Not looking a state on holiday.

And a small smart looking but not ostentatious cross body bag in the basic neutral colour of the main wardrobe ties everything together when out and about.

I bought some cycling shorts- style pants, as in underwear, last summer. My legs rub together in the heat if I wear a dress; they are also really pale and veiny so I feel self conscious in shorts or short dresses.
These pants were VERY comfortable under dresses/skirts and not hot at all. I was in 40 degree heat. I think they kept me cooler and I didn't get the 'dress sticking to plastic chair' issue either.
From TK Maxx, I think the brand was Nautica or something like that. Worth looking from time to time to see if they get more in.

I think bright colours are safer for evenings when away in a hot climate.
All advice above is spot on.
Good sunglasses and 1 straw hat. I only have 1 of each but they are absolutely spot on, they suit me and managed not to loose either in the last 10+ years.
Hat gets tied up to my enormous travel handbag. It's a big hat but somehow with all the travelling and accidental squishing has survived and it still looks immaculate.
Don't forget a good deodorant and apply to top area back of legs so you don't sweat when sitting down on a plastic chair.
Long loose light trousers and maxi dresses or dresses down to knees take you from morning to night. I would avoid anything short, somehow it feels cooler that way. No jeans because they really do make you feel hot.
My basic colour is taupe and I have a few tops, vest tops, loose trousers, summer holiday dresses, enormous lightweight scarves etc.
Every holiday I choose 1 colour: coral, dusty red, pale turquoise, pale blue, very dark green anything really as long as it's not a very bright colour. Any colour seems to work with taupe so I just add items in only this 1 colour: jewellery, some skirts, light trousers, tops or sandals etc. Half the wardrobe is already at the ready (all the taupe stuff) and I add the coloured items. Bikinis are in this chosen colour as well.
If you have space , take a nice evening outfit as well, which could be completely different than anything else. I find a looser fit works better on holiday.
Keep it simple.
Hair tied up during the day looks neater too.

I picked up a couple of Italian linen dresses at TK Max last year, great quality and looked great.

I always always go with a decent pair of slides or sandals, and I've a collection of white, black and neutral sun dresses, beach shirts that I wear as dresses, and beach trousers that I wear over bikini that I've gathered from places like Missguided, ASOS, River Island etc. I usually blow dry my hair every night on holiday so it's still nice the next day, I switch during the day between having it loose with sunglasses on, and putting it in a loose low bun with a hat (pic attached of the exact one I've got from Zara).
Bag wise I tend to use a raffia/straw type tote for all the suncream and pool bits etc. I don't do makeup on holiday during the day but I do have lash extensions and brow lamination.

Following. Great thread! Making me long for summer

I'm also loving these string bags 😂😂 and going to get a couple of colours. Useful in airport, to the beach and pool.

www.hush-uk.com/organic-turtle-bag-orange/008939-0888.html

I have been toying with buying this and I also like it in the pattern. It's the kind of thing I get masses of uses out of.

@scarediecat I never wear shorts when on holiday ( because I am old) and they flatter very few people. I love clothes but I am also lazy so tend to go for dresses if it is a hot place. A great straw hat , several dresses - last holiday I took blacks, whites, orange and a couple of multis. A good pair of white comfortable trainer type flats goes everywhere and a nice sandal. It makes the packing and the dressing very easy.

Attached a few as looking currently for a holiday in May.

Whoever reminded me of Aspiga 😬 I love their dresses so much and have already spied a couple of there but they are a bit pricey.

I'm useless at looking good in summer but one thing I have discovered is chub rub shorts if I'm going to wear dresses. So much more comfortable and elegant looking that chaffing thighs!

I have one of these for the beach bag:

ZHOUBA Women's Summer Wide Brim Roll Up Foldable Sun Beach Straw Braid Visor Sun Hat amzn.eu/d/3ixGoGt

I spent a lot of time people watching in Italy, the women who have nailed elegant hot weather dressing tend to wear linen, in trapeze/a-line shapes. Dresses, long skirts, loose tops, with really simple flat, leather sandals, a hat and classic sunglasses.

I wear white, navy accents of blush pink and olive green (not dirty, khaki, a clear but muted green). I buy a few good quality things a year, everything goes together.

A big hat

Re. sunhats

My sunhat is clipped to my case and goes in the overhead bin on the plane. If it's a full flight and space is at a premium, the cabin crew have always found somewhere for it.

If my bag is going in the hold, then I take a larger case and pack it - just stuff the crown with underwear/soft items and it will keep its shape.

I live in a hot climate so let me just flag underwear! Less cloth on the clothes, more important to have good underwear. Uniqlo Airism is great, doesn't make you as sweaty. Or very plain cotton from M&S.

Also colours, some people don't suit black in the bright sun especially if they are pale. I find Blue, White, Brown and even some grey's are better. Plan your wardrobe round a handful of colours that work for you, keep to those colours and it's so much easier to pack as everything will mix and match.

And make sure it fits well.

Summer wardrobes are a killer for revealing the winter gain and people can be loathe to spend / run out of time to replace.

Apologies, I didn't see the typos in my post last night!
I am pale & red haired so have spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about how to dress for hot weather!

I am not a fan of beach holidays & we never go to resorts so i think the type of clothes you need really depends on the type of holiday you enjoy.

We go to Italy pretty much every year. Mostly to a city & sometimes to more holiday destinations like Sienna / Lucca etc

Again the destination determines what I bring. I love nothing more than to while away a couple of hours outside a cafe with a coffee or glass of wine people watching. I love to see how the elegant local people dress.

Last year we were in Lucca & I was really impressed by how beautifully some of the women were dressed - really simple dresses & flat leather sandals with a often a large tote bag & sunglasses by day. Similar but dressier by night.

By contrast there were a lot of German holiday makers there at that time & they were dressed totally differently- denim shorts, vest tops, birkenstocks or trainers & rucksacks. Similar on male & females

There were some beautiful boutiques there & I bought a silk dress & 2 cotton skirts which I love ❤️

This year I will be on the hunt for new flat leather sandals

I add to my wardrobe each year

I'm not a fan of the huge sunhats but I have a proper Panama hat & it comes with a storage pouch & rolls up for packing

You can buy packable sun hats that you can roll up and pack or get a clip to clip them to your carry on bag

Love this thread. So many good tips.

I'm now in my 50s & over the past few years I've invested in a summer wardrobe. It has lots of plain colours, navy, white, black, khaki, cream. Highlights of gold.

100% this, with tan leather accessories and good sunglasses. I've never related to the idea of buying a 'holiday wardrobe', I just take my summer clothes!

Tanned, moisturised to glowing skin. Bright coral pedicure and matching lip gloss. Hair tied up neatly if it's not blow dried. A bit of local jewellery if you pick up something you like - I like the look of leather pieces with non precious stones worn with linen clothing.

Floppy big sunhat. Big sunglasses. My friends went wild for a pair I bought at New Look. Those YSL I bought didn't get the same reaction.

Cover up loose clothing off the beach. I follow Joan Collins on Instagram. She nails it every time

@Verite1 so a floppy sun hat ? I've got a straw one but it's too bulky to pack. Think I need a floppy one.

I agree with all of this. I spent several months putting my summer wardrobe together and I didn't need to spend a fortune. I followed a lot of the tips on this forum.

I also realised (again, thanks to mumsnet) that shorts are not obligatory, which is grand, as I look awful in them.

It comes with a plastic thing to keep it in shape. So I roll up small clothes inside it and then pack it in a suitcase.

Dye your eyelashes, where a nice big hat (great for keeping you cool and saving your hair) and some big sunglasses.

A few nice dresses and sandals and you'll look lovely!