Summer Staples For Keeping Cool & Confident
Just in case you’ve been living under a rock, we’ve had a crazy heatwave in the UK with quite frankly terrifying temperatures of 38 degrees. And of course, when I’m writing this it’s raining outside but I’m hoping we won’t have said goodbye to the more reasonable warm weather just yet as there is nothing that makes me happier than waking up to the sunshine and these are my favourite style pieces for keeping cool & feeling confident in warmer climates.
Midi dresses
5 years ago I would have never worn a midi dress, I always loved them on others (my best friend is the queen of the midi) but worried they just didn’t suit my style. Now, they’re my favourite to wear in the warmer weather and whenever it’s above 18 degrees this is what you can usually find me in. I was always under the impression that having so much fabric billowing around would make me warmer but that isn’t the case at all infact having my legs covered up helps with the heat I find. I have a few styles in my wardrobe including THAT Zara dress, the gingham number I’m wearing in the photographs above and my beloved Topshop knot dress. Now I’m a little older I certainly don’t have the confidence I once did with showing my limbs to the world and I find a midi dress is the perfect balance of that as I'm suitably dressed without having to show it all.
Smock dresses
As I said, these days I don’t tend to wear anything super short but when I do it’s typically a smock dress (preferably with pockets). Just like midi dresses, I struggled with the smock style for so long as I always thought that it looked I was wearing a sack and maybe I do look like that but I love them now as I put comfort over anything else these days. Paired with a simple pair of sandals and a bag they’re the best perfect item for when I’m feeling bloated or going to be out all day as they’re incredibly comfortable. My current favourite is my Willow Morris dress from Vintage Style Me as it’s enough of a statement to stand out but the colour palette is a beautiful neutral and goes with everything else I own.
Rompers
I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with rompers because even though they’re super cute and comfortable the fact that you have to get pretty much naked to go for a wee is a big downside for me. I’ve only got one in my wardrobe at the moment which is a linen striped number and it’s my go-to for those really warm days and you need something a little more practical than a dress. I’m not too much of a shorts wearer anymore as I don’t find they suit my style as much as they once did so a romper is how I get my shorts fix. I’m currently on the hunt for a black romper in the style of overalls as I would love to pair them with a Breton underneath because I’m not a shorts wearer I find my Breton’s can go a little unloved unless I’m wearing jeans in the warmer months.
Salt Water wannabe sandals
A good pair of sandals are something I find weirdly difficult to find. I have quite a high criteria granted as often sandals can look odd with my tattooed feet and ankles as often they sit at an odd point on the leg and foot but these Salt Water wannabes are wonderful and are super flattering. I’m not a fan of sandals with loads of faffy bits like tassels or loads of straps as I like my footwear to be as minimal as possible as for me that is what I find is the most flattering as my style is quite minimal. I’ve found these perfect for the real warm days as they let my feet breathe enough which means I don’t get ridiculously swollen tootsies. They’re very flat so they’re not the best if you’re going to be walking miles and miles in as they don’t offer up any type of arch support but they’re fine for general wear. Now I know that I get the wear out of sandals like this I’m going to invest in some real Salt Waters next year.
