What To Wear In The City This Summer

London in the sunshine is the absolute best! Honestly, the city comes to life in the sun. People are happier, so much more friendly and we're all just living our best lives in the sun right?! There's nothing I love more than going for a wander in the sunshine on the weekends but a stroll in the city isn't like a stroll along the beach. There are other, less glamorous, factors to consider like will my dress stay put? Will I stay cool on the underground? And potentially the most important, will my shoes be comfortable?

This post is sponsored by Marks and Spencer. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

 SHOP THE POST:

The summer months for me are all about dressing comfortably, there's nothing more frustrating than feeling too hot (honestly - it's the absolute worst!) Whether that be during your daily antics in the city or whilst on holiday, feeling too hot is something I loathe. With that said, finding the perfect summer outfit is essentially a challenge. What do you need in a summer outfit? For me, it needs to meet some specifications: the three c's to be precise (just made this up but I'm pretty pleased with it haha!) Putting together an outfit that is cute, comfortable and cool is a must - the three c's unveiled.

I try to keep a distinct variation of my style throughout the summer; my summer in the city style varies from my summer abroad style. When you live and work in a city, like I do, I think ticking off the three c's can be quite hard - how do you stay cool whilst stuffed in on the tube and stand comfortably whilst squashed like a pack of sardines on your daily commute and still look cute?! Yeah, it's a challenge.

So let's start with the core of the outfit, what I'm wearing on top (does anybody else say this when talking about their outfit?) Currently I'm all about dresses, if you were to take a peek into my wardrobe you would find a vast array of dresses spewing out and I'll admit, I became a bit bored of dresses a few weeks ago but that phase quickly went away and now I'm all over them again!

When I came across this striped midi dress on the Marks and Spencer website, I was sold! Midi dresses are my personal favourite because I feel the most comfortable in them, particularly when out and about in London. My job requires me to get from A to B, usually on foot, in central London multiple times a day (there's a lot of back and forth!) The last thing I want to do is to be constantly thinking about having to pull down whatever I'm wearing so it doesn't ride up whilst I walk and I don't want any mishaps with the wind either (mini skater skirts/dresses are not my friend on busy days!) A midi dress is a safe bet in my eyes, you quite simply can't go wrong!

This striped midi dress is also a step into some colour. I know, I know, nothing groundbreaking but if you're not a fan of colour or prefer something more safe then something simple like choosing navy over black can make a huge difference in the summer - a slight change from monochrome. The vertical stripes on the skirt elongate your body and the horizontal stripes along the bust break that up along with the belt which you can either tie at the front or back of the dress. I chose to go for a bow across the front as I like how it breaks up the stripes and it helps accentuate the smallest part of your body. Finally, and quite possibly the best bit - large straps! As these straps are so thick you can easily disguise your everyday bra underneath, meaning no need to wear a strapless bra all day long.

Which leads us onto the shoes! Finding summer footwear for the city is hard. Finding summer sandals can be a challenge in itself, so finding sandals that are comfortable for the city and everything city living entails, walking for hours on end whilst still trying look and feel cute in your summer outfit is an even bigger challenge.

Again, the three c's come to mind. Boots are out of the question because they're just not cool enough in the summer heat (as much as I love wearing ankle boots with dresses, I just don't think I could fathom it throughout June - August). A comfortable pair of sandals can be quite hard to come by, despite having so little material they somehow always seem to rub in places you don't want them to rub.

When I came across these flatforms on Marks and Spencer, I knew they ticked all the boxes. I love that they have a flatform, the chunky sole makes it so much more comfortable to walk in on days when there's a lot of back and forth in the city. The cross design along the front is very popular right now, you'll see a lot of this design in sandals at the moment so that's cute ticked off the list and finally, the ankle strap gives you a little more support for days consisting of a lot of walking. Not to mention the fact they're black so will go with absolutely everything in your summer wardrobe. If you're packing for a trip abroad, pack a pair of sandals that you know will go with everything else you pack.

I've shared some of my top tips for choosing sandals and staying on top of your summer footcare on the Marks and Spencer website, you can see that post here.

SHOP MORE M&S SANDALS:

Of course, I couldn't finish off this post without talking about my accessories either. You know me, I'm all about my jewellery pieces and always wearing some. Usually a necklace, bracelet - both of which never come off - some hoop earrings and a watch on my wrist. If I leave the house without any of these I never feel like myself!

...and a bag big enough to house all the things I don't need but carry anyway. Straw bags are so popular right now that if you don't have one yet... how did you manage that?! There are so many plastered all over the highstreet at the moment, it's hard to resist! This round straw bag is great for the city as it's quite large but manages to still hold its shape (despite how many unnecessary things you fit in) and I really love the pop of pink for a bit of fun. This fits a laptop and all your essentials for the city and would also look amazing on holiday, at the airport filled with your travel essentials or on the beach with your suncream and beach towel.

SHOP THE POST:

Striped midