I felt I had ‘missed the mark’ last year on holiday… what is this year's white linen shirt?

[Lessbest]

Last year I went on a Med beach/city holiday, spent time beforehand buying new clothes and thought I’d packed sensibly — light, natural colours & fabrics, tried to go for stylish but practical.

But the one thing everyone seemed to be wearing (but not ME!) was an oversized white linen shirt. It looked great on everyone, so relaxed and effortless, worked over swimsuits beside the pool, over shorts for shopping, tied loosely over a dress in the evening and was clearly the thing.

Off again soon and wondering — if you have been away recently, have you noticed what the current version of my ‘white linen shirt’ is?

Any particular item or look that was everywhere? Also curious what item of clothing people wish they’d packed but didn’t.

Thanks in advance — would love not to miss the mark again and I'm clearly not cool enough to be in the know! (My partner would also appreciate not spending our holiday trawling shops and markets for ‘a white linen shirt’).😘

It very much was if you're into 'high street' fashion.

Did you use chat gpt to write your op?

@Lessbest there was no memo. Big white linen shirts have always been a hot weather thing. Practical - light, airy etc and white reflects the heat. Their enduring stylishness is based on this, with many variations on collar size, plackets, buttons, pleats etc.

I don't follow trends, but when buying a few staple bits recently, I noticed that co-ord sets were everywhere. I thought they were over, but obviously not. So maxi skirts with a matching cropped top, in a folksy or 'fun' print. Or shorts sets. A very risky look for your average woman over 25!

We went to a Sandals in the Caribbean recently. So an expensive holiday where guests tend to dress up, but not ‘up market’.

Co-words were definitely popular, but I didn’t see anyone that looked good in them. They look so very ‘try hard’. And on men, they just look unutterably ludicrous.

There was one guest who was absolutely rocking the big white shirt look. She had several which she wore over various Melissa Odabash bikinis - she looked effortlessly fab.

Go on tik tok. Search something like ' summer capsule wardrobe '. You'll find all the ideas there.
Men's shirts are tricky unless you're 5'10 and slim. Otherwise you'll like as if you're trying to hide your belly

That hairspray idea is genius. I’m so glad I opened this thread!

Waistcoats. Crochet tops. Cheesecloth shirts (long and short sleeved). Linen shirts and dresses, dressed down and up. Accessories will take you from day to night.

I still read magazines in print!

Long gingham backless dresses seem to be the thing where I am right now in Naples.

We went on a boat trip to Sorrento yesterday and I was amazed by the number of people wearing short dresses with lemon print. All of the tourist shops seemed to sell them and all of the tourists seemed to be buying and wearing them. Even the sophisticated looking tourists.

I thought maybe I should buy one but we're going home tomorrow and I can't imagine ever wearing a lemon print dress in Manchester. I would look like a complete 🍋

What everyone seems to be wearing this summer is a blue and white or pink and white striped very soft linen or cheese cloth shirt, man-sized.

You get it!
Blue, pink and white stripes sound like they could definitely work — light, fresh, easy to wear. A purchase needed!

Linen shirts always feel like a classic choice, but interestingly I hadn’t ever noticed so many used as pool cover-ups. It really was every female except me! (maybe we were in a hotel with a different vibe to usual)

Gingham’s such a clean, crisp look — though from the front, it can sometimes lean a bit ‘school uniform’ (and that’s a look I’d rather leave behind at this point!).

Not so sure about the lemons!

Thank you @Steelworks - ‘like’ on FB to follow.

I saw these everywhere in Corfu a week ago.

My daughter has been wearing them in London, even to quite smart places, as some of the Anthropologie sets are gorgeous.

I have a very fashionable friend who keeps me in touch! I agree re co-ords but they don’t necessarily need to be printed, I have a beige linen short sleeve shirt and 7/8 pant co-ord that makes me happy. I also think the white linen shirt is still in and I love them over a tank dress.

Although also agree with others re cheesecloth and much easier to travel with!

So yes.

I wore These trousers from Temu in Greece recently. Beige, linen feel, very wide leg like culottes. Wore with a boat neck backless vest and black leather flip flops and felt it was a good outfit.

Excellent, we’re going to Greece in August, I will pop into M&S!

Any links to cheese cloth shirts..? I want one now.

Why did you use chat gpt to write your post..!?

Seems to be lots of shirring (I love a shirred bodice so I'm loving it) and gingham, careful about the colour choices or you end up looking like school uniform! I've got a lot of black and white gingham in my wardrobe at the moment for some reason.

Also the floaty linen type (I'm cheap and just go for the supermarket stuff) co-ord sets - I've bought a couple for going away toward the end of the summer, but I will NOT be wearing the top and bottom together cos it's giving prison pyjamas as a look!

In terms of staying current on trends, I really like Substack - I’m not ever going to get into TikTok and I don’t care about micro trends. Substack is good for the longer form more editorial type fashion content that I used to enjoy in print.

I bought a lovely lemon print sundress in Sorrento a few years back and loved it. Took it to Malaga the next year and felt like a Limoncello waitress - some things are not meant to be!

Agree with a pp that white linen is a tricky cover-up because sun lotion REALLY stains. Or at least, the ones I use do!

Me too!

Shirring is just a cheap way to make clothes as no thought needs to go into the fit, the same as elastic waisted trousers. It's just another way to cut corners.

Wide legged ecru denim is popular where I am along with cropped loose linen shirts and sleevless open back linen dresses.