When I'm on holidays I'm usually very unimpressed by how women dress, especially during the day. I realise that for many women, dressing for the summer is a true challenge.
For example, a lot of the ‘mistakes’ I saw on the street included:
- All kinds of underwear clearly visible through clothes (like bras and briefs)
- T- shirts that were too tight and looked unflattering
- Unflattering bellies that were clearly visible
- T-shirts that were worn in an unflattering way over pants in incorrect heights for body type
- Many, many capris and other shorts that were worn in an unflattering way
- The strangest combinations of colours and patterns
- Too many (too) comfortable sandals that had no style at all
Why is dressing well more difficult in summer?
Much more than in winter, many women over 40 just don’t look their best in summer. I can think of a number of reasons as to why this is.
- Perhaps you own less clothes for the summer season
- There is less reason to wear layers and clothes that were only meant to be worn with additional clothes are now worn on its own
- You want to be comfortable and cool first (style comes in second place)
- That is why you want to wear capris, wide short pants, shorts, tops with cut-outs etc. even when they don't flatter your body type
- Perhaps you are in holiday or summer mode and don’t care so much about your appearance.
Still, I think it’s a pity. I feel that women would feel better if they look better and putting in a bit more effort even in summer. I certainly would be far more pleasant to the eye for people like me who appreciate stylish dressing.
So here are a few tips for dressing for summer:
- In this season in particular, it’s very important to dress for your body type. Look at some of the guidelines in my articles on the pear, apple, inverted triagle, hourglass and rectangular shape. Apples for example look much better in tops that are fitted around the bust and wider around the tummy. The same counts for dresses.
- Keep it simple. You really don’t need much to be elegant. Just a simple dress (selected for your body type) will make you look elegant.
- Although it can be fun to play with colours and patterns (as you know I’m all for that), it’s better to stick to basic solid colours if you’re not confident about mixing and matching. Stick to basic proven colour combinations and combinations such as the ones mentioned in my article on Ines de la Fressagne’s book.
- When you really like the feel of capris, follow the guidelines in my article on how to wear capris.
- Make sure your clothes fit properly. Very important in summer since you can’t cover up an ill fitting t-shirts and blouses.
- It’s really not very stylish to show your underwear. Be careful when selecting under garments in summer. It’s very clear when your bra doesn’t fit. White will show everything, so either pick a fabric that is not too thin, or wear invisible underwear underneath. I also don’t want to see much of your bra. Try to find a bra that matches the shape of your t-shirt and that fits well.
- Frumpiness seems to increase tenfold in summer and it’s really not necessary. Just some simple white pants and a simple shirt is all you need. I often get the most likes on my simplest looks, for example these white pants with black shirt (see below). Super simple, cool, practical, yet stylish.
- Many of you like to wear sandals including me. There are now so many stylish sandals available so it really isn’t necessary to go for the really boring ones that just make you look frumpy.
