Summer SOS: your easy guide to staying stylish in a heatwave
Is it a heatwave… or just, er, summer? Either way, Victoria Moss is here to clarify what your style position should be
Last week I went to Ascot. My first time. It was a revelation in more than one way – gambling, quite addictive! Who knew? Everyone brought their fancy best game. And yet… for a large proportion of the populace, that meant one thing: a stretchy dress two sizes too small. Why so keen to show off your knicker line? That, I thought, cannot be comfy in this heat. And secondly, Roland Mouret and his Galaxy dress (circa 2006) has a lot to answer for; its descent to what my friend sharply described as “high street cocktail” is not pretty.
Ladies: we must free ourselves from the tyranny of too tight. This isn’t about size, it’s about style. May I counsel a bit of waft? A little looseness… see below for other key high summer considerations…
Check the label
Does it say cotton? If not, leave it. Man-made fibres are no friend in this weather. What you’re looking for is a fresh linen or gauzy cotton.
Helpfully, “fashion” has decreed linen to be a trend. I know, I know, you’re thinking “Isn’t it available every summer?” Yes, obviously, but this summer there is even more of it, which means it’s a good year to stock up and you can find some chic items with a little extra swish. Who doesn’t want swish?
I am living in an oversized Zara dress – it has sleeves and two tiers. It sold out online, but you may find in store (£39.99). Otherwise John Lewis’s Modern Rarity range has a good one in a yummy toffee colour or white. It does not have sleeves, but you can add a white T-shirt underneath to preserve underarm modesty.
Speaking of sleeves…
Tricky to dispose of under any circumstance, but a rush of mercury does make one reconsider most life choices. To sleeve or not to sleeve is a very personal judgment, and something with a loose puff or neat detail to it is pleasing to the eye as well as to the breeze. I love Massob’s linen (see, it’s such a thing) shirts, which have breezy, wide sleeves. However, I’m not keen on sleeveless in an office environment. I don’t want to see your pits over the printer. I just don’t.
Where are you going?
You might think it’s worth buying items that can work just as well for the office as the beach. I would offer that such items should not be conflated.
Beachy things will inevitably get sun cream/sweat/salty/beachified. They will not be your best promote me look. Those embroidered Ukranian folklore dresses are still knocking around, but are they a bit common-orgarden, saw-it-on-that-gnome-lastyear? Shirt dresses are more of a current thing, and very any-occasion friendly. Weekend Max Mara is a handy source, especially if you have somewhere fancy to go. It has lots of options – and bonus – the sale is on.
Always look down…
At your feet. If you’re honest, do you
need a pedicure, but if even more honest, find it all a bit dull and expensive? I hear you. Personally I go local, and can’t bear to touch my own feet. But if you can, a simple buff file will make all the difference to your heels. With a thus tended heel, I think sandals and slip-on sliders are fine in town, but for work stick to leather ones with a bit of a smart sheen.
I love Saltwater sandals for classic shapes and fun colours, while Dune have an excellent style (also in lots of fab colours) in a weighty leather.
If you are doing a (clean, please) trainer or plimsoll, you may come up against the age-old conundrum, to sock or not to sock. I do a sock, and am very into my hot pink sheer ones from Cos, which make everything seem a bit jolly; they have a sparkly blue pair in the sale for £3 that would do nicely. I’m also a fan of Falke sheer anklets (£6, falke.com) when wearing a maxi dress and trainers.
Short note on colour…
If you still haven’t worked out that grey is not ideal in the heat, then I want to know what deodorant you use. For everyone else: think sweat, and think what will contain it the best. Icky, but true. Always check sheerness too, this is the tricky thing with online shopping – you can’t always tell if something is see through. If it is, then keep it to the beach. Unless you’re a contestant on Love Island or a Kardashian sister, in which case, as you were.