Must have summer staples

Hey Everyone!

How are we all this week? Sorry for the lack of postings recently, I've been working lots of hours at my new job and then i have been pretty ill this week so I've been curled up in bed the rest of the time. I have now lost my voice which is great as i work in sales so all i do is talk to people! I've been getting some weird looks today approaching people with my voice going so high it disappears to Phil Mitchel all in one sentence, which is a tad embarrassing!

I have written a few summery posts recently, so i thought i would continue the theme with my summer must haves. I love summer, its my favourite season! I love all the bright colours, pretty patterns and its so much easier to wear in terms of not feeling all tight and constricted in multiple layers and tight jeans. It is a lot more laid back and cool, and when the sun does finally make an appearance it makes me so much happier to go outside. I understand where people are coming from when they say winter clothes are better, you can layer them to make different outfits and style them completely differently whereas summer clothes are more bog standard. However, there are always so many different looks you can go for from hippy festival chic to nautical prints to a cute girl next door look.

So combining a bit of this and that here are my summer must haves!

Denim shorts
These will have to one of the top things in your summer wardrobe! They are so versatile and can easy be thrown on with any top for a casual daytime look. I love the high waisted ones on the right to help create a sexy hourglass shape by pulling you in at the waist, and the ones below have a real vintage feel about them with the slight acid wash.

Topshop high-waisted denim shorts (here) £28

Wrangler denim turn up shorts sold in New Look (here) £60- £30

White tshirt
A basic white top is a perfect way to show off your tan and will go with so many different bottoms and skirts! However, i really don't see the point in spending much on these as they are bound to go slightly off colour from getting a bit hot and sweaty and having your suntan lotion rub off on them. Therefore you are better off grabbing a couple from Primark or the ones below from H&M.

H&M Vest £6 reduced to £4 (here)

H&M 100% cotton, loose fitting top £8 (here)

Maxi dresses
If you read my previous post on maxi dresses (here) you will know that i am a huge fan. I love that you can just throw one on and be done with it, quick and simple, or if you have more time style it and accessorise it to make it look more individual. The one below which comes in several different colours would be perfect for that, or if you did want that bit more detail the second one would be perfect. I love floral maxi dresses as well but unfortunately i couldn't find any i really liked.

Boohoo £10 (here)

Miss Selfridge £39 (here)

Playsuit 
Playsuits are amazing, unless its one that's hard to get out of and you are dying for the loo (definitely been there a few times!!). I have a navy blue and white polka dot playsuit that cost me a fiver from Primark two years ago and i still wear it all the time. Its so comfy and cute, with a similar style to the one below. The pattern is gorgeous and while scanning through the River Island website, i have to say i am really impressed with their summer collection this year, so its going to pop up more than once during this post!

River Island £20 (here)

Printed skirt
Skirts are a great alternative to shorts for the times when you want to dress up that little bit more but not enough to wear a nice dress. I love the first skirts print and style, its so floaty and feminine. The bottom two are perfect little day skirts that can easily be worn with a simple black or white top and sandals (excuse the poor quality of the third picture)
.

River Island £28 (here)

Asos £16 (here)

A Wear £27.50 (here)

Day dresses
I was really disappointed in the lack of pretty summer dresses available on the market at the moment. In the end i resulted to my go to shop where i know i will always find something i like, New Look. The first dress is amazing! You can just make it out but it has a tie front which makes it look like its a two piece rather than a dress which is really different to any of the others I've seen. The second is a really cool denim dress with a subtle polka dot print. This would look great with some tan wedges and a tan floppy hat to tie in with the belt.

New Look £20 (here)

New Look £23 (here)

Denim jacket
As the night draws in you always need that little bit of extra warmth but nothing too heavy. A denim jacket is perfect for this. Many that i had seen had full length sleeves but personally i prefer both cropped sleeves and a cropped jacket body like the one below. It makes it seem more fitted and gives a nicer silhouette creating more of an hourglass figure (perfect for my pear shape!). They look great over a little summer dress, playsuit or skirt, so basically any summer item. You cant really go wrong!

Boohoo £20 (here)

Sunglasses
Personally, buying expensive sunglasses is wasted on me. I am lazy and will just throw them in my bag or on the side when i get in and really do not care for them. This always results in them getting scratched and lasting 1 summer before having to replace them. So for me its always trusty Primark where i can pick up a few pairs for only a couple of quid (or Kmart whilst in Oz). I used to find sunglasses shopping so hard for my small face (which is actually kinda wonky :/), but now i have settled on aviators or if i fancy a change i might throw on some raybans.

Hat
To be honest, although i have a gorgeous floppy hat that i love i rarely wear it. I love the idea of wearing a hat to give a unique edge to an outfit but i never seem to bother. Below are a couple of options depending on your outfit. The first is your typical straw trilby which would look great with a simple casual outfit like denim shorts and a basic top. The second is similar to mine although a lot darker, i would have preferred to show you a lighter one but gave up finding one online but you get the idea. This would look great with any type of dress or glam up a bikini and wear it on the beach!

Miss Selfridge £28 (here)

River Island £16 (here)

 
Flip flops/thongs
For me there is no point in spending a lot of money on flip flops (or as i have awkwardly had to start learning to say since being in Oz, thongs). I can only wear them for a short distance before they start to rub so for me its just something to slip on on my way to the pool/beach/corner shop. For this reason i will always pick mine up in Primark or Kmart for a pound or two and they do the job just fine.


Sandals
By the looks of shopping online, retailers have already started getting next seasons stock in so i was quite limited in my choice of sandals. Having bought a pair from New Look five years ago and wearing them all summer each year with them still going pretty strong i thought i would browse their website for some. I know that may just be a fluke as even the more pricier sandals don't last that long but its worth looking! I always go for tan or brown sandals as i find it goes with most of my summer wardrobe and doesn't show scuffs as much as lighter colours would.

New Look £23 (here)

Bikini
Last but not least, how could i write about summer staples without including a bikini! Usually i don't like to spend a lot on bikinis as i find even the expensive ones lose their shape quickly. I normally head to Primark to buy a couple and then H&M to pick up another one or two. I was a tad disappointed at the range this year in H&M. It was a bit plainer than i like as i prefer the brighter and bigger prints rather than block colours so i looked elsewhere this year. I like the scallop edging to the second Topshop bikini, its different to many other designs and the padded halterneck style of both Topshop ones is very flattering for my smaller frame. The bandeau style of the first New Look bikini is great for avoiding the halterneck tan lines, and the second has a really cool festival hippy look and is again different to the usual designs we see.

Topshop £16 for the top (here)

Topshop £18 for the top (here)

New Look £13 for the top (here)

New Look £13 for the top, (here)