Unless you haven’t noticed, we are in a heatwave!
And this isn’t exactly a normal British summer. Usually, summer dressing in the UK is fairly straightforward. You can still wear your jeans, add a nice top and a pair of flat sandals and you’re good to go.
Your really hot-weather clothes tend to be saved for holiday. That’s when the sleeveless dresses, lightweight cover-ups, shorts and floaty fabrics come out.
But what happens when it feels like beach weather and you’re not on a beach? You’re walking around London, travelling on the Tube, going to work, meeting friends, attending a barbecue or heading to a party – and suddenly getting dressed becomes surprisingly stressful.
In fact, dressing stylishly in extreme heat has been one of the biggest requests I’ve had from personal styling clients this summer.
Dressing for Heat Without Looking Like You’re on Holiday
The challenge is finding that middle ground between staying cool and still feeling appropriately dressed for the city.
This is where fabric becomes incredibly important. You want lightweight, breathable clothes, but you also need to think practically. Will the fabric crease the minute you sit down? Will it show sweat marks? Does it cling to your body when you’re hot?
Natural, breathable fabrics such as cotton and linen can be fantastic in hot weather, while blends can sometimes give you the lightness you need without quite as much creasing. Looser silhouettes can also make an enormous difference because air can circulate rather than fabric sitting tightly against the skin.
And not everybody wants to suddenly expose more skin just because the temperature has risen.
Perhaps you don’t feel comfortable showing your upper arms. You may not have been away yet and don’t feel ready to get your legs out. The answer isn’t necessarily to cover yourself in heavy clothing. A loose short-sleeved or three-quarter-sleeved top, an airy shirt or a lightweight wide-leg trouser can give you coverage without making you unbearably hot.
What About Shoes?
This is another dilemma I hear constantly.
Your trainers suddenly feel too hot, but you don’t necessarily want to walk around the city in Havaianas either.
A comfortable leather sandal, lightweight loafer, slingback, espadrille or smarter flat can bridge that gap between holiday and city dressing. The key is finding something you can genuinely walk in while still feeling put together.
You Don’t Need a New Heatwave Wardrobe
This is probably the most important part.
We’re in Britain. You don’t want to invest in an entirely new wardrobe designed around a few weeks of unusually hot weather.
Instead, I encourage my clients to ask: Where else can I wear this?
Could that beautiful lightweight dress come on holiday with you? Could your loose summer trousers work with knitwear and a jacket when it gets cooler? Could a sleeveless dress be layered over a T-shirt or under a cardigan later in the year?
Good styling should make your wardrobe work harder, not give you an excuse to constantly buy more clothes.
Personal styling isn’t simply about dressing for your body shape or finding your best colour palette. It’s about understanding you – your lifestyle, your comfort levels and the practical problems you face when getting dressed.
Sometimes your body hasn’t changed at all.
The weather has.
And when it suddenly feels like you’re experiencing one long hot flush from morning until night, your wardrobe needs to adapt with you.
If you’re standing in front of your wardrobe thinking, “Help – it’s simply too hot to wear anything!”, Style ME Training can help you understand how to dress for your body, your lifestyle and, yes, even the British weather.
Love Nisha x