I’m currently on holiday in Southern Europe somewhere with a large amount of tourists but not many British people. Many, many Italian, French, Spanish, German people around. As a service to MN I have been scrutinising these crowds for signs of a) “wafting around effortlessly”, b) capsule wardrobes, c) beautifully-cut timeless classics in natural fabrics, and the result is...nope. None whatsoever.
I’ve been in a capital city, a seaside resort and in the countryside. In the city there were a few nice drapey trousers with a white top, but it was mostly niceish but unremarkable sundresses or shorts and t-shirt/vest. By the sea, exclusively short jersey dresses or shorts and top - and not lovely tailored shorts either. Just the same old “holiday shorts” British people wheel out. Plus sandals ranging from “all right” to “very ugly but who cares, they’re comfy”. Plenty of t-shirts with odd flower patterns and random slogans on. In the countryside it’s so hot everyone’s just put the first, smallest thing on they can find.
In conclusion, British people need self-flagellate no longer at being “badly dressed in the heat” - everyone looks fine, a bit sweaty, not well put-together, just comfy and like they were having a nice holiday.
And swimwear? Again, everything and anything. Every body shape and size, every skin tone, every type of costume, nobody paying a second’s notice to anyone else.