Join the supermarket jetset

You can pick up surprisingly chic holiday clothes with your groceries, says SANDRA HOWARD

Once the flights and hotels are booked, my favourite part of preparing to go away on holiday is that last-minute dash to the shops to find something new and stylish to wear.

nothing gets me in the spirit like picking up a chic top or beach wrap. I love draping myself in bright, embroidered fabrics, light floaty dresses and strappy sandals — clothes quite unlike the sensible gear I wear to brave the British weather for the rest of the year.

How can I afford to indulge in a brand-new holiday wardrobe, just for a week or two in the sun? Well, I have a secret weapon: my local supermarket.

There is a large Tesco in my corner of Kent that has a cornucopia of good quality and very wearable clothes. They are cheap and surprisingly stylish, temptingly placed on the way to the fruit and veg counter.

And I’ve had great success with the pieces I’ve picked up there. A few weeks ago, I bought a short-sleeved, soft denim dress.

It was on the short side, so I simply went up a dress size, which meant it dropped to the perfect length. You have to be sizingsavvy when hunting for bargains!

You see, supermarkets have realised the need for cheap clothes that are fashionable and wearable, something trendy High Street shops often forget. The cuts are relaxed, the fabrics good quality and the designs a nod to current styles without making you look like a fashion victim.

I’ve never been sniffy about picking up a fashion bargain along with my weekly shop, but I must confess that when I bagged a pair of trunks for my husband, I decided not to admit where they came from unless he asked.

Luckily, he didn’t, and he was pleased with them. He can be very picky, so they must have been good quality.

Another brilliant purchase was a pair of canvas shoes, just right for coastal strolls and that stylish nautical look. Hem-free knickers are excellent, too, to avoid those awful lines that show through trousers.

This blue maxi-kaftan (right, £16, tesco.com) is just what I’ve looked long and hard for on past holidays. It meets the latest trends, but is cheap enough that I won’t feel guilty if it gets ruined.

A wide-brimmed, glamorous straw hat (£10, tesco.com) is also a must-have, and this yellow dress (far right), definitely my colour, is a fantastic bargain at £16 (asda.com/george) and is kind on the arms with its Bardot cut.

Proof that you really can buy everything you need for your summer holiday while doing the dull and dreary weekly food shop.