How yellow became the colour of the summer

Yellow?Yellow?Hands up, we never thought this was going to catch on.Sure, Gucci, Stella McCartney, Burberry, Emilia Wickstead and Christopher Kane all trotted out glossy examples of the hue in their spring/summer 2016 shows, but honestly, we werent going to back that horse in The Real World.We werewrong.We can admit that now.

The good people at Pantone were way ahead of us, having predicted early on that 12-0752 Buttercup would be one of the top 10 colours of the season.The online retailer Very.co.uk is currently selling a yellow item every four minutes.At SimplyBe, sales of its jolly yellow mac (£50) have increased by 98per cent.Net-A-Porter has noted a 100per cent increase in sales of yellow products from May to June – if youre quick you may yet get your hands on the Marysia scallop bikini (FYI, scallop-edged swimwear is also A Thing this summer).Over at House of Fraser, its swishy bright yellow pleated midi skirt has been a strong hit.

Marysia scalloped bikini, £210,NET-A-PORTER; Sophia shirt dress, £79.60, Boden;Column dress, £49.50, Marks & Spencer

Natalie Kingham, buying director at Matchesfashion.com, attributes the success of the hue to its “skin-brightening, mood-lifting effect.Whether your style is feminine or rocknroll, brands from Christopher Kane to Roksanda are proof the optimist colour has universal appeal.”She advises wearing with denim, cooling it down with black, or head-to-toe like the Queen (ideal for when you want the entire party to know you Have Arrived).

This success may have well have been buoyed by its advocates in The Celebrity World.Victoria Beckham has twice been photographed in zinging jaune.We were particularly fond of her coat thrown over an all-black ensemble.Didnt look in the least bit bumblebee and felt alittle less sudden than her head-to-toe effort.Kylie at the V&A summer party wore a flowing Chloé number, then the Duchess of Cambridge rolled out her Roksanda banana-power dress for Wimbledon.Kim Murray watched her husband snag his second mens title in sunshine Jenny Packham.And in a welcome break from the fact that Tory party has now condemned fashion writers to trot out a Theresa May reference every time sales of leopard-print go up (or, lets not rule it out,down), it is with relish that we point out that on entering No10, Mrs May was sporting a block ofyellow (and leopard-print).

Cecile Copenhagen scarf-jacquard short sleeved dress, £96, Matches Fashion; pleated midi skirt, £55.30, House of Fraser;Classic sunflower, £50, Superga

There are still various yellow-y bargains to be had in the summer sales, but the key is to find your shade – neon is not for all.And dont be afraid to mix it with dark or muted colours – greys, blacks and navy are all great with yellow.

The winter style season will be an onslaught of autumnal mid-century shades, so for anyone concerned with such things, veer more to the side of mustard.If youre the type to whom a heatwave signals its the right time to get ahead and buy a winter coat, Harris Wharf has an excellent single-breastedDijon number currently available on Avenue32.com.