Ahh Summer. The smell of freshly cut grass, the light nights, the barbeques, the self control you have to find within yourself when constantly hit with the child-next-door’s ball as you try to peacefully bask in your garden...
Yes. It’s a lovely time. According to reports, summer 2014 could be the hottest on record (Pretty sure we’ve heard that before, but if we all TRULY believe and have faith in this prediction, maybe it will come true). So despite the fact we are now into May, we are drawing ever closer to the longest day of the year, and I am sat in a winter jumper writing this…. I still have faith that anytime now the clouds could dissipate in one swift gust of wind and leave us with nothing but blue skies until the dreary autumn season draws back in.
As Britons, we are all guilty of getting a bit over-excited about the sun coming out aren’t we? For example, we all know that a few weeks ago it wasn’t really that hot was it? It was about 15-20°C, and basically it felt a bit hotter than usual because the wind dropped, but how many short shorts did you see that day? How many exposed midriffs did you see? (And how many exposed midriffs did you see that definitely hadn’t been using their ‘rock hard abs’ workout DVD?) How many people refused to take their sunglasses off even when the sun had well and truly set? How many people headed to the beach in their bikinis and ended up huddling in their towels with a bag of chips for warmth? About five people on my street attempted barbeques. Two of them abandoned when the evening chill (that apparently they didn’t expect) set in, the other three stubbornly stuck to their patio chairs, drinking multiple vodkas whilst trying to ignore the frostbite on their toes, slowly pulling on more and more layers. They were all dying to suggest ‘shall we go eat this inside?’ but nobody wanted to let the side down. Because we are British. For us, as soon as it’s above 10°C, or we’ve seen blue sky (at any point of the day) for at least half an hour, it’s officially summer.
Now, last year was hot. We actually all 100% agree we had a glorious, very long summer, which is indeed a rare and magical thing. If this year is to be the same, let us keep our British habits under wraps and at least have our wardrobes prepared. Let us not attempt to squeeze into the swimsuit we bought for that holiday back in 2008, those high waisted shorts that we thought might make us look like Rihanna, or those 7 inch high wedges that may just have a snapped strap and broken buckle…. after maybe seven or maybe eight or maybe twelve tequilas one time.
Let 2014 be the year that we are ready for summer (whether it shows up or not)
with these staple SS14 items that should cover most events and holidays (and unexpected barbeques) without breaking the bank.
Contents
The Jumpsuit
Hands off to the creator of the jumpsuit. Not only are these all-in-one creations flattering, they are light and airy whilst providing just enough material to shield you from any nippiness in the wind. They also take a lot of stress out of the ‘What can I wear?!’ meltdown frenzy because they are a top and a bottom in one: outfit selection stress immediately halved.
Most are made from jersey material and take minimal effort to take on and off. This means you can wear your bikini underneath and not have too much of a ‘head stuck in a sleeve/two legs stuck down one leg hole/bum hanging out of bikini’ situation when trying to strip off.
A jumpsuit that is too small is not a good jumpsuit. It is always most important that the bottom section fits nicely, even if the top section looks slouchy. Allow for slouchy-ness. Jumpsuits are not meant to look like jeggings. Accessorise with a waist belt if you feel a bit shapeless. Dress them up with heels and statement jewellery, dress them down with flip flops/sandals and sunglasses.
The only negative with jumpsuits is the hassle of going to the toilet.
Top Tips on Toilet Time In Jumpsuit
Do not share a cubicle with a friend unless you are comfortable with her seeing you pretty much naked.
Practice your ‘wiggle out of my jumpsuit quickly and efficiently’ before you leave home. There really is a knack to it.
boohoo.com £25 newlook.com £22.99
The Cut-Out Cleated Sole Platform
I’ll be honest, I didn’t know how to feel about these either at first. However, there is a massive range of heights and colours available; some look like a futuristic lego shoe, and some look like a funky update on the classic sandal. The choice is yours.
These will probably take the place of your wedges this summer, as they are complimentary to both day and evening outfits.
The all-white platforms look amazing with tanned legs and a neon bright outfit, but if you pick a more subtle colour you may get more use out of them all year round, e.g. black platforms can be worn with skinny jeans/skirt and tights.
