Summer fashion with linen & chinos: looks for hot days

Advertising in collaboration with THE BRITISH SHOP

Remember when summer just meant wearing less? When the only fashion challenge was shaving your legs in time before slipping into your dress? Well. Welcome to the phase of life in which summer no longer only comes from outside, but also from within.

Menopause has its own sense of humor. They send you hot flashes right when you least need them. In the meeting. At the supermarket checkout. Or trying to put together a semi-confident summer look that doesn’t look like I’ve just completed a marathon in five minutes. The internal heating runs at full speed in a completely unpredictable manner – and suddenly summer fashion is no longer just a question of style, but of pure survival. I need fabrics that breathe. Cuts that don’t bother me. And summer fashion that balances the temperature without making me look like I’m in my pajamas.

The chinos, the red thread and the thing with the socks

This is exactly where I see what good summer fashion really has to achieve. It has to work without me having to think too much about it. My solution to this fashionable heat battle? British fashion classics. I know that sounds paradoxical at first. But anyone who can dress stylishly on a rainy island obviously understands how clothing works even under difficult conditions. Let’s take the sand-colored pleated chinos that I showed you back in spring. If jeans are the mother of all pants, then these chinos are the deeply relaxed aunt that will never embarrass you.

In the spring I wore it with a thick wool jacket. Now that temperatures are rising, the pants remain – but the styling is changing. It sits so wonderfully relaxed that it doesn’t get annoying even on days when everything sticks. The sand tone is the epitome of a summer look anyway. And yes, I pair them with loafers and – drumroll – red socks. Because to be honest: at some point I decided that I no longer wanted to make myself look fashionably small. If I feel like color, then I feel like color. Point.

The internal heating cannot be switched off. But I can make sure that my outfit doesn’t work against it.

Small details, big impact

And those little red exclamation marks on the foot do exactly what they’re supposed to: they take the outfit out of “nice” and move it towards “intentionally so”. One or two people actually took a look at the market – not dramatically, but rather a quick, curious look. And that’s exactly enough for me. I’m wearing a red knitted polo-style shirt from Barbour. Red! I can already hear the first people shouting: “Red makes you even hotter!” Incorrect. Poppy red makes you awake. It’s the perfect kick of freshness on days when your energy level swings somewhere between the couch and the coffee machine.

The fine cable knit pattern and the polo collar give the whole thing a structure that looks sporty, but thanks to the elegant knit it doesn’t look like a tennis court. And because it is made of pure cotton, it can withstand any temperature changes without complaint. If it’s still cool in the morning, I’ll just throw a leather jacket over it. This immediately breaks up the braveness of the polo and gives the whole thing just the right amount of casualness.

But what about the office? The absolute minefield. You want to appear professional, but you don’t want to stew in your own juices. This is where my absolute summer secret weapon comes into play: linen.
Linen is my best friend in the summer anyway, but since menopause got involved, it’s a deep, heartfelt love. It cools, it breathes and yes, it wrinkles. But honestly: linen wrinkles beautifully. And I really have no ambition to keep ironing it out. That’s part of it. For the perfect business look on hot days, I fell in love with a checked linen vest from Charles Robertson. The pattern in denim blue and strawberry is a great eye-catcher without being loud.

Underneath I wear a white jersey blouse with a goblet collar from Herringbone. And here I have to rave for a moment: This goblet collar in combination with the V-neck of the vest is brilliant. It frames the face, looks super elegant and the soft Swiss cotton jersey is so incredibly comfortable that I almost forget that I’m even “dressed”. The highlight of this layered look: When the internal (or external) heat hits, I quickly take off the vest. Thanks to the special blouse, I still have a complete look and don’t suddenly end up in an undershirt.

Linen, creases and the evening program

I combine this with blue summer trousers with pressed creases, also made from a cool linen mix. The mottled sky blue goes perfectly with the vest. The trousers have a classic, straight cut and pressed creases, which immediately look like business, but feel more like vacation thanks to the linen content. For me, it is exactly this mix that defines modern summer fashion. And when the evening cools down? Then the Barbour raw denim shirt comes into play. It has an oversized cut and works fantastically as a sturdy overshirt for this otherwise rather fine look.

What really counts in the end

For me, this whole topic of summer fashion now only works if it makes my everyday life easier. I’m tired of clothes that look good but get annoying after an hour. The parts of THE BRITISH For me, SHOP hits exactly this point: classics that work without being boring. Materials that think for themselves. Cuts that leave room for maneuver. And outfits that still look good even when the day doesn’t quite go according to plan.

Because if we are honest: the internal heating cannot be switched off. But at least I can make sure that my outfit doesn’t work against it. And now it’s your turn: How do you feel about summer fashion? Are you team “flutter dress” or team “trousers and blouse”? And how do you deal with the internal heating? Thank you very much for your time and your visit here on the blog. I wish you a wonderful, relaxing Sunday! If you haven’t done so yet, please subscribe to my blog so that you never miss a post.

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Details about spring style with THE BRITISH SHOP

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