Calling Londoners

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

We're visiting London for a few days and I HATE dressing for hot weather but I'm always too hot in London, even when the weather is normal English misery! What can I wear please that will be reasonably stylish but not expose lots of flesh and that I won't melt in?

I possess various items but v few tops for some reason -

eg a couple of jersey dresses (one of which is quite dressy but can be dressed down too)
a White Company maxi dress (but I think I'd be too warm in that)
denim pencil skirt / denim mini but don't really like to wear the mini without tights
lots of fifties style skirts
skinny jeans and baggy jeans
a couple of little cotton cardigans
a couple of silk camisoles (but I don't really like showing the tops of my arms)

We're not doing anything that needs dressing up for.

Please help! I am TERRIBLE at casual holiday and weekend clothes and never know what to wear and always feel as if I've got it wrong.

[tulpe]

I would go with the 50s look.

I hate wearing maxis in the city because....bleurgh.....just take a look at the pavements! Denim pencil skirts are okay but a bit meh.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Thanks. Agree re the maxi.

My denim pencil skirt isn't bad - I try and wear it in a slightly forties way usually.

[polyhymnia]

Really anything goes in London, and you see people in every conceivable combination of clothes and styles. So whatever you choose you're most unlikely to feel out of place.

If it stays as warm as this, I'd go with dresses, with cardis in reserve, but if it's a bit cooler when you come would think skinny jeans and a few tops would cover most eventualities - eg a breton top and something a bit more 'teadressy'/ tunic-y. Wouldn't personally go for pencil skirts if you're going to be dashing up escalators or doing lots of walkning. Fifties skirts would be fine, with whatever tops you feel good in with them.

And comfortable shoes of course - sandals, ballerinas, plimsolls all fine (of course, plenty of people are wearing boots this summer but I think they'd feel too hot, even if they are special 'summer boots'). A bag that can be worn cross body is also useful for the tube and when carrying lots of shopping bags.

[tethersend]

You will be hot in anything.

Any attempt to dress 'cooly' is futile.

I suggest going to the seaside instead.

I am currently melting.

[minipie]

Something that is comfortable and you can wear with flats/comfy shoes. Cotton and linen always best in the heat.

Jersey dress with flats sounds ideal. 50s skirts with flats also good. Do you have any cotton tops with short sleeves?

Jeans will be too hot I think if you're talking about this week (heatwave predicted to last a few more days).

Also good to have layers - indoors areas may be airconditioned but tube and bus will be baking - so cardigans are good.

Maxi dress is ok if you are just wafting around but quite impractical for the tube or any serious walking around, if it goes all the way to the floor.

Do you have any nice belts/earrings/bracelets etc? those are good to jazz up otherwise plain looking outfits.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Thanks everyone.

I've got ballet flats and some comfortable sandals with a small heel.

The BBC are predicting heavy rain on Thursday but still warm - arghhh.

Hadn't thought about the denim skirt being uncomfortable for walking - I think you're right and the fifties ones would be better. I usually wear them with a camisole and a cardigan though and feel too exposed without the little cardi.

[valiumredhead]

Was in London over the weekend, it was sooooooo much hotter than at home (Midlands) I always really feel the difference in heat even in the winter!

Wear what you want - it's London, no one will give a f*!

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Oh I know that, Valium but I HATE hot weather clothes and actually have so few of them that I'm struggling to pack. I can do beach holiday and I can do cold and rain but real summer in the UK panics me!

I've now put everything away again except:

1 cotton dress - red
1 jersey dress - black
1 pair of skinnies
1 t shirt - grey
one cotton fifties style skirt - black and white
2 camisoles - one black cotton, one bright coloured silk
2 cotton cardigans - both grey but different shapes
1 pair sandals
1 pair ballet flats
1 brolly!

Does that sound like it might work for 4 days?

[valiumredhead]

At the moment a bikini might be order of the day

Are those clothes cool? I wouldn;t bother with 2x cardis not in this weather and it's meant to be hot til the weekend.

Jersey dress - is it cool enough, if not don't bother!

Definitely take the brolly

[polyhymnia]

Sounds excellent to me.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Mmm wonder what they'd say if I turned up at the Tate in a bikini? :)

The jersey dress isn't terribly cool but I like it and it folds up v small and doesn't crease, so I'll stick it in anyway and maybe wear it in the evening.

Now - how to convince the dds that they DON'T need opaque tights OR a leather jacket?!!!

[minipie]

Sounds like a good selection. It's not as hot as it was at the weekend (tube still baking though).

Just convince the DDs to take some lighter stuff too - then once they've boiled on the tube once they will learn and can wear something else the next day...

Have fun!

[Ephiny]

Definitely layers (camisole/cardigan etc) - it's been changeable recently, baking hot for a few days but going to be quite cool tomorrow I believe. But it will be as hot as hell on the deep Tube lines no matter what...

[slugger]

I'm with tethersend

[polyhymnia]

As another Londoner, agree much more likely to suffer from being too hot than too cold.

[Truffkin]

Whilst I've been going for coolest, most wafty clothes possible this week (I'm all about the cotton maxi or denim mini with loose t shirt) I cannot get over how many teenage girls are wearing opaque tights with denim shorts - I would be melting!!

I'm 25 weeks pregnant and loathe to buy any real summer clothes but am fearing I may run out of options and the meltyness might just prove too much to resist a bit of shopping.

[Blu]

I would wear 50s style skirts and camisole top.
Or baggy jeans and loose long sleeved cotton tops to keep the sun off your skin.
Tight pencil skirts / tight skinnies way too hot.
And truly - all human life is here - we don't have an special London expectations of our visitors

[upahill]

My denim pencil skirt isn't bad - I try and wear it in a slightly forties way usually.

That sounds nice- What style top and shoes do you wear?

(nosey out of interest rather than being helpful!!)