My Summer Holiday Lookbook Part 2: holiday style recommendations

Unless you have the memory of a goldfish you will remember that less than a week ago I wrote about my holiday packing tips by way of sharing what I packed for the USA and the rules I set for myself (rules are necessary for someone who tends to over pack by getting over-excited and practically throwing her entire wardrobe into the suitcase, hangers and all). I am all about matchy-matchy when packing for a holiday – for me it was about neutrals – navy, black, white, cream and pale, soft colours like flesh pink, mint and ivory. But if you love brights and/or bold prints you are absolutely fine; my point was that as long as all of your clothes can work together and don’t need ironing, dry cleaning et cetera then you will look chic and fab and utterly sexy. But of course!

So now I am going to pretend I’m your own personal holiday stylist and pick out a few things I might imagine you packing for your own summer holiday. Starting with shorts. Now as I get older, instead of becoming all mature and sophisticated I seem to be rebelling and embracing my inner sex bomb … well not quite but I have developed a love for shorty shorts and mini dresses. Shorts are perfect for casual I-don’t-care holiday sexy, as long as you pick a style which suits you. While in the Hamptons and on extra hot NYC days I wore a pair of vintage, pale blue denim shorts to death. Mine appeared to me like a miracle in an op-shop, and they looked something like an amalgam of these ones:

If you love the idea of denim shorts but are not so keen on showing off your entire leg, try a skinny style which sits just above the knee, cute My Girl retro style. Or something mid-length and softly slouchy. See exhibits A and B below.

If you want something a bit resort luxe, you can’t go wrong with something super silky or super tailored in aristocratic colours like navy, flesh, olive or taupe. Try these on for size:

Or if cute and quirky is more your style be brave (oh, you already are) and embrace intriguing prints, fabrics and high waists.

Note the accessories in these shots – belts are an optional but stylish extra and tops tend to counterbalance the style of the shorts – for instance with my itsy bitsy mini denim shorts I wore a feminine cotton blouse with voluminous sleeves by Fleur Wood, a loose lace box shirt in cream by Chloe or soft, loose camisoles and cotton Ts. Basically it is all about balance and contrast. Teeny tiny shorts means looser or fuller tops. Tailored or loose shorts means fitted tops like singlets or tees work well but as you can see by the couple of pics with models, a loose short can work with a loose top, just create the contrast through fabrics and cuts.

So, the short on shorts. Stay tuned for part 3: shirts and blouses.

If you are thinking ‘what about holiday beauty? Tell me what to pack in my vintage beauty case!’ Then you missed the boat – only kidding! Check in here for beauty tips.

*Shorts from top (click on image for links to retailers): Vanessa Bruno, Ksubi, Ksubi, Citizens of Humanity, Alexander Wang, Milly, Camilla and Marc, Alice McCall, Flannel.