Four days into this heatwave and I’m passing on dresses; too much fabric. Skirts are too clingy around the legs. Trousers? Forget it!
My solution? A very chic matching 100% linen shirt and shorts set from Next, and it will work for you, too.
Here’s why. The linen part is easy. It’s light, natural, allows the skin to breathe and keeps you cooler in the heat. Plus, a loose, airy shirt that covers your shoulders and arms is as protective as it is chic. Not everyone wants to crisp up in the sun, after all.
Now to shorts. Shorts come in many guises. Just one look at what the different generations are wearing in the street will tell you that. Teenagers are wearing glorified knickers. Twenty and thirty-somethings are choosing body-hugging sports shorts – often in polyester. Not for me, thank you.
This is where a looser cut, boxer-style linen short is the answer, and they work on every body shape and size, whether you are tall and a curvy size 20, or petite and a slim size 6 or somewhere in between.
You’d think finding these matching holy grail summer items in stock would be easy. Maybe two weeks ago, yes, but today mid-heatwave? No.
In fact, I’ve looked at so many brands to find a set only to find most - from brands including M&S (who are brilliant at floaty summer dresses) and With Nothing Underneath - are totally sold out. I even considered buying summer shortie pajamas as a solution.
That is until I found this 100% linen set by Next from their curve collection, available in two colours, a cream with brown stripe or in a pink and lilac stripe, in sizes from 6 to 26, and in washable 100% linen. They also have a cotton and linen set in deckchair stripes that's worth looking at.
Most amazing of all? These sets are fully stocked in every size right now. A find this good is worth celebrating.
Just to add, wearing shorts and a shirt that don’t match can be done elegantly with a roomy cotton striped shirt and plain shorts, but a matching set is where you can make a real heatwave fashion statement.
