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Ah, the British summer. A season of unbridled optimism, impromptu pub garden plans and a forecast that changes its mind every twenty minutes. One day you are basking in 28°C sunshine on a glorious July afternoon; the next, you are dodging a sudden downpour in 16°C of greyness. It is no climate for flimsy footwear — which is why this guide is built around the one construction that handles both moods: hand-knotted leather.
Hand-knotted leather is what separates a serious summer sandal from a flimsy one, and it is why woven sandals have become the thinking woman's warm-weather staple. Because the upper is hand-knotted strand by strand rather than pieced from a few slim bands, it offers more coverage, structure and warmth than a standard sandal while still letting the foot breathe — bridging the gap between beachwear and city dressing better than anything else in the summer wardrobe. Here is exactly how to style it through the particular moods of a British summertime, with Black Tulip's Tessa Sandal (£125) as the anchor piece.
1. Mastering Layering: The Key to British Summer Styling
The golden rule of a UK summer is layering, and footwear should follow suit. A hand-knotted leather upper carries real visual weight and texture, which means woven sandals never look out of place against heavier, spring-to-summer transition fabrics.
The denim and knit combo. For those standard 19°C days — bright but breezy — pair the Tessa with straight-leg denim and a lightweight cotton knit. Choose a cropped jean that finishes just above the ankle bone, so the hand-knotted detail can do the talking. The texture balances the weight of the denim, and the outfit reads intentionally summery without leaving you cold when the sun ducks behind a cloud.
The trench coat silhouette. Never underestimate a classic lightweight trench or utility jacket. Thrown over a simple white T-shirt and tailored trousers, the long line of a duster coat makes a beautiful contrast with an open-toed sandal — protection from a sudden breeze, with none of the effort showing.
2. Elevating the Casual Weekend Wardrobe
When the weekend arrives and the sun makes a welcome appearance, the Tessa lifts a casual outfit further than a standard flip-flop or sporty slide ever could.
The weekend formula: linen midi dress or oversized co-ord + hand-knotted leather sandals + basket bag and sunglasses.
The linen midi dress. Nothing says British summertime quite like linen. A relaxed midi in oatmeal, khaki or classic navy pairs beautifully with hand-knotted leather — the texture of the leather sits naturally against the grain of the linen for an understated, pulled-together look, right for a farmers' market stroll or a long Sunday roast.
The cotton co-ord. Matching short-and-shirt sets and wide-leg trouser co-ords are popular for a reason — they take the hard work out of styling. To stop a cotton co-ord from reading as pyjamas, ground it with the structure of a hand-knotted leather sandal. The leather adds the necessary polish, carrying you from the morning coffee run straight through to an afternoon barbecue.
3. Smarten Up: From Desk to Pub Garden
One of the great strengths of a premium hand-knotted leather sandal is its ability to dress up. The craft is visible at close range, which carries it comfortably into smart-casual territory — straight from a Friday afternoon meeting to a packed pub garden, with no shoe change. (For the rest of the working week, our guide to wearing trainers to the office covers the smarter end of flat shoes.)
With tailoring. Swap the usual office loafers for the Tessa's low, elegant profile. Wide-leg linen-blend trousers and a tucked-in silk camisole keep the outfit fresh, light and distinctly seasonal.
With monochrome tones. For smarter occasions, stay within one colour family. The Tessa Sandal comes in Black, Chocolate and Tan: style the Black against an all-cream or all-black ensemble, or run the Tan through head-to-toe neutrals, and the effect is instantly polished.
The Summer Investment Piece: Black Tulip's Tessa Sandal
If you are searching for one anchor piece to build every one of these outfits around, this is it. The Tessa Sandal (£125) is hand-knotted in small batches, with approximately seven hours of hand-knotting in every pair — a pace set by three generations of shoemaking craft. The hand-knotted leather upper provides structure and sophisticated coverage; a secure ankle strap keeps the foot firmly in place through long walks and busy commutes; and the low, elegant profile works as easily with raw-hem denim on a cooler afternoon as with a floral maxi dress in an August heatwave. The leather is LWG-certified and the design is drawn up in London. All three colours — Black, Chocolate and Tan — are available in the Woven collection.
Quick Tips for Wearing Sandals in the UK
- Weather-proof before first wear. Treat the leather with a quality protector spray. Summer rain strikes without warning, and a quick coating guards the hand-knotted upper against water spots and mud.
- Mind the proportions. Hand-knotted leather gives woven sandals more visual weight than thin-strapped styles, so balance them with mid-to-long hemlines — midi skirts, maxi dresses and ankle-skimming trousers.
- Get the size right. The Tessa runs true to size, and there is no separate wide fit — if you are between sizes, size up. Hand-knotted leather has a natural give and gently moulds to the foot with wear, so the fit settles beautifully.
- Keep an emergency umbrella handy. It sounds like a cliché, but a compact umbrella in the tote means a rogue downpour never catches you out.
