Combatting the Summer Chills – Don’t be cold, be cool

Crazy summer weather (or more accurately, late spring weather), right?

Think back a week and from Monday to Friday, it was so cold that at SoSensational Towers the central heating was put back on and the team all donned woolly scarves and jumpers.

And then on Saturday, it was a balmy 25 degrees. As we said, crazy…

So, if you are taking a UK holiday, or maybe heading to a barbecue, or even if you are going away to a resort known for its sunshine, but you are going off season, or perhaps going on a cruise when sea breezes can make evenings chillier, here’s the SoSensational Guide to keeping off those summer chills.

We are not talking daytime here – because, for daytime and workwear, there are blazers and bikers to look pulled-together, authoritative and on-trend – and to be warm. We are not even talking UK holidays or days out, when a rainproof coat or a parka might come to the rescue.

We are talking about evenings, the time after sunset, when it can get a little cool anywhere and you want something pretty and versatile (so it goes with lots) to ensure you don’t start shivering. As we said, this all gets complicated when you are away in a resort anywhere or on a cruise anywhere because you don’t really want to shlep an entire wardrobe of jackets away with you.

We are fully aware that Vogue declared the pashmina “over” about 5 years ago, relegating pashminas to the dog-basket. But SoSensational disagrees vigorously; when it is impractical to pack a whole wardrobe of blazers, bikers and trophy jackets (actually, we are prepared to make an exception for a trophy jacket), the pashmina (or any pretty wrap or shawl) is still the most elegant, clever and versatile option for avoiding goose-pimples… One word of warning: for the past 10 years or more almost every long scarf has tried to pass itself off as a pashmina. To function as a shawl, a pashmina needs to be wide enough and long enough to drape easily around your shoulders. The exact size you require will vary depending on your height and build.

STYLE TIP

Before ordering a shawl, pashmina or wrap online, drape an old wrap or pashmina round your shoulders. If it’s the right size measure it and use it as your template for ordering a new one. Even If it’s the wrong size, measure it and add and/or subtract on the width and/or length to determine the correct size for a new one. If you don’t already own a wrap/pashmina, drape any piece of fabric, even a bath sheet around your shoulders and use that as your template for working out your minimum and maximum size requirements.

A trophy jacket (very hot this season),  that will go over lots of different colours, can also be a great option for keeping out after-dark breezes and chills.

Embellished cardis are perfect as cover-ups.  They’ll stand out from the ordinary go-to-the-shops cardis which wouldn’t add glamour to your holiday or BBQ look, and if you choose one in a neutral colour, you won’t need to take more than one or two.

The factors to take into account with cardigans are:

Length

If embellished, keep the length shortish. If longer, just avoid the hem being in line with the widest part of your hips.  And definitely leave unbuttoned to create vertical line over a largish bust.

Collar/neckline

As with a top or dress, the neckline should reflect your face shape – so, a scoop or round neckline if you have more curves to your face; a V-neck if your face is more angular. But also keep in mind that a lower neckline will be more flattering if you have a fuller bust.

Also, any long or long’ish cardigan will be more slimming if worn open and undone as the parallel vertical lines, creates the illusion of length, thus making the wearer look taller and slimmer.

Colour

And, as always, wear your best colour next to your face as that will always make you look and feel better; it will “lift” your complexion and make your eyes sparkle. If you are picking a colour to be as versatile as possible, you can still combine that objective with choosing your best colour – it may just make it a bit trickier to pick.

What type of cover up is your fave? Scarf, jacket or cardi?

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