You know I distrust any kind of absolute advice and try to avoid giving it. But seriously, unless you still have your holidays coming up, stop buying summer clothes NOW. Even if you do have holidays coming up – and mine are currently ongoing, so I know of what I speak -, chances are you have bought enough summer clothes in the last two super hot months to get you through several vacations.

However, if you must buy something new that you can immediately wear (and I’m very sympathetic to these sartorial emergencies, brought on by an emotional crisis, a surprise event or simply spotting something gorgeous that needs to be purchased stat), make sure it’s an item you can also wear in the autumn. In women’s magazines it’s called transitional dressing, I call it having sleeves (I have an irrational hatred for the phrase ‘transitional dressing’, probably because I’m Estonian and don’t think you need a glamorous term for putting on a sweater).

This H&M dress is a perfect example of something that is light enough for summer while being a lovely autumn piece with the addition of ankle boots and a cover-up. A blazer, a sweater, a biker jacket – all would work. I’m in fact a big fan of dark florals for summer and they are usually excellent for Estonian summer months, when the temperatures tend to hover in low twenties with occasional, too-rare spikes. This year, however, has been exceptionally warm both in Tallinn and Brussels and dark clothes have simply felt wrong.

With the weather turning and rain promised for this evening, I thought it was time to bring out these photos. It’s also good timing because the dress itself is now available in stores. I borrowed it for the shoot from H&M Eesti, as I already have two similar dresses that I’ve shown and I did not want to purchase a new one only to make a point on the blog. This one is more loose-fitting, though, and has a more romantic, boho vibe. Some lace-up boots would not be out of place…

Dress by H&M, shoes by Zara, MUAH by Grete Madisson, images by Liina Jasmin.