Cora I don’t know whether it’s because of the sudden burst of hot weather in the UK or simply because it’s holiday season but Summer clothes are now disappearing from the shops so I’m writing this ‘what to pack for a hot beach holiday’ with some urgency.
In Friday’s post, we took a fantasy trip to the Brittany coastline for a breezy holiday with unpredictable weather. Today we’re jetting off a little further so we need to pack for a hot beach holiday. We had a holiday like this last year in Turkey when the temperatures reached 40°C every day. It isn’t easy to look chic and relaxed in searing heat.
So join me – I’m going to take you to a villa close to the sea but with a pool in the garden too. Our day will be dictated by the excesses of the heat. We’ll spend our mornings outside maybe with a trip to the market or a dip in the sea and the torpid afternoons relaxing with a book in the shade. Later on, we’ll watch the sun disappear behind the mountains from a rooftop restaurant and relax with a cocktail or two.
What to pack for a hot beach holiday
It is simply a matter of personal choice whether you wear a bikini, a tankini or a swimsuit. The only consideration, as I mentioned in Friday’s post, is the proportion of your torso in relation to your legs. If you have a long torso and shorter legs like I do, go for a bikini or tankini to avoid looking dumpy. If you have longer legs then you’ll look great in a one piece. It’s as simple as that.
Having said that, today I’m featuring a one piece because it is the only piece of swimwear (other than the bikini I featured last week) that I have ordered this season and kept (everything else has gone back) so again this is a personal recommendation. I think it works against my usual theory because of the slightly higher neckline and the fact that the cut of the leg is high (but not too high) which has a lengthening effect.
What to wear on tropically hot days
So, that’s the beach taken care of, now we need to think about what to wear during the day. I don’t see buying clothes for this sort of holiday as investment dressing so I do quite a lot of budget buying and only spend more on pieces I know I’ll be able to wear at home.
When it’s very, very hot it can be more comfortable to stick to dresses. You don’t want them to stick to you but equally, you don’t want to wear a sack so it’s better if they have a fitted top and a looser skirt. They’re really difficult to find in the UK – in French or Spanish markets you can buy them easily, made from the softest cotton or linen and simply cut. These are the kind of dresses I mean