As much as I love bright colours, I’m not much one for clashing. I’ve actually been known to say before how much I hate pink and red paired together, with an unnecessary amount of passion. Turns out, that dislike is more of a contextual thing, because when I spotted this Eden frilly fronted cardigan I was totally on board. I immediately pictured it paired with a sky blue skirt and a wicker basket handbag, and then when it arrived I styled it exactly so. It’s just like I pictured it would be. Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together?

Cardigan: Eden Colour Block Frill cardigan C/O Joanie Clothing
Bag: Emmy Rattan Basket bag from Joanie Clothing
Skirt: Blue Jade dress by Collectif Clothing
Sunglasses: Old River Island
Bangles: Woven Bamboo by Splendette & Assorted bamboo bangles
Shoes: Old Primark

To some, this outfit might seem obnoxiously bright but to me it feels like spring. Not the soft pastel colours of spring, the gentleness of the baby blooms, nor the subtle shifts of the weather, but more the hope and excitement it brings me, the joy with which I greet the sun as it begins, ever so slowly, to pop up more frequently and with greater warmth. This outfit, to me, is frolicking lambs and the first time you eat an ice lolly with an actual risk of drippage. This outfit is BLAM, I’M BACK, BABY, AND I BROUGHT THE SUUUUN!

TL;DR: I like this. The colours of the cardigan definitely clash but I somehow find that more endearing than I typically would, I think because I like the frill detail so much. I wear cardigans with almost every outfit, because hello, I live in England, where uncovered skin is rarely greeted with warmth here. But all my cardigans are plain, cropped styles and I’ve long felt I wanted to find some cute patterned or detailed styles that would add some variety to my wardrobe. I’ve never really known where to look but it turns out Joanie Clothing has a ton of fun cardigans on offer, so in future I’ll definitely know where to look. (This is a full length style, not cropped, so I’ve tucked it into my belt, just FYI.) I ordered it in the L (to fit UK 16/18) and it’s definitely true to size, so I’m glad there won’t be any guesswork on ordering more cardigans in future.

While perusing the website for the cardigan I also found the Emmy rattan basket bag, which I might be just a bit obsessed with. I love wicker style bags, I own 3 or 4 now in different shapes and sizes, but they’re all the kind of bags that hang off your wrist and I wanted one that felt more casual. The Emmy basket bag is a shoulder bag, meaning, yes, I could very easily justify adding it to my collection, and the red accents will only echo the red pieces I accessorise almost every outfit with. It’s a nice medium sized bag, measuring 7 inches tall and 10 inches wide across the bottom, 5 inches deep, so it fits my sizeable purse with room for sunglasses, my phone and other knickknacks as well. You can also adjust the length of the shoulder straps by several inches to make sure it hits you at the most comfortable point on your hip. I fully expect I’ll be using this a ton between now and Autumn, which feels forever away at the moment, which is just fine by me. Bring me wicker and bring me sun!

The Eden Colour Block Frill cardigan comes in sizes S-XL (equivalent UK 8-22) costing £35 and the Emmy Rattan basket bag costs £28. Joanie Clothing ship internationally.