The jelly style of this shoe are extremely comfy, and will take you back to your school days (if you’re a 90’s kid like me) where we all wore those glittery jelly shoes to school and thought were the best thing on earth ever.
Riverisland.com £18.00
The Casual/Baggy Trouser
Forgive the informal name, but retailers have different names for these pants. They can be called ‘joggers’ due to their bagginess and the elastic waistband, but fear not, I am not recommending we take style tips from Vicky Pollard. The pants I’m referring to are thin, comfy, airy (can you see a pattern here?) and a life-saver on a hot day when you haven’t shaved your legs.
Think harem pants with a lot less crotch material
Great for the beach/pool/beer garden
We absolutely love how Mikhila styled her sports-look casual trousers over on her blog Missbudgetbeauty.co.uk, so take a look for some inspiration! The plain styles look great with a multicoloured wedge or heel, the patterned styles look best paired with a plain t-shirt or vest.
Speaking of which….
Asos.com £18 direct.asda.com/George £8
The Plain T-shirt/vest
In my opinion the humble vest is so underrated. White and black are the essential colours; black for May time when you emerge from hibernation mode and your skin still looks a bit like chalk, white for August time to highlight that you’re now a lovely bronze colour. These are one of the cheapest garments to buy yet one of the most versatile!
Team with your baggy trousers (above) for a quick and easy summer-friendly outfit
Laura styled her white shirt with a stripy bag and boat shoes, letting the other pieces of her outfit make a statement on her blog SideStreetStyle.com. Keeping the shirt plain really allows you to play around with patterns and colours for the rest of your outfit.
Buy in as many colours as possible, so that you have the option to wear one almost every day. This is the best option for people like me who attempt to buy the over-complex, over-priced summer blouse and end up too hot/uncoordinated/stressed and wishing I’d have stuck with my trusty vest.
They come in handy all year round. In autumn wear them with a chunky cardigan and scarf, and in winter they make a great undergarment for your winter jumpers.
The RIGHT sunglasses
Of course we all need at least one pair of shades. Even if the only time we get to use them is in the car when the sun is low-setting and affecting our ability to drive. A lot of us own more pairs than we would ever care to collate, but if you buy the right sunglasses, one pair is all you need… until you lose them or sit on them.
To find out which shades suit your face, visit sunglasses-shop.co.uk
The Strapless Bra
We’ve all done it. We finally get our hands on that off the shoulder top or maxi dress we’ve wanted for months, and realise we have no suitable bra for it. Cue the attempt to try it on with a normal bra, and thinking we’re so fashion clever by practicing the worldly known technique of ‘stuffing your bra straps under your armpits’… Cue the image of Ann Summers boss Jacqueline Gold twisting her face in outrage. Okay so wearing the wrong bra ruins the whole outfit and is a disgrace to fashion and feminism, but look, I’ve been wearing so many layers this winter that some days I didn’t even know (or care) who’s underwear I had on. Or if I had any on at all.
Summer is the season to get your relationship back on track with your strapless bra. Whether new or old, it has to fit properly otherwise it is completely defying the point of its creation. We know we need to wear one with strapless dresses, bandeau tops and most holiday-wear, but when the sun is out take the opportunity to wear one with most outfits – particularly spaghetti straps and off-the-shoulder slouchy tops – as to maximise shoulder tan opportunity without the unsightly white marks.
Debenhams.com £20
The LOTION
I have mentioned the T word a lot in this piece. Of course we all want a tan, and of course it would be nice if the natural way of getting one came without the risks, but guess what? It doesn’t. So if we do have the hottest summer on record please resist the urge to splay yourself under the rays the first chance you get for a 5 hour session where ‘you forgot to put lotion on because it didn’t even feel that hot.’ We all know that trick, we’ve all tried it, and we’ve all ended up causing irreversible damage to our skin while turning into a lobster.
Do you have any tips for great Summer Style 2014? Let me know in the comments below. You can join in the conversation over on our Facebook page, or follow us @SensibleReview. Happy Summer Everyone!
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