With its long balmy evenings and holiday plans, summer should be a time of celebration and relaxation. And after the last couple of years, we really do deserve to have a good time.
But we also need to party on the cheap and be aware of what will work for us as the weather hopefully warms up.
And this means simple things like wearing what fits - and what we're comfortable in.
Here, TV super-stylist Gok Wan reveals his top tips to ensure you have a brilliant summer - from small wins to not being afraid of black.
You deserve it
What are you summer tips? Have your say in comments below
First and foremost, it’s important to remember that you deserve a good summer. If you enter the next few months with a positive state of mind, it will pave the way for good times to follow.
So think of all the reasons you deserve a good time – it could be you’ve worked hard, or you’re celebrating a summer with no Covid restrictions. We can all find small wins when we look for them. And it’s these small wins that need celebrating this summer.
Plan ahead
Making plans means you can start looking forward to them – and this feeling of excitement and anticipation is a real mood booster. So it’s time to get your diary out. What will you be doing? How will it be different?
Planning ahead also means that nothing will be a shock.
If you have a holiday coming up, plan it now – what you want to do and what you want to wear. Not only will this reduce stress, but it will also increase pre-holiday excitement.
And if you’re staying at home, get planning those BBQs so there’s something to look forward to.
Party on the cheap
You don’t need to spend much money to have a good time. In fact, eating in and cooking from scratch is much cheaper than going out for a meal.
And there are many ways to make cooking for friends a breeze. Keep it simple to ensure you have a good time too and stick with a theme, such as Italian or Moroccan.
Worried about budget? Keep it veggie. Forget meat and use pulses to bulk out dishes. Cook a massive curry with rice, padded out with chickpeas and when it comes to drinks, go old school with a big bowl of punch. Mix one delicious summer cocktail and serve it in old jam jars.
If you don’t want the responsibility of doing all the cooking, try a “pot luck” where friends all bring a dish.
Finally, music is vital and creates an atmosphere instantly, for free.
Don't worry, be happy
A lot of people dread the summer months because they worry about what to wear. But remember – nobody is looking at you. People are always more concerned about themselves. So if you are laying on a beach, or walking around the city in the sun, just relax and enjoy yourself.
If you spend all your time worrying about how you look, you could waste this beautiful summer.
Snap your style
Hands up who has woken up on a hot day and felt totally unprepared in terms of what to wear? We all have. So go through your wardrobe today. Take out the jumpers and long-sleeved dresses you probably won’t need until autumn.
Now start pulling out all the items you like that you know will be cool enough for hot days, and start building looks with them. When you’ve put an outfit together you like, try it on and take a photo. Save it to your phone.
This means you’ll be able to flick through and get dressed with no stress.
Dress up to wash up
Getting used to the idea of feeling ‘on show’ can help build confidence before a big event. If you’re going to a summer wedding, for example, or to the beach, wear your outfit in advance. Put on the dress, jumpsuit or bikini and do the hoovering, or the washing-up.
Keep it on for an hour and see how it sits, how you feel in it and how you can move around. This means that when you come to wear it, it’s like visiting a friend, not a complete stranger.
Be a savvy packer
Overpacking stems from panic, thinking “I might need this” and trying to squeeze it into your suitcase. But with a bit of know-how, you can be a savvy packer.
Spend an hour lining up your whole holiday wardrobe. Put items into outfits and lie them out on the bed or the floor. Now cull them – can you wear outfit one on day three?
Can you wear several tops with one pair of shorts? You wouldn’t wear a pair of jeans once at home before washing them, so you don’t need to do it on holiday.
Once you’ve found your capsule holiday wardrobe, stick to it and put the rest back in your wardrobe.
Wear what fits
You shouldn’t have a single thing in your wardrobe that doesn’t fit you – if it doesn’t, give it to a charity shop or put it into the attic. Otherwise it’s like being let down time and time again.
Once you remove the things that don’t fit, you take the guilt out of your closet – you can pull things out and throw them on, rather than thinking, “I wish I could wear this but I can’t”.
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Yes, wear black
Summer fashion can be a rainbow of colour, and this can be overwhelming. So if you don’t want to wear colour, that’s fine. It’s your choice. I wear a lot of dark shades and love them.
If you find yourself wanting to add colour to your summer look, you can always start small with bright nails, lips, bag, shoes or belt. Once that feels comfortable, try block colour – an orange top or a pair of green trousers.
What you wear is personal and subjective. If you look at your outfit and feel a sense of contentment, it’s spot-on.
- Gok has partnered with Onken to launch Onken Natural Set Supper Clubs. Visit onken.co.uk/supper-club for menu ideas and hosting hacks.
