Give a British person a chilly winter’s day and they’ll excel at dressing for it, pulling together a lovely combination of chunky knits, cosy accessories and stylish boots. Come heatwave season, however, we often melt into a crumpled, sunburnt mess. Summer dressing shouldn’t be hard – it even involves fewer clothes! – but we can lose our heads amidst the excitement of ice creams and sunbathing.
Looking good while enjoying the sun isn’t essential, of course, but this is as much about how you feel as how you look. Getting your outfit right will undoubtedly make that Mr Whippy all the sweeter.
Here are the seven style mistakes we Brits make all the time, and how to conquer them.
Men thinking it’s fine to go out without a T-shirt
The problem
Sorry to single you out here, men, but this one’s for you – unless you are at the beach, it can feel like quite the eyeful to be confronted by a sea of hairy chests in the park/on the street on a hot summer’s day. Perhaps this complaint comes from a place of envy (it would take a very brave woman, after all, to have the audacity to beat the heat by going topless). This does seem to be a particular penchant for British men, some of whom feel the season hasn’t really begun until they’ve bared their nipples to the world.
The solution
Quite simply, keep your shirt on unless you’re in the comfort of your own garden or on the beach. A thin shirt or lightly coloured T-shirt should keep you quite cool enough.