When it comes to what to wear in the heat, I love dresses and skirts for their coverage and breathability. Iterations in cotton or linen are obviously the best contenders when it comes to rising climes, allowing air to pass through to your skin, keeping you as cool as possible, but it does come with one drawback, and that's thigh rub.
If chafing is the one thing holding you back from getting your best summer dresses out and on, then this last-minute, Amazon Prime purchase is the buy that saved my holiday wardrobe, and I'm still relying on it over a year later. What started as a panic buy before my hot holiday has ended with an item that I reach for every day of the summer, and with temperatures soaring, I'm not gatekeeping.
Protecting my modesty on a particularly blowy spring day, or saving me from several days of pain in the summer, this pack of four cotton anti-chafing shorts, available on Amazon Prime, comes in four colours. With a 4.5-star rating and over 27,000 reviews, I'm one of many who think this next-day delivery purchase is the summer saviour worthy of a place in your summer capsule wardrobe.
Not on offer, but essentially £7 per pair, I have two sets of these shorts, which I bought in a mad panic pre-Mexico trip in 2025. Now into their second summer, I can confirm they are brilliant, wash well and are still part of my daily outfit build under skirts and dresses. I never leave home without them, to be honest. The four colours cover every outfit and the comfortable fit means I quite happily wear them round the house with long tees too.
It's not a sexy item, but the best anti-chafing shorts for many is a necessary summer buy, and I have tried my fair share over the years. While I love the Jockey styles, another Amazon purchase, these are more affordable, and the fact that these come in a multi-pack of four is cost-effective. Crafted from 95% cotton, these are a breathable purchase, a must in hot weather.
There are actually eight different pack options, covering all kinds of colour combinations, from just white or just black pairs, to bolder trending colourways and chic navy and chocolate brown neutrals, so you can stock up, create variety or add the hues that best match the rest of your capsule wardrobe.
While most of the packs are £27.99, I did spy this set for £22.99, currently on offer with 18% off. In sizes small to 5XL, a 3XL is about a size 20, so this is a pretty size-inclusive buy. Soft and stretchy, I find that they don't roll up at the leg, or down at the waist and are great for coverage but aren't constricting like some of the best shapewear. They're just a super comfortable option for saving thighs.
A chic selection of neutrals, this pack is discounted by 18%, making it even more of a bargain. Packed with versatile hues, they're a must under dresses or skirts.
If you just want the classics, a 4-pack of black is ideal for slipping on under darker dresses. The upper thigh coverage will save your legs this summer.
A set of fun, bright colours screams summer styling. Whether you want to colour-match a bold dress or want a bright flash underneath a shorter hemline, this selection is ideal for hot weather.
I absolutely love the one-and-done style solution of a dress or the figure-flattering properties of an A-line skirt, but I appreciate that thigh rub cancels out all that swishy joy. These anti-chafing, 95% cotton shorts have truly saved my summer wardrobe on more than one occasion.
Affordable, great sizing and on next day delivery, if you're longing for a breezy dress, but want to remain pain free, then I can't recommend this basic buy enough. It's not fun, it's not sexy, but it will underpin your whole summer capsule wardrobe, and you won't regret it.
They wash brilliantly, too, and I tumble dry mine, and after multiple wears, they're still going. A multipack of four means you've got enough to get you going and don't have to wash and dry them each day, and at essentially £7 each, the cost-per-wear count is high. Don't suffer this summer, treat yourself to the shorts and wear those summer frocks with a smile.
