- READ MORE: Fashion editor’s pick of the summer dresses that are selling out
With an unseasonal blast of summer this week, the British can seamlessly move from complaining about the cold to complaining about the heat, and not without reason: today is set to be the hottest May 1 on record.
The problem with heatwaves is many of us find we simply don’t have anything to wear. Dressing for anything over 25 degrees isn’t easy for a grown-up with responsibilities. We need to get stuff done without melting, but crop tops and skimpy dresses are neither flattering nor appropriate.
I’m a big believer in buying less and buying better and when a heatwave suddenly hits it’s remarkable what you can get without spending much – particularly as these hotter days tend not to last.
For flattering and affordable heatwave attire, look to the supermarket fashion aisles. And there’s no age limit – at 60 Yasmin le Bon is the face of the summer collection at George to celebrate Asda’s 60th birthday.
Here are six trends you can pick up with your weekly shop to get you through in sophisticated style…
The shorts that flatter everyone
Top, £26, Tu at Sainsbury’s
Unsurprisingly, shorts sales at Nutmeg have jumped by 54 per cent this week and you can shed your anxieties about shorts having an upper age limit. These knee-length, wide-fit shorts are the grown-up answer to summer dressing.
Tu teamed its tailored offering, £16, with a matching waistcoat, £26 – very smart.
If denim’s more your thing and you’re brave enough for a thicker fabric on muggy days, then hotfoot it to George, where you can get these for just £17.
All-natural elegant linen
Unsurprisingly, shorts sales at Nutmeg have jumped by 54 per cent this week and you can shed your anxieties about shorts having an upper age limit. These knee-length, wide-fit shorts are the grown-up answer to summer dressing.
Tu teamed its tailored offering, £16, with a matching waistcoat, £26 – very smart.
If denim’s more your thing and you’re brave enough for a thicker fabric on muggy days, then hotfoot it to George, where you can get these for just £17.
Yasmin le Bon’s cool-girl co-ords
Supermodel Yasmin wears waistcoat, £12.50, and trousers, £16, George at Asda
You don’t need me to tell you crochet is hot this summer — and searches are up 138 per cent year-on-year at tu.co.uk. The way to try this trend without looking like a doily is a crochet co-ord.
It’s a ready-made outfit that cuts your getting-ready time in half and, happily, every supermarket has a version.
Wear them together or mix and match for max cost-per-wear value. Go bold with George’s red-and-white design, £28.50 in total, or play it safe in Tu’s monochrome set, £48.
Designer inspired chunky sandals
Sandals are the cornerstone of any hot-weather wardrobe, but they’re not easy to get right.
This summer, it’s all about the chunky sandal: think Marni, but from Tu at Sainsbury’s for just £20. Platform styles add a bonus inch of height.
These F&F black slides, £16, are a firm favourite.
Heatwave hero dress
When it’s 30 degrees, a dress is a smart, one-and-done solution, but keep it loose and breezy. F&F’s butter-yellow broderie anglaise design, £25, ticks all the boxes.
Not into pastels? (Pale yellow may be this summer’s ‘hottest hue,’ but it’s a nightmare to wear in my opinion.) Try George at Asda’s classic black maxi dress, £28 – an easy option.
The standout one-piece
Yes, I know you won’t be running errands in a swimsuit — but it would be a crime not to mention the standout one-pieces supermarkets are serving this summer. Just look at Nutmeg’s block bright red, £18.
And Tu’s monochrome leaf-print, one-shoulder swimsuit is only £16, and looks far more designer than its price tag suggests.
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