Summer in Australia is hot. And the way I survive the heat is by wearing clothing made out of breathable fabrics. And shorts. This summer I am in love with shorts. So, here are some of my summer hints! Hopefully they will keep you (looking) cool too.
Natural Fibres – Cotton & Linen
It’s not so much about the types of clothing I’ve been wearing this summer, but rather the fabrics. Cotton and linen have been my summer life lines. Not only are they light weight, so naturally reduce heat, they also breathe which allows the hot air to escape. Historically, natural fibers have had a bad rap for being scratchy and unflattering, but with the clothing market becoming more competitive, we are seeing some amazingly stylish clothing. The best part, is the wide range of clothing for all types of occasions from the office to the beach or even date night.
Loose Fitting Clothes
In summer we naturally lean towards wearing fitted clothing, or fewer items in order to remain cool. There is logic in wearing less clothing, however sometimes this isn’t always appropriate, or doesn’t work to enhance our assets. Often I find plus size women choose baggy clothes which can make us look bigger or doesn’t flatter the areas we want to showcase.
In order to strike a balance, I often wear a mix of loosing fitting and form fitting clothing. For example, I will wear fitted pants with a loose shirt to showcase my hips and butt, or loose fitting shorts/skirt with a singlet to highlight my decollage and chest. Sometimes a little mystery, and an imagination, is a good thing!
Colour
It’s summer!! I NEED colour in summer. Bright, crazy colours allow me to showcase my personality to the world and I love playing around with all the gorgeous colours available at the moment. Being an adult is serious business, but our colour palate doesn’t need to always be black, white, navy or cream. Typically, a basic colour palette was the only way a woman could be chic and dress elegantly while still being stylish (as opposed to fashionable). However, just like the size of clothing is changing, as are the colours available to us. Whether it be a bright single-coloured dress, or patterned shirt with plain coloured skirt/pants/shorts. The best part, is other people usually always appreciate it too, but often don’t have the courage to be creative with it.
So take a risk and wear something bold – you won’t regret it!
Shorts
Yes, I am completely obsessed with shorts this summer. My recent trip to Mexico and Cuba certainly highlighted how they can be practical and sexy. The Latinos look for any reason to showcase their curves and I have certainly taken a page out of their book. Particularly with hips and a derrière as womanly as mine!
Since my return, I have accumulated a very tidy collection. A mixture of long shorts, short shorts, patterned, plain, stretchy and not.
On a practical level the main benefit is the reducing in thigh rubbing – I’m sure some of you reading this a nodding your head. Walking around, in the hot sun, and several hours later the skin between our thighs is nearly nonexistent! It is painful, embarrassing and annoying.
On the other hand, they can look great! And what I’ve realised, is shorts can be used for almost any occasion (excluding a very fancy affair, and even then I would still question it!).