Red UK July 2021

PHILIPPA PERRY Red’s agony aunt answers your dilemmas for the final time on page 146. MY SUNLOUNGER READ IS… The Black Dress by Deborah Moggach. MY MOST MEMORABLE SUMMER WAS… A pre-lockdown villa holiday in Corfu with friends and family – boat trips, meals out, pool and beach. Perfect. ESTHER FREUD reflects on the reads that have shaped her life on page 60. MY SUNLOUNGER READ IS… Frostquake by Juliet Nicolson; it will help me appreciate the warm summer days. MY MOST MEMORABLE SUMMER WAS… The first long summer I spent in Suffolk with my kids. ZEENA MOOLLA shares the lessons she’s learned from her single-parent dad on page 40. MY SUNLOUNGER READ IS… Mrs Hemingway by Naomi Wood. MY MOST MEMORABLE SUMMER WAS… 2019, when my husband and I married after 10 years of being together. Red is a member of…

As is the nature of a monthly magazine, I am writing this Ed’s letter on the cusp of summer… and freedom. Both make me deliriously happy – although I am finding the latter slightly daunting, too. As we creep ever closer to the end of June, when hopefully, the majority of lockdown rules should finally be lifted, I find my diary filling with social events, gatherings and weekends away – 18 months’ worth of get-togethers jostling to fill the summer. I’m excited by this – to go places and see people and wear nice dresses and tread the busy, buzzy path of my old life again. But I also feel a bit tense about it all. I’ve grown used to a quieter life, with endless hours to do very little.…

ALLOW YOURSELF TO FEEL Strength and resilience: that was the theme for our May issue, and we included several articles that captured that spirit. As Sarah Tomczak wrote in her editor’s letter: ‘Strength doesn’t come from what we can do; it comes from overcoming the things we thought we couldn’t.’ This message resonated with Lisa Moore, who got in touch with us. ‘Having spent the past 12 months supporting the wellbeing of my team at work, I’d put my own personal wellbeing on the back burner. I’d been working long hours and wearing my commitment as a badge of honour,’ she wrote. ‘Then, on 12th February, I went to get out of bed and I couldn’t feel my feet and legs. I experienced muscle spasticity, numbness and immense pain in my back.…

SPORTS STARS Choose styles with high coverage in performance fabrics. Zips, belting and lots of stripes will keep you feeling chic and comfortable, whether you’re cold-water swimming or just looking for a little extra support. This summer, swimwear can be both flattering and functional. THE HIGH LINE High-waisted bikini bottoms give you instant retro style, helped by this summer’s raft of playful prints and poppy-bright colours. Sitting above the belly button, they give more coverage than a traditional bikini. No matter your choice of top, they’re a great alternative to a swimsuit when you want to show a bit more skin. FOREVER MINIMAL Whatever the new swim trends, some of us are just die-hard purists, preferring the neutral colours and sophisticated silhouettes of a classic black one-piece or a simple, fuss-free triangle bikini. Add a…

FLATTERED @flattered Offering the sophisticated yet pared-back contemporary design you’d expect from a Scandi brand, Flattered shoes are designed in Stockholm and have timeless appeal. The result? Beautiful, fuss-free pieces of flattering (hence the name) footwear. BRYR CLOGS @bryrclogs The humble clog made its catwalk revival for summer – and we can’t get enough of them. Casting a modern eye on this wooden classic, Bryr Clogs founder, Isobel Schofield, is influenced by her sunny West Coast lifestyle in San Francisco, where she and her small team handmake every pair. ZOU XOU @zouxoushoes Zou Xou was born in 2015, when designer Katherine Theobalds moved to New York from Northern Virginia. The minimalist designs of her backless mules and strappy square-toe sandals, combined with subtle details, such as the matching buckle on her Mary Jane flats, make for a collection…

IDENTITY TREAT I love to layer up my collection of pendants, chains and beads. This pretty pearl-studded initial necklace by Otiumberg is my latest treat to myself. CRISS CROSS The new sandal of this summer has a chunky sole and long, barely-there straps to wind around your ankle – a nod to the clunky shoe trend that’s everywhere this season but with a soft, feminine twist. Wear with cropped jeans and a frilly blouse. QUEUE FOR THE QUILT Get in line for a little quilted jacket. I’ve fallen for this buttercup yellow floral style (right) by Lolly’s Laundry at Anthropologie. It’s a cosy cover-up for cooler days but adds so much joy to my everyday wardrobe of denim and T-shirts. Check out Hush’s reversible version for a two-in-one investment, too. THE WHITE ONE Every year, I decide…