Summer Holiday: What to Wear

Yesterday, I came across Harper’s Bazaar (HB) edit “10 Items Every Fashion Editor Takes on Holiday” and I thought to myself:  “Well, I just came from Bali, I wonder how did I do against the list?”. Funny enough, I had every item they recommended for a chic holiday wardrobe. However, unlike designer pieces HB featured, my holiday collection was very affordable. Let me show you how by bringing few key pieces from the HB list that you can mix and match you can achieve a variety of casual and dressy looks. 

 

1. The Perfect Day Dress

My perfect day dress came in a form of an H&M embroidered summer tunic. It fits the bill for beach holidays – it’s both comfy and chic, and features top trends of this summer – pinstripes and embroidery. It’s currently sold out but I found a similar one. Style it with espadrilles like I did or tan sandals. 

 

2. Classic Tan Sandals

Even though I don’t have many photos of these tan gladiator sandals, I did wear them quite a bit. They are so versatile and go with pretty much everything – be it boho summer dress, casual shorts or skinny jeans. Plus, if you are out and about, they stay well on the feet and provide good support for the soles.

Here, I styled my London Rebel tan sandals (they are old, but you can buy similar here) with a casual H&M cotton top and khaki shorts.

 

3. The Straw Bag

I rarely buy any clothes or accessories while on vacation (because I hardly have the time or desire to shop!) but in Bali by complete chance, I found this straw bag. I fell in love with it immediately and had to have it in my life. It’s made out of ata grass (similar to rattan) and is so versatile that I was able to wear it with pretty much every outfit. Plus, despite what seems a small size, it fitted all of my necessities.

Now that I brought it back with me to London, I feel like I have a little piece of Balinese sunshine in my flat. You can buy these bags at the Etsy shop.

 

4. The Maxi Dress

I have to say, I never owned a maxi dress until this summer. Somehow, I always felt that it’s easier to stay cool in the summer heat in short dresses. But when I saw this stripey Asos dress, I couldn’t resist. It has a flowy A-line silhouette and hangs beautifully. I paired it with Next leather sandals and straw bag I bought in Bali.

The dress is sold out now, but I found a similar one on Asos.

 

5.The Embroidered Top

This is probably one of my most favorite trends of this summer – the embroidered top. I have always loved a boho/ethnic style so my inner nomad rejoices at the sight of embroidered tops. Zara has done particularly well, offering a wide range of choices for even pickiest of the shoppers. I got two tops from them, this red pinstripe blouse with bell sleeves and a blue peasant top with puff sleeves. Both are on sale right now!

I wore the red top to dinner at the Motel Mexicola (you can read my review of this funky restaurant here), which matched vibrant background and ethnic feel of this Bali hotspot. I paired the top with white skinny jeans and above mentioned Next two-band leather sandals.

 

 

6. Denim Cutoffs

Ok, even though I own a pair of denim shorts, on this vacation I decided to bring a pair of classic cotton shorts. Mine are (surprise, surprise!) from H&M. I absolutely loved them. The cotton is a breathable material, which is exactly what you need in a humid climate, while the cut makes them quite classy. And at £17.99, it’s a steal!

 

7. The Espadrilles

What summer holiday outfit is complete without espadrilles. I got my Soludos at Asos and absolutely love them. They are very comfortable and elegant, which means I can dress them up or down depending on the occasion. As you already saw above, I wore these espadrilles with a lovely pinstripe H&M tunic to the beach, as well as with embroidered Zara top below out to dinner.

 

8. The Beach Shirt

I’ve had this H&M shirt for ages and always bring it on summer vacation. It’s very thin and light cotton and is a great cover up for a trip to the beach. I took this shirt on my day trip to Nusa Lembongan. It’s long but this time I tied it at the waist. I usually wear it with skinny jeans (my favorite combo is with white skinnies), shorts (like here) or leggings. A similar shirt is still available on H&M’s website.

 

9. The Understated Swimsuit

I am sure many of you can relate but I often buy clothes to match my accessories! For example, I bought this fabulous summer hat from Asos and loved it so much, I decided to buy a swimsuit that would match it.

But rather than buying a bikini set, which I already have in various colors/patterns, I went for an understated one piece.  It very flattering since it has a shaping effect wrapping around the mid section.

 

10. Round Sunglasses

Last but not least, according to HB’s list, everyone should have a pair of round sunglasses this summer. I spotted these sunglasses in the spring at H&M. Although I think wayfarers suit me best, I decided to get a pair of round ones that matched many of my outfits. So, they came with me to Bali.

 

I hope you enjoyed this post and for those of you, who are still planning a summer holiday, it gave you few ideas of what to pack. These items are both practical and stylish and I promise, they won’t break your bank account!

Happy travels (and shopping)! xx