Ways to wear your holiday buys back home

Swimsuits and lighter-than-air dresses – they’re perfect for holidays but nowhere else, right? Wrong. As these bloggers show, all it takes is a little inspired styling. Time to get a head start on your holiday shopping...

Strapless or short dresses instantly become city-appropriate when you layer them over trousers. Erica Davies demonstrates that a pair of white, straight-leg jeans is a summer dress’s best friend. ‘I always stick to skinny jeans or a slim-fitting ankle-cropped trouser underneath a dress or tunic,’ says Erica. A firm fan, she says: ‘It gives you a new way to wear a piece that might otherwise hang in your wardrobe, and it’s also a versatile way of working a dress for a day-to-evening look.’ As well as dresses, she also favours side-split tunics ‘because they aren’t so structured.’

The best way to show off sunkissed shoulders and arms sculpted from endless dips in the sea is to keep reaching for your swimsuit. More figure-hugging than a traditional tee or cami top, it’s the ultimate statement piece when worn out of context. Wear yours with shorts on hot days, like Rachael Clifton, or dress it up with a silky slip skirt or fluid trousers. The perfect attire for a garden party or evening barbecue, your swimwear is set to be a compliment magnet. 

Jute soles and beaches go together like strawberries and cream, but espadrilles can work in a more urban environment, too. On the streets of central Manchester, blogger Sophia Rosemary tempers her ankle-tie sandals with tailored peg trousers and that wardrobe classic, the Breton top. The result is a cool take on dressing for summer in the city – and the addition of a straw bag tops the look off perfectly.