Why bonkers is best for this year’s beach cover-up . . .
WHEN it comes to beach cover-ups, I have to admit, I go a bit mad. My husband has taken to calling me Demis Roussos when we’re on our annual holiday in Greece — but what does he know?
He doesn’t even understand a cropped trouser, let alone a kaftan. And I have a stash of them. A whole crazy beach wardrobe, come to think of it — smocks, dresses, sarongs, wraps . . . it’s pretty explosive stuff — and every piece radiates with eye-popping colour or prints that pack a punch.
It’s so out of character, considering my usual uniform of understated black and navy, my fashion friends would think I’d lost the plot. But what can I say? I love summer! And if that makes me the kaftan queen, or a dead ringer for a certain Seventies Greek singer, then so be it.
There’s no excuse for not nailing the beach cover-up. Gone are the days of the lone, tie- dye sarong sandwiched between the bikinis and the beach towels.
Now, beachwear is extremely well represented on the British High Street — there can’t be a single department store in the country that hasn’t got an entire section dedicated to the stuff.
What’s more, this brilliant trend for oversized everything, be it a dress, shirt or skirt, makes it practically impossible not to find a couple of treasures that will take you from beach to restaurant without looking daft.
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being my current pet project, my research is extensive, and you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg.
Seasalt and Monsoon are your best bets for colourful cotton sarongs ( priced at about £20, monsoon.co.uk and seasaltcornwall.co.uk).
But if you’re anything like me (after two pregnancies that weren’t especially kind to my midriff), you’ll be looking for more coverage.
White Stuff and Seafolly do lots of pretty embroidered tunics (and you can get your swimwear there, too, while you’re at it).
The Pippa tunic (£ 55, whitestuff.com) strikes the right balance between chic and carefree, as does Seafolly’s
block stripe linen kaftan (£55, selfridges.com).
If you fancy something a little bolder, then East does a fine linen palm print kaftan (£109, east.co.uk).
Whistles, meanwhile, has issued some great, stripy throw- overs, such as the Harriet beach kaftan (was £99, now £65, whistles.com).
For more slim-line, dressier pieces, head to J. Crew ( jcrew.
com), or track down styles from two of my favourite beach-focused brands: Rhode Resort (at matchesfashion.
com) and Dodo Bar Or (at selfridges.com).
In my book, there’s nothing wrong with looking fun in the sun. In fact, I’d venture that’s the point. So it’s a yes to tassels, beads, pom- poms, feathers — even a splash of crystal if you dare.
Though I’d advise against wearing all of it at once. I’d also steer clear of any shiny, clammy fabrics, for obvious reasons. And I draw the line at drop-crotch harem pants with bells and shells — as worn by a friend of mine in London ( gasp), prompting her husband to call them her ‘mid-life crisis’ trousers.
I almost had a similar disaster recently, narrowly averted by my 21-year- old niece. Quite carried away on our shopping trip, I was trying on a striking white linen kaftan that laced down the front. Surely I could wear this in the city on a scorching weekend?
‘Hmm,’ she said. ‘I’m just not sure about the hood.’ A polite way of saying I looked ridiculous. And she was right.
Whatever you buy, remember this: what goes on the beach, stays on the beach.