Where to shop and what to pack for your summer holiday.

As a Personal stylist here in London, your summer holiday style this time of year is a top priority for me to guide you with how and what to pack to look and feel stylish as well as keeping things practical and realistic.

Typically, holiday clothes get worn once a year which is SUCH a shame and something I try to educate you not to do because you should make your summer wardrobe works hard for you all year round, not just the one holiday you have a year.

Why does shopping for your summer holiday go so wrong?

When I carry out wardrobe edits here in London, I often see no correlation between my clients day to day outfit choices compared to their holiday outfits.

Usually, when things don’t add up it’s because of a few different reasons;

1 - Purchases have been bought last minute in a panic

2- Clothing is bought with no intention or understanding of what you actually need or what to take

3- You don’t know what suits your shape and personal style.

4- For some reason on holiday you feel like you can wear more outgoing pieces and have the confidence to push your style.

Sound familiar?

Why does packing for your summer holiday become so stressful?

We live a time poor lifestyle, just about making it to meetings on time but always stressed and rushing about. When we do get time the last thing, we want to do is think about packing for our holiday because its so dull and we always forget something which is SO annoying even though we are net level excited for our holiday.

If we are type A’s who are organised and always on top of our game, sadly, there’s always the struggle of pulling looks and outfits together and knowing how many dresses do I actually need and is 10 bikinis ridiculous?

Oh wait… we haven’t even discussed where to buy decent holiday items like kaftans, sandals and swimwear that will last the test of time as well as fit impeccably and never date. What about decent sun cream and sunglasses? Hats?! The list goes on.

What items do I need to shop for to feel stylish before going on holiday?

Firstly, you need a holiday shopping list. Shopping lists are the pinnacle of not going off-piste and buying items that won’t work with anything or don’t work for your colouring, shape or fit your style personality. If you aren’t sure of what suits you, check out my free Ebook here.

To make a decent shopping list you need to try your holiday clothes on (with as much time ahead as possible, the longer you have the better = less panic and more time to shop) I recommend doing a mini edit. Keep the items you love and then give to charity or resell the pieces you’ve probably had for a few years and wear ‘because you’re on holiday’ even though they make you feel crap…

Ruthless as it sounds they need to go for you to enjoy being on holiday and not beating yourself up for how the clothes look or how you feel wearing them.

The items you get rid of, you can add to your holiday shopping list – easy.

How do I know what items of clothing I need to buy for my holiday?

I’m going to give you a get-out-of-jail card here, I’m going to share my packing list with you for a 7-day holiday and you can add or subtract the pieces depending on how long you are going away. Then once you have sorted how many items you have, see what you own already and then take it from there.

Style notes; I recommend a mix of separates (eg skirts/shorts and tops) that will all work together and create multiple looks as well as one-pieces (eg dresses or jumpsuits) So two tops will work with the two bottoms you pack, so 4 different looks are created from just two outfits.

However, if you want to keep it super easy, just pack the right amount of one-pieces for however many days you are away plus the nights too, and voila -completed it.

Don’t forget practical gym stuff, undies, shoes, accessories, toiletries, and one jacket that works with everything. I have attached my list below – simply screenshot it to use it for your holiday – you’re welcome.

From this formula, you can create your shopping list based on what suits your summer holiday style.

What do I need to do before I shop for my holiday pieces?

Step one sounds obvious, but you must write your list based on my packing formula.

Then I recommend setting a realistic budget for your holiday wardrobe but also when buying it try to also think about how you can restyle it to wear it in the UK and even for Autumn or winter. E.g a maxi dress can be worn with a belted jumper over the top and tights and boots to keep you warm. Make the clothing work hard for you, not you stress about when you’ll wear it again.

Research brands that reflect your budget, so you don’t feel pants looking at things that are too spenny. I do recommend though either buying more expensive pieces in the sale or taking the less is more approach because lets face it, you never wear everything you take on holiday, just your faves on repeat and things dry so quickly when you wash them in hot places. So, it really is less is more.

Have a rough idea of how you want to wear colour so that they all work together for your holiday style. Check out my colour blog here for some inspo. Again, this will ensure you wear the pieces multiple times on your holiday rather than just once and then never again. Always be mindful of the colours that are best for your complexion and suit your skin tone, check out more info on it here if you aren’t sure what colour analysis is.

Where do I get my summer holiday items from?

As a London stylist, I work with all kinds of budgets, brands and people. All unique and all with different needs. I’m going to share a range of brands from varying price points to help you discover new places to shop. Uncovering new brands, particularly if independently run or female founded can reignite your passion for shopping in London and for getting your style mojo back again. It’s exactly the same feeling as finding hidden gems on holiday!

Accessories

Anthropology, Bimba ya Lola, Esska, & other stories

Swimwear

Mona swims, Calzedonia

Cover ups

Anthropology, Rigby and Peller

Dresses

Faithful the brand, never fully,

Bottoms

Bella dahl,  Trilogy stores

Tops

Club Monaco, me+em,

Sun cream

Clarins, The Ordinary

Lingerie

Dora Larson and Bluebella

And there we have it, what clothes to pack and where to buy them ready for you very well-earned summer holiday. Don’t forget to do your prep work, a mini edit, make a list, decide on a budget and brands and shop till you drop (with plenty of time left to get excited about going away)

Alternatively, reach out here and I can do it all for you! Easy!

Enjoy wearing clothes you truly love wearing so that you can have the best holiday with no wardrobe demons ruining it!

Stylish wishes as always

Sian,

Personal Stylist, London