White Cotton Tank Dress, £99, by Lounge Lover

This time of year is pretty well impossible to dress for when the weather can’t decide which direction it’s going in. The calendar says June, says early summer, says warmth and fresh, bright colours. The British weather says umbrellas, anoraks, don’t mothball the winter woollies – EVER! It goes against the grain to dress unseasonably when the longest day has just past and the bulbs are out. Equally, the wind can bite right through summer cotton. The answer, I’ve come to the conclusion, is to go for white.

You can always wrap up in a white cardigan without looking over-padded and pull on a fabulous pair of white jeans knowing that twill cotton will see off the draughts with ease. The Lounge Lover collection of cotton basics shows us the third way to wear summer whites at their most versatile: layers. There’s a great trick with summer whites that involves mixing sheer white with solids when it comes to layers. Take Beate Heymann’s sheer tulle leggings, for example, and slip them beneath Metalicus’ white Lace dress  for an effective contrast. Top the lot with a Layered Cardigan top from Lounge Lover as a finishing touch that turns a high summer look into something a smidgeon warmer for when the sun inevitably retreats.

The weather may be unreliable but classic monochromes will never let you down. White will always make you look fresh and clean if you return the favour and have a stain remover handy at all times. Wear it with black or a bright colour if you’re minded to but this is the summer monochrome to go for whether we’re basking in the sun or just waiting for it peek from behind those clouds.

Summer can be the season of dread for women who regard stripping Lycra on the beach or by the pool as exposing rather than exciting.  But it is possible to make most of any figure with the right advice. Here are a few nifty tips for working our  swimwear. This season’s crop includes a new classic style for plus-cup wearers from Sunseeker (above right) and the fabulous starburst Prism print cossie from Moontide (centre) which shapes the body with optical illusion. Whatever your body shape, we hope these pointers may help point you in the right direction…

Fall in love with a one-piece:
A swimsuit doesn’t have to be matronly. It can hide a multitude of sins if the shape and fabric are right for you.  It’s usually accepted that a bikini is sexier but a swimsuit can really show off and smooth curves.  It’s also sometimes better to hint at your lovely shape rather than to put everything on display.

Try: Cut-away swimsuit, £62, by Sunseeker.

Big Bosoms require careful handling:
It’s easy to feel self conscious in swimwear if your chest is on the generous side but with a well fitted, properly supported swimsuit you can feel secure and know that you’re enhancing your assets. You can also boost what nature nature has given you with underwired bikini tops.  Either way, V–shaped necklines are the most flattering and wide straps will balance a heavier shape and add extra support.

Try: Ruched plus cup swimsuit, £62, by Sunseeker. 

Enhancing a small but perfectly formed chest:
This can be a great shape to possess because you can easily work a bandeau type bikini or a string bikini.  Balconette tops will boost a small bosom with padding and under-wiring although it’s a good idea to keep the enhancement modest and lifelike! A decent fit is as important as it is for a larger chest.

Try: Underwired Bandeau Top, £49, by Moontide. 

The added extras that help modest bathers:
Some swimsuits come with deceptively good coverage, using low legs, skirts and shape-enhancing panels that can make most of us feel more confident nowadays.  A sarong or beach kaftan sarong will minimize the time you spend feeling exposed but don’t let them drown your figure.

Try: Sheer Leopard Print Poncho, £165, by Roidal. 

Leave bikini shorts to those with long legs:
Swimwear with a lower leg can make you appear shorter so avoid them unless your legs can take them. Go instead for a high leg option which extends the figure and is generally more flattering if you have a curvaceous behind.  A one-piece swimsuit with a plunging neckline can create the illusion of a lengthened body.

Try: Pin-up Twist Swimsuit, £67, by Moontide 

The super-slim have their issues too:
Most people think that skinny women and swimwear go together like Kate and Wills but there are pitfalls to this shape. Solid colors and high necks can create a bean-pole look so opt instead  for patterns, bright colors and shapely, cut-out styles.  The monokini is great for a sleek look. Tie legs and beading are a cute addition for adding interest.

Try: Prism Halter Swimsuit, £69, by Moontide. 

Above all, remember that we all have good and bad points and there are swimwear styles out there for everyone. So enjoy your body and remember that finding the right swimsuit is something everyone has to work at.

 

Vests are surely the least sexy-sounding garment in the lingerie drawer unless you’re talking lace-trimmed silk camisoles, which takes us into quite different territory. But they are, in fact, the most practical items in the drawer. I once went, for journalistic purposes, to one of those stylists who make you over and put you right in your dressing. One of her recommendations was the obvious one, to invest in really good clothes hangers (so very worth it). The other was to buy lightweight vests, possibly lace-trimmed, but however they look, they underpin whatever you’re wearing and give it something to sit on. And don’t think they’re only for winter, she said, because the trend for sheer summer tops requires a seriously lovely layer beneath.

I’ve worn them since, summer, fall and winter. Flesh or tan coloured are the best for sitting under most things: white vests stand out, even under white blouses, and coloured vests should be worn carefully if they’re going to show. But a pretty, woven, lightweight vest in a neutral colour, is genuinely useful bit of underwear. Sometimes they masquerade under the titles ‘cami‘ or ‘tank‘ and come in varying lengths and coverage but they’re the same things in the end.

By Timo has created the loveliest versions in my view. These are the ultimate cross-over garments – pretty enough to be worn solo in the summer months, practical enough to work through the winter as actual vests when the weather becomes Scandinavian, By Timo’s home territory. The laciest version is impossible pretty with all the details you’d want from a vest that is looking to earn its place at the front of your top drawer.

I was working on a photo shoot in Cape Town recently and my beloved Bassike tank-dress really came into its own. The team marvelled at the soft cotton fabric and asymmetrical hemline and I loved the fact it’s so comfortable to wear on long shoot days. Flattering and light, the fabric is pitched to give good coverage yet not feel too hot – please note the scorching sunshine but don’t hate me! The great thing about tank-style dresses is that their beauty lies in their simplicity and versatility, especially when you don’t want to lug a gigantic wardrobe across the world. Now I’m home in not so sunny climes, I’ll wear this dress with a light cropped jacket and wedges. The brightly-coloured Tenali bracelet and tactile silk necklace finished my look perfectly with a dash of drama. The bracelet wroks piled up on the wrist with other colours and the necklace can be worn both long, as I did or double-wrapped. Now, for my next trip, I’ll work them even harder.

As a fashion stylist I know the tricks and secrets of the styling industry to make clothes fit and look better. In this regular column, I hope to share with you, my view on fashion and every-day stylish dressing.
Lynda Bell 

The office can still be a place where dress codes are entirely unforced but as rigorously maintained as a uniform. At a meeting today I found that of the twelve men present, ten of them were wearing pale blue shirts. And the colleague who shared the office with me was also in blue. It’s a good colour in a shirt, I grant you that, an excellent colour. But what about stripes, or ivory? Orange and navy may be a bit much for a conventional corporate outfit, but a nice pale pink would hardly frighten the horses, now would it?

Luckily for us the female office population has a far wider choice. Women are able to sport every colour under the sun this summer although carrying it through to the office is tricky because most offices, other than creative workplaces, tend to be pretty conservative when it comes to dress codes. One way to work some of that colour in to an office look is by using print. Sandrina Fasoli’s pretty orange and melon silk print combines the lightweight fabric and elegant shape that works for the wearer when it comes to looking grown-up and feminine. IKKS’s beautiful silk dress with a watercolour floral pattern does the same job although with a muted grey background.

Samantha Cameron pulled off a pair of burnt orange trousers as a polling day look last month. It’s a modern way with tailoring that will look every bit as good in a meeting. Sandrina Fasoli’s tailored red trousers are a really elegant and chic version of the same idea. They look equally good with a crisp white shirt or an American Vintage tee so they are right up there on my to-wear list for the summer.

Another thing to get right is the footwear but there’s no reason why these shouldn’t be every bit as fabulous. For  a smart, flat option, Pretty Ballerinas always comes up with a variety of good patterns and colours. Melissa on the other hand creates amazing shoes that combine fragrant, wipe-clean materials with  classic summer shapes. The ankle-strap wedges are so comfortable and versatile that it’s going to be hard not to wear them every single day.