucket hats have been back on the style radar for several years now, but I think that this Seafolly version (aptly named the “Shady Lady”, with its chin tie and extra-wide brim) is almost a hybrid between the 1990s classic shape and a more elegant saucer.

From left: Shady lady hat, £40 at Seafolly; sun hat, £95 at Toast; bucket hat, £45 at Damson Madder at End Clothing

5. The ‘vintage’ blouse

Rixo designers Henrietta Rix and Orlagh McCloskey describe their Ellery top as “a blouse that looks like it came from another era but belongs entirely to this one”. That’s also the goal of many a Vinted scourer this summer: to find that perfect genuinely vintage, or at least Victoriana-tinged, blouse. It’s a feminine look, even when you wear it with jeans or long-line black shorts, so my advice here would be to keep the ruffles balanced and leave anything with a scalloped collar on top well alone. Too much fuss will make for overkill.

From left: Ellery blouse, £145 at Rixo; Broderie blouse, £97 at Baukjen; cotton blouse, £345, at Frame

6. The never-too-much accessories

The “did the grandchildren make that?” jewellery; the colourful reading glasses and chain; the silky headscarf. Add as many or as few of these extras as appeal to you, as all are trending items in their own right. It’s a Prue Leith school of thought. The only rules are to go for bold and crafty over dainty and minimalist.