Packing panic? Our fashion guru’s July picks are worth every inch of suitcase space

• The best summer shoes: 44 sandals, pumps and trainers for everyone

It is so bloody hard to pack the perfect holiday suitcase , and so deeply satisfying when you get it right. One of the few moments when I really feel like a competent grownup who has everything under control, rather than someone who is winging it and dropping plates left, right and centre, is when I manage to pack a great case.

To not forget anything crucial, but also not overstuff to zip-busting point, gives me a sense of control in a world full of chaos, and gets my holiday off to a serene start. So, in anticipation of peak holiday season, my July edit is devoted to pieces that are worthy of your precious suitcase space. Includes: travel trousers (my current obsession), conversation-piece earrings (my perennial obsession) – and scroll to the bottom for the £80 swimsuit that will make you feel like a million dollars.

It’s time for a reset! Our fashion guru reveals how you can shake up your wardrobe for the new season

• The best Chanel-style jackets to rival the real thing

In the winter months, I crave the comfort of repetition. I want to make a vat of soup to keep in the fridge and have a bowl for lunch every day. I long to discover a TV drama that I have somehow missed and have seasons to catch up on so that I can watch an episode every night. Hibernation, essentially.

Then, after months of that, the clocks go forward and – like clockwork – I get an itch for novelty. Yesterday I went to refresh the water in a vase of flowers on the mantelpiece; 15 minutes later all the stems were piled up around me on the floor and I was curating a whole new arrangement. Change is good! In the mood to shake something up? Out with the old. In with the newness! Read on for some hot-off-the-press thoughts.

Celebrate the new season with sunglasses, coloured tights and dresses with boots

There may be blossom on the trees, or at least tulips in the supermarket. There is daylight during hours that are your own. Gift shops are a sea of Mother’s Day pink and Easter yellow. You have only the vaguest recollection of what your new year ins-and-outs were, possibly something to do with a lapsed gym membership, but have acquired a new favourite bench in the park. You remember how much you like mini eggs. The first iced coffee of the season is not far off.

All of which means one thing: spring is here. What is less certain, however, is how spring-like the weather will be. Some years spring comes all at once, the weather shifting gear in rhythm with the vibe shift. Other years, spring is a state of mind for weeks before it becomes tangible in the air. Most often, we get a bit of both: a few false dawns when it is warm enough to venture out without a coat, and then chilly spells that catch you out before better weather starts in earnest. At the time of writing, it is not yet clear which we are in for.