This year Londoners can’t complain about a one week lasting summer or bad summer, because the heatwave has been forever lasting. I have been on holiday for two weeks (Middle East and Asia) and I didn’t feel as hot as I’m feeling in London. It’s one of the biggest cities in the world and one of the most modern too, yet it’s not prepared for snow or too much snow. The joke is on me and I can’t buy any fan because all the retailers just seem to be sold out of them! All I have left is working from a coffee shop which has an AC while dressed for the weather.
For summer, especially such a hot summer, I would recommend to wear natural fabrics such as cotton, linen, silk, etc. These can be pricey, however, high street can still surprise and offer great value as well as beautiful designs. It’s difficult, it’s time consuming, but checking the labels can pay off on a hot summer day, when you’re wearing a linen rather than a polyester shirt. I was quite lucky to get pure linen shirt in ZARA for around £30 a few months ago (sold out now) and it’s definitely a saver in this heat. It also is easy to maintain, hand wash and a few hours in the heat and it’s fresh again! I’ve been wearing it for days and I don’t want to wear anything else. Pardon the high neck in the photo, I normally wear it much lower.
When the temperatures are high, light colour palette comes naturally to mind, warm earthy tones (beige, khaki) plus white will attract less heat than blacks and other dark colours. Another thing which helps is wearing loose silhouettes – that way the clothes are less likely to stick to your body or get marks when hot. Also, you have all the accessories to play with – sunglasses, hats, earrings, big straw bags and others, which is wonderful!
Wearing shorts and t-shirts is easy if you don’t need to go to the office or follow a certain dress code. In that case, dresses or jumpsuits (for a more casual look) come in handy in the heat. Look for the shape that has a full or a bit wider skirt, that way you will keep yourself cooler than in the pencil skirt. If you’re not allowed to wear sleeveless tops, try to aim for a linen dress in particular, as this will allow your body breath.
Summer is great because you can wear almost all of your shoes depending on the look you choose, however in the heat like this, it is really important to choose comfortable footwear. It’s incredibly easy to get blisters in the hot weather due to the swelling of the feet and sweating. My personal favourite is Hermes Oran sandals. They’re expensive but believe me, worth every single pound spent on it. I know that Dune has made a cool pair of dupes in lots and lots of different colours for around £80 or so, they’re mostly sold out but going into the store might be worth it, sometimes they have one or two last pairs that are not even displayed.
Below, I have linked some high street items (all below £100) that can be the staple pieces of your wardrobe in this crazy heat.
If you’re more cash rich, it’s great too, because you can indulge in really high quality items that you will wear for seasons to come. In fact, if you’re traveling or are on holiday in the hot countries quite often, the value will be amazing, because good quality and well looked after items can last for years and years.
Have fun don’t sweat!
Images via Pinterest and personal
