How to Look Expensive (in the summer)

[diamondsandrose]

Please can we resurrect my favourite EVER thread, but with a summer twist?

I think I'm pretty stylish in cooler weather but struggle in the heat.

I know the usual drill ..natural fabrics, linen cotton silk in neutral colours. Light tan courtesy of gradual tanner. Tan real leather sandals. Straw or heavy cotton beach bag. No gaudy colours or prints. No bra strap showing under vests.

But I still feel I don't look as good as I could if I tried a bit harder! I get freckly and I think that stops me looking expensive!

Please tell me your tips and stories of fab expensive looking stylish people you've seen on holiday

I think the alabaster thing was meant to apply to what makes WHITE women look expensive.

The "rules" are different depending on your ethnicity. For example I think black women with a perfectly "sculpted" afro look more expensive than with straightened hair, but that definitely doesnt apply to white women.

I need this thread so thank you!
I’m 5ft 2, size 10 (but a slightly thicker waist than it should be) big boobs (30J) and quite toned but I always feel like I look cheap and frumpy

I’m going to Goodwood in the kinrara enclosure and need to look expensive without spending ££££, possible? There’s a dress code: day dresses or trousers, no midriffs showing, cardi or jacket, no jeans, suitable shoes (basically, flats but not flip flops). I have no idea where to look. I don’t own flat smart shoes, only superga’s and boots.

The alabaster comments don't mention hair though. The whiteness of the skin seems to be the must have. So yeah, racist.

For pity’s sake. She was saying if you’re pale it can look good and infinitely better than sunburn.

Or being, you know, brown.

I'm joining this season.

Good quality cotton t shirts. No lycra and a size bigger than usual. Supima cotton is your friend.

Maxi dresses but not clingy jersey with no straps. My best ever ebay find is a season or so's back Jigsaw navy silk mix maxi dress which is sleeveless, but fully covers the chest/shoulders. I wear it for the beach, the shops, work. I love it so much I've just bought an identical one.

At a country show the other week, DP commented that the wealthy women there seemed to wear a ‘uniform’ like Tumsnet mentioned.

Chambray shirt, beige slim chinos, slim scarf either worn or attached to a large leather bag and sunglasses on the top of beautifully cut mid length straight hair. This was a very horsy set though.

I too struggle in summer, I do think the best accessories are a model bod & tanned even skin (freckles here too) plus somehow avoiding looking sweaty. I have big boobs & think summer dressing is so much easier if your small cheasted or have fake ones.

Don’ts

tight, short clothing
uncomfortable shoes with plasters or red marks on your feet
anklets - unless your a surfer
sunburn
big bra straps
sweat patches

Dos
loose/skimming clothes
expensive sandals - I do this as I have nice feet, I love K Jacques
plain colours & easy shapes
expensive sunglasses

I think shorts can look great but very hard to find. Kate Moss has some good short action. Linen trousers aren’t really my style.

@ThenCameTheFools YY to t-shirts being a size up. It's so much more flattering. Clingy clothes or anything containing Lycra immediately cheapen a look.

I don't think white linen trousers are flattering or expensive-looking unless you're a 6ft gazelle-like model sauntering onto your yacht in Monaco.

Pale / freckles skin with huge hat and expensive looking sunglasses looks cool.

I'm France last year EVERYONE French & chic looking had hessian / baskety beach bags. With leather straps. They were also annoyingly skinny 🙄

White linen trousers are a no no in my book. I'd spill something on them.

For the pale expensive ladies

If anyone is bored and wants to ‘shop’ I’m looking for a light weight blue wrap I can use over summer strapless tops

@SmiledWithTheRisingSun - where are those sunglasses from?! I need some new ones.

I think pale or a good even tan look equally classy- just NO to sunburn, tan lines, peeling skin or a patchy false tan- NO to orange heels and knees!

Tk max for great all sunglasses.

I always think one of those khaki safari dresses look classy with a tan- looks awful on my pasty complexion though.

@mamia15 can you link to the jersey trousers please?

Great thread- reading with interest.
I think there's a massive dividing line between looking like an expensive English person and looking like an expensive European.

The expensive English look with all the linen makes me think of Judi Dench at worst (no offence to Judi, but am in my 30s so not my style icon) and someone from the Boden catalogue at best. Off-the-peg Breton, smart shorts etc. Fine, in a very safe and uninspiring way.

The European look sounds like that example from Geneva up thread, expensive but well- loved leather handbag etc. Understated mani-pedi etc.

I was in London people watching this week and the expensive Europeans who strolled past stuck out a mile. It was all understated tan accessories, camel coloured clothes [my favourite colour but CANNOT pull it off due to pale freckly skin]

I spent a while in Madrid with an ex partner's mum. They really care about clothes, look after them really well, choose new purchases with extreme care- and take the whole thing really seriously.

I tried really hard to fit in, couldn't quite cut it, but when I came back to Britain felt effortlessly elegant the whole time.

On a recent holiday (hot country) I teamed an untucked navy collarless shirt with elbow length sleeves and some Chino shorts. It looks surprisingly put together and works well with sunglasses, tan sandals and tan or straw bag (straw sun hat optional).

A bit like this ^^. I think that's an expensive look.

fedup thanks I’m going to order that Uniqlo dress for work!

The other thing is dont be afraid of black. A lot of British people seem to think "ooh its summer, i better get my whites and brights out!" but actually as mentioned earlier from working in the south of France a lot of women do wear black black and more black even in 35C.

I disagree with the accusations of racism on this thread.

For a long time people with pale skin have been told that it is unsightly and needs to be doused in orange fake tan to achieve a darker skin tone in order to expose it in the summer.

Posters on here have said that the skin tone you were born with is good enough and it looks better to go with what you have rather than smear it in unnatural orange crap.

I love black clothes in the summer and wear them all the time with tan accessories.

I would say any skin tone looks fabulous provided it is not caked in too much make up and any hair colour that is well groomed and conditioned ditto.

Personally I can't stand my bare white legs in any summer clothes, so a light tan is the starting point of any summer look for me.