I don’t know about you, but this heatwave has made me feel…messy. A little bit undone. A feeling that came into sharp focus today when I spotted a woman in the street who looked so cool, stylish and unruffled by the heat she stopped me in my tracks.
She was wearing a zingy geranium red tailored linen shirt worn with the top two buttons open, with matching tailored pleat-front linen trousers and simple black slider sandals.
She looked so serenely polished and untroubled by the weather I assumed the pieces were by a luxury brand. Either that or she’d just stepped out of a taxi of well air-conditioned office.
When I asked her where she had bought her outfit (because I had to know) it turned out she was wearing the exact 100% linen trousers and shirt set from Zara you can see here.
I mean! Within minutes I found the shirt and trousers, fully stocked I might add, on Zara’s website, and together they cost just two pennies shy of £70.
Matching Black linen trousers, £39.99
This fact blew my mind - £70 to look serene, polished and luxury-coded. But it also got me to thinking about the best way to dress in extreme heat. Because while this weather still feels like a novelty, the Met Office says we can expect many more days like this as our summers become hotter.
Matching 100% LINEN PLEATED TROUSERS, £39.99
Of course, it wasn't just the colour-drenched red linen that made her stand out. It was the impression that the weather simply wasn't bothering her.
100% LINEN PLEATED TROUSERS BY ZW COLLECTION
100% LINEN PLEATED TROUSERS BY ZW COLLECTION
Matching 100% LINEN SHIRT, £29.99
I think that's the real secret of smart heatwave dressing. Tailored linen doesn't just keep you cooler than many other fabrics; it creates structure, movement and the illusion of composure. Even if you're wilting inside, you end up looking polished and unruffled on the outside.
Perhaps the best bit of news about this tailored linen set is that Zara offer this exact outfit in three further colours. If red is not for you, it also comes in white, black or soft baby pink linen. Take your pick.
Though, for my money, red and black will always look more unruffled, and they'll work later, too, layered with a linen knit and paired with smarter shoes, such as loafers or slimline sneakers.
