It’s Christmas time. There’s something quite magical about this time of year, even amid the frenzy of present buying, food shopping and the logistics of feeding extended family and friends. The days are both warmer and longer, we know there’s a few days off on the horizon and life generally feels a touch less uptight.
As with any change of season it’s also time to take stock of your wardrobe. Christmas Day itself means getting dressed up (perhaps in a new outfit). Summer fashion is all about prettiness in both colours and styles that we seem to miss in the cooler months. With that in mind, here are a few ideas that might make planning your summer wardrobe that bit easier:
Dresses are your friend. A summer dress will take you from a picnic at the beach to a barbecue with friends. They can be dressed up with some lovely heeled sandals and some jewellery or dressed down with a cute pair of trainers. Dresses are not only easy to wear, they also hide a multitude of sins – put on a couple of kilos and no-one would ever know. Look for a lovely, cool cotton or linen in a relaxed fit and maybe try this seasons’ longer length.
Nothing works better in summer than a pair of white pants. Whether you like to bare your legs in shorts, you prefer a capri or ankle grazer or you like a full length, white pants look great. Team these with coloured sandals, your sunnies and hat for daytime or dress up with a bit of sparkle for relaxed evening glamour.
Linen. Wow, linen is everywhere this season – from shirts, dresses, pants and jackets, linen is huge right now. Cool and lovely to wear, linen lends itself to a relaxed fit (think wide legged pants and boyfriend shirts) which adds to the comfort and ease of this natural fibre.
Print is everywhere. Actually, print is always everywhere but in summer print tends to be lighter and brighter, and nothing quite says “summer” like light and bright.
Sandals are a summer staple and this season the rope-heeled espadrille is still a very strong trend. Pick a style and heel height you can wear all day with skirts, shorts, jeans or dresses and you’ll seldom be out of them. So much more stylish than a pair of jandals.
Jackie O’Fee is owner of Auckland’s leading personal style consultancy, Signature Style. She offers a range styling services that are perfect as Christmas gift vouchers.
