SUMMER HOLIDAY WARDROBE

Isn’t it amazing how all of a sudden everyone’s mood is lifted as soon as the sun comes and there’s a glimpse of summer! We’re very excited to have our sunnies out (maybe a little premature for some!) but it’s got us feeling we need to address our summer wardrobes! Whilst one of us (Philippa) is off on her honeymoon very soon, Sarah is just about to book a summer holiday and it’s got us both lusting over all the pretty, summery things that are in the shops right now and how we need them all in our life. Of course there’s many, many reasons we need 18 off the shoulder tops, 12 kaftans, 9 pairs of sliders and 10 black bikinis, there’s just too much chose from!

We know holiday shopping is often a bit overwhelming, bikini buying alone is enough to ruin a perfectly wonderful day, so fear not, we’ve done all the research for you 🙂 And please don’t think we’re crazy getting busy with some summer retail therapy in March, we’ve learnt the hard way to not leave it until the last minute! How many times have we left our summer holiday buying until the week before we’re off, only to find there’s nothing left in the shops and new season is already trickling in?! Well not this year…we’ve picked out all the essentials for that must-have holiday suitcase at every end of the budget as well as some gorgeous new brands you need to know about.

THE BEACH SHIRT

The beach shirt is probably one of the most versatile pieces for your holiday suitcase and we’re pretty sure there’s nothing quite as chic as a crisp white shirt left open over a bikini. This Next one is just the right amount of slouch and in a super soft cotton it’s not too stuffy either. Sometimes in the evenings we find ourselves just throwing on a simple cami with our wide leg trews and whilst we love this look, it’s nice to a have a few different things up our sleeves. Cue the slinky shirt…one of this season’s must-haves and pretty much what it’s all about for night time dressing right now. We’re even loving our Asceno PJ top worn outside the bedroom with a cute pair of shorts and a Senso flat.

SLIP ON FLATS

As you all know by now we have a serious shoe obsession. We are more than happy to stick to our classic looks day in and day out but when it comes to shoes…WE. JUST. CAN’T. STOP. (Obviously this applies for every season and occasion including our summer holiday suitcase.) As for styles, right now the slip on flat is having a moment and we’ve already found four new pairs to add to our collection, each one offers something a little bit different, right?! They’re seriously versatile, wear them round the pool, for an afternoon stroll and even for the night time too. We’re picturing the leopard ones with a pair of white culottes and a black off the shoulder top….

LUXE MONO SET

This is the perfect combo right here…the most flattering monochrome bikini that will ever grace your limbs and the most expensive looking £34 flats of all time (you can thank us later.) If you haven’t tried a Vix bikini then we can’t recommend them enough, they’re definitely not on the cheap side of the spectrum but their cut and shape makes them worth every penny. We’ve often bought colourful bikinis in the past and grown to hate them or got bored of them. With time we’ve realised that classic staple buys (that we preach about for our day to day wardrobes) should be applied to your swimwear too. Plus a monochrome bikini will work under any kaftan, with any pair of shorts and pretty much any shoe, definitely value for money right there!

BEACH CLUTCH

You may remember from our Instragam and previous blog posts our beloved Rae Feather beach bags, the only beach bag to be sporting for a holiday and the item you’ll be most asked about by fellow pool / beach goers. This summer we’re super excited to be showing off our monogrammed clutches and ladies you need to jump on the bandwagon as well! You can chose your colour stripes, your initials (obvs) and tassel and we’ve decided it’s the only clutch we’re going to be taking on our travels. It literally goes with everything and its roomy size means it works day and night as well.

KAFTANS – HIGH v LOW

As well as an essential beach shirt we’re partial to a few kaftans or ten. With our mainly monochrome palette we’ve decided that black and white kaftans are another great investment that will see us through season after season. We hate the thought of always buying trend led pieces that we wear a few times and never wear again and it’s another lesson we’ve learnt throughout the years. We both invested in a Melissa Odabash kaftan a few years back and they have definitely stood the test of time, it’s 100% worth splurging on an item that makes you feel fabulous every holiday. A sheer kaftan is also a clever tool for adding a bit of confidence, it subtly hides any areas you’re not feeling great about without resorting to wearing a sack! We’ve got to say we’ve been seriously impressed with Next‘s swimwear range this season and this black maxi kaftan is the bees knees.

HOLIDAY BEAUTY ESSENTIALS

As well as taking pride in our clothes, our hair and beauty regime is also super important when it comes to savvy holiday packing. Our hair always becomes dry and damaged in the sun so a luxe shampoo and conditioner is essential. We love Kerastase to keep our locks shiny and smooth and it definitely helps with breakage. On our bodies Lancaster tan maximiser is a must for any girl who likes to keep bronzed but also doesn’t like to sit in the sun too much!

THE STATEMENT TOP

An off the shoulder top is our go to style for getting a little ‘dressed up,’ we’ve found some amazing ones on the high street here and here but this Self Portrait one, although a bit on the pricier side has captured our hearts. Being a dark colour it seems like a strange option to take to warmer climes, but with cutout sleeves and it’s lose shape, it’s spot on for any must-have holiday suitcase plus we pretty darn sure we’ll be wearing it with our leathers out and about in London too.

THE FINISHING TOUCHES

Being stripe obsessives, a stripey bikini makes so much sense to us. Whilst the worry can be that horizontal stripes can make you look bigger, the tie waist top and bottoms are surprisingly flattering and such a cute detail. Make sure you check out Violet Lake for tops and bottoms that you can mix and match, perfect for ladies like us who are different sizes up top and on the bottom! It’s not just about our new found bikini obsessions there are some key accessories that no suitcase would be complete without. A classic beach hat from Melissa Odabash shades us from the sun, our new Taylor Morris sunnies are the best of the best and who can forget some arm candy love from Dana Levy?

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