Look and feel cool this summer with the right clothes

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animal prints, beach, bikini bottoms, black capri pants, black dress, blanket, Body con dresses, breathe, cami, capsule wardrobe, chic, classic, classy, comfort, cotton shirts, crisp, day time dress, denim, dresses, exfoliate, fantastic outfits, feel, fitted t-shirts, floaty, florals, foundation, gold accessories, good quality sunscreen, heat, hot pants, jeans, kaftans, leg-lengthening wedges, light jacket, lightweight, limbs, look, lose, love, midi dresses, monochrome mixes, navy city shorts, navy vest, office, oversize shirt, pale, party, party dresses, patchy, pins, relaxed, rule of thumb, sharp, shave, shorts, smart look, statement necklace, style, summer, super short denim cut-offs, tailored shorts, tee, tube, wardrobe staple, wax, weather, weekend, white, work

While we love the sunshine, as the temperatures rise, it can be tricky to know what to wear so you look, and feel, cool wherever you are.

Pretty dresses and crop tops are great for keeping the heat at bay, but while they work at the weekend, they might not do the job in the boardroom. The general rule of thumb is that if it works for the beach, it probably won’t be right for the office.

We have had a look at how you can look and feel cool this summer whatever you are doing, wherever you are doing it.

Cut down on denim
We know that denim is a wardrobe staple, but standard jeans, dresses and even skirts can make you feel as if you are wrapped in a blanket and your limbs will struggle to breathe. If you like the comfort of denim but not the heaviness, go for a lightweight, pale option that you can match with a navy vest and pretty pumps and you’ll have an effortlessly chic, cool look in moments.

Make shorts work for you
Let’s get this out of the way – hot pants, super short denim cut-offs and bikini bottoms are great for the beach and pool, but when it comes to going to work or the shops, we would suggest a slightly longer length. If you want a sharp, smart look, the answer is tailored shorts with a signature tee tucked in and leg-lengthening wedges.

Trash the tights
Yes, some people hate their legs so much that they will still wear tights in summer. You don’t need to! OK, they might be pale and patchy but if you exfoliate, shave or wax and apply a gentle tanning product, you will soon love your pins.

Create a capsule wardrobe
This sounds a little structured, but if you get the basics right you are on the way to winning when it comes to the cool stakes. We all have our own style but crisp, cotton shirts, fitted t-shirts, midi dresses, decent underwear, shorts and flat sandals are a good starting point. You can then add a light jacket, statement necklace and bold bag and dress things up and down to match the weather and occasion.

Keep it lose
Body con dresses look might be on trend, but if you are on the tube or in the bank queue, you are going to feel hot and sticky. Yes, wear those fantastic outfits when you party, but for the day time you might want to go for something that is more relaxed and floaty as this can keep you cool and save those embarrassing underarm marks.

Think about neutrals
You might think that when summer comes you need to ditch everything else and only wear white, but this isn’t the case. A classic black dress and gold accessories, navy city shorts and a fresh white tee, or black capri pants and a fitted short-sleeved shirt, all look fantastic, classic and classy and will show off your tan perfectly.

Grab a kaftan
Kaftans aren’t just for the beach; they can actually work well as a day time dress or oversized shirt. We would suggest you go for monochrome mixes, animal prints or florals but one word of warning – if they are see-through wear a cami to save blushes.

Add in sunscreen
Even if there are clouds in the sky, the sun’s rays can still get through and burn your skin. Whatever else you wear, please make sure you apply a good quality sunscreen before you go out in the sun. It’s it key to also use a facial sunscreen and if you don’t want to overdo the foundation, try a tinted moisturiser instead for the summer months.

Team Pure-Beauty

The Best of British Beaches

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beach beauty, beautiful coastline, beer, Bigbury-on-Sea, bird spotting, blanket, blue sea, Bridlington, British soil, bucket and spade, Burgh Island, Cliff top walks, Compton Bay, Cornwall, crabbing, dolphin, Dorset, enjoying, Extreme Academy, family friendly, festival goers, flask, golden sand, Gower Peninsula, Gozo, gulls, Ibiza, ice cream, Isle of Wight, Kos, locations, lucky, Newquay, ocean reflection., passport, picnic, Pilchard Inn, powerful Atlantic swells, quiet afternoon, Rhossili, Robin Hood’s Bay, rock pools, sandwiches, Scarborough, sea and sand, shallow waters, south coast, Special, steep steps, sun, Sun cream, sunset, surf dudes, surfing, swimming, Tennyson Trail, unwrapping, visitor facilities, Wales, wall to wall sunshine, Watergate Bay, waves, West Wittering, Weymouth, white sand, windy, Yorkshire

While some people love nothing more than packing up and jetting off on a plane to Ibiza, Kos or Gozo, for others there is something special about enjoying the beautiful coastline of home.

OK, you can’t guarantee wall to wall sunshine for a fortnight, you can be pretty sure you will some pretty spectacular sun, sea and sand on British soil.

We have had a look at some of the best locations around, and hope you might rethink the need to pack your passport when you next travel.

Cornwall
If you are looking for miles of golden sand, Watergate Bay near Newquay is the place to be. Cliff top walks, crabbing, bird spotting are all on the cards and with the Extreme Academy on the beach you might learn a thing or two about surfing while you are there.

Yorkshire
North Yorkshire has many beaches with Robin Hood’s Bay, Scarborough and Bridlington being some of the most well-known and loved. If you are looking to get off the beaten track then we would suggest trying Hunmanby for a gorgeous, flat, sandy beach that soaks up the sun and doesn’t get too crowded so is perfect for a quiet afternoon of ocean reflection.

Isle of Wight
With the festival goers gone, why not join the surf dudes on stunning Compton Bay this summer? This is a brilliant spot for unpacking the deck chairs and unwrapping sandwiches and watching the waves roll in and the gulls fly by. If you fancy a walk, try the Tennyson Trail which laces along the coastline and then stop off for an ice cream and beer to top off your very British day.

Wales
There are many, many incredible beaches in Wales but one of the very best, has to be the stunning Rhossili. Sitting on the Gower Peninsula, this is home to some BIG waves and powerful Atlantic swells, so it is more about surfing than swimming but if you can make it down the steep steps, we promise you that you are in for a treat and you might even spot a dolphin if you are really lucky.

Dorset
Yes, there is the traditional seaside paraphernalia, but Weymouth is also home to an outstanding three-mile beach that is well-known and well-loved and worth a visit to. Grab a picnic, blanket, fill a flask (or water bottle) and enjoy all the south coast has to offer, but remember the sun cream because even on windy days, those rays can be strong.

Sussex
For total beach beauty, you really have to go to West Wittering. While there are some visitor facilities, the white sand and blue sea are the main attraction of this beach. Pack up the car, take the inflatables and if you stay all day, you will get to enjoy a totally mesmerising sunset.

Devon
Our list wouldn’t be complete without a pick from Devon and we are going for the family friendly Bigbury-on-Sea. The shallow waters, rock pools and glorious sand, make it the perfect place for a bucket and spade kind of day. Pack your swimmers and if you are feeling brave, when the tide goes out you can paddle towards Burgh Island and stop at the Pilchard Inn for a much-needed snack stop.

Got a beach you love? Let us know where it is as we love to explore.

Team Pure-Beauty