The idea of this blogpost is older than the blog itself, I’ve even had the title of the piece for more than five years now. There have been others in this category, like this piece on overdressing and the one about gin in teacups, but today’s post has taken me the longest to realise. You could say it has been cursed, almost: something always came up when I tried to shoot it. Even this time around, we were victims of misfortune – the series was supposed to be shot on film, in black and white, but once the film was developed, it turned out to be completely empty. Fortunately, there were enough digital images we had taken just in case.

The concept itself is very straightforward: I have always liked wearing black in summer and I wanted to create a few wearable looks around that basic idea. I like the sharpness of black in the blazing sun and the contrast it provides to all those frilly dresses and pretty florals. One looks a bit like an overexposed black-and-white photograph and this is exactly the look I’m going for. Where I live, most of the summer is not particularly warm, so wearing black doesn’t really pose a huge problem. If you like wearing black – as many people do – why would you stop in June? Black looks amazing with a light tan and if you can bear it, is devastatingly chic in the heat.

I have come up with six outfits: something for every weekday and one for the weekend. The first one is the most heat-appropriate, a shorts and camisole combination. The specifics here are less important than the general idea of the ‘Work Shorts’. Dark, tailored shorts look rather sophisticated in my view and you can pair them with whatever type of top you like best – a simple t-shirt, something fitted and lacy, a silk shirt, a puff-sleeved top.

If it’s properly warm, a camisole is great, however. It also works perfectly with a black blazer on top, so you can move effortlessly between an air-conditioned office and 35 degrees Celsius outside. Ideally, I would prefer the shorts to be slightly longer*, both to better capture the trends and to be more appropriate for the office (although I have worn these shorts to work, you’ll be unsurprised to learn). But this is the pair I happen to own and they do the job.

Do you have views on Summer Black? Or shorts in the office?

Cami and shorts by Zara, shoes by ALDO, sunglasses by Dior. Images Getter Kuusmaa, MUAH Erle Taklai.

*A pair of pretty fitted Bermuda shorts would be ideal.