British summer clothing

[Kione]

I have to say, just discovered this part of the forum and I am loving it, I love clothes and make up!

So here my dilemma to see if anyone has ideas (I am sure you will :o)

I am spanish although been living in britain for 10 years, but still struggling to wear summer clothes without freezing. I love summer dresses but never but them because I am too cold if I put them on? I love at the moment the flowery dresses, tan sandals and denim jacket, but I would really suffer if I went out in anything like that!

If the sun comes out is ok, but where I live is very windy...

Any ideas? or I just have to get used to it??

Thanks!

Move down south

And don't get your summer clothes out till June, putting them away again towards the end of August

Or move back to Spain and wear them for the whole summer without freezing

haha, moving is not an option, not south not to Spain, I actually like to live here is in the summer when all the shops stock up on summer clothing that I get a bit down... I do go to Spain for holidays, but don't like buying stuff to use it only 15 days!

Cardigans in many varieties. Ballet pumps rather than sandals (cover more foot!) and vests underneath your dresses. These all help.... :)

ok, yes, I have a couple of cardies, but I suppose have to get loads more, and I do use ballet pumps :)

Do tights look bad with summer dresses and pumps? as in very discreet skin colour? they would be unthinkable in Spain but here are a bit more justified?

Could you add an oversized summer scarf - keeps your neck toasty - or a fitted camisole top underneath to keep your torso warm?

yeah, I always wear under-tops, I have a lycre long sleeve one that I could actually start using in the summer, maybe buy it in kore colours as it is black.

Never thought of a scarf in the summer but yes, will give it a go!

"Lycra"

Already two mentions of the British Summer Cardigan.

Hither thee to M and S and check out their cashmere cardigans: (relatively) cheap; numerous colours and styles; machine washable.

There is a reason that there is such a variety in our well-known high street purveyor of clothes to the women of Britain.

Up-scale, there is Brora, who sell beautiful cashmere.

there was a thread on mn a while back about what "our" national costume might consist of. A strong vote went towards floral dress and cardigan.

there is also the joy-of-layering: short T-shirt; long-sleeve t-shirt; dress/tunic; cardigan over tights/trouser/leggings/jeans.

Yes - Britain doesn't get hot for many months of the year, and even fair, bright days tend to come borne on a cold little wind, never mind the slightly damp weather that is a staple ....

I'm mostly wearing grey, navy or coloured tights now. Black opaques feel wrong when the sun is shining and flesh coloured ones aren't great (though i do wear them for work).

I will check M&S but I always find that it deoesent suit my style too much. I used to wear my working clother there, but not working now, I am preparing to enjoy my probably last summer as a full time mum :( hence my question!

That Brora page is lovely but can't pay £339 for a cardie...

I live in Scotland and totally hear you!

Secret is definitely cardigans (lots of them), wearing vest tops or t shirts under things and leggings under dresses.

I also wear a lot of summery scarves, handy to keep your neck/cleavage warm and use as an impromptu wrap if necessary

and if you wanted something a bit more fitted alittle denim jacket instead of a cardi works

Kione - I am also originally from a hot place and it took me quite a few years to figure out how to wear summer clothes in Britain !!!

As other have said:

• cardigans
• vests and long sleeved tops to layer under summer dresses (long sleeves if the forecast is for rubbish weather and you know you are not going to get too hot)
• summer scarves
• leggings (that way you can wear sandals even when your legs are freezing !!)
• a light trench coat for when it's windy and freezing !

Sorry about the spelling above, am dislexic and not always check the posts before posting.

I am not sure I like leggings under dresses, I wear more knee lenght skirts for example, and leggings don't really go with those, maybe I need to but one of those floral dresses, but don't like to wear what everyone else does...

My style is a little bit "edgy", but leggings under denim miniskirts could work

well, I wear non-summer stuff for 9 months of the year. Summer stuff only comes out when they temp. is at least 20C!

Join the great British dilemma- do we buy summer clothes when they only get about 12 weeks'
wear every year!

Seriously- very few people I know get into summer gear before June, unless we have a May heatwave of 3 days!

Yesterday I wore skinny jeans, a Breton top, red ballet flats, a lightweight scarf and a bright blue trench. I felt summery but I was still warm enough.

A cropped or 'shrug' style cardi is your new best friend.

See [[http://www.brora.co.uk/Product/Product.aspx?WebShopCodeStr=S1&WebSegmentCodeStr=S2&WebCategoryCodeStr=ZL&StyleCodeStr=LQ933 here],

here,

or (when weather particularly cold)

here (this style v useful all year, except when cold enough for proper coat, obv!)

Here's that Brora link again:

here

Loving the look Belligerent I am working a similar look today of dark skinny jeans, blue breton top, silver ballet pumps and caramel trench.

These summer seems to be a couple of warmer weeks in June and then rain and greyness until September when autumn starts to set in

I have the following items that I consider to be my summer wardrobe

Linen trousers
Vests
cardigans in many colours
floral dress (worn with leggings if required)
casual jeans
sandals / ballet flats
sizeable cotton scarves
Trench

Hi I had the same problem when I lived in the UK, I now live in Spain. I think the trick in the UK with any season is layers. I think flesh coloured tights are fine to wear with a floral dress. My idea of layering would be a floral dress, flesh tight, tan brogue shoes but the more feminine style ones (I bought some lovely ones recently in a shoe shop here called Mary Paz, a cahmere cardi in one of the colours from the dress. And a trench on top of this.

I recently saw a girl in Zara recently here wearing a floral dress, a pair of long boots in a natural colour, they were creamy beige, flesh tights with some cream long socks and a cream cardi. She looked fab with long wavy hair.

thankis MrsSeanBean for the links but they are not really my style, I like them but I am a bit more of a rock-chick I,d say

sahminspain that Zara look sounds great, I haven't found here long socks to wear with my boots! but like that!

I got the long wavy hair at least

I'm liking this scarf www.hush-uk.com/accessories/scarves/striped-scarf-dark-blue-light-blue.html

yeah I love it! and I get to see what is a summer scarf that I have never heard before

cabbageroses 12 weeks?? thats the summer in the part of spain where I come from, in here is about 4 weeks honestly and is not me saying so, but everyone, and its generally in June or July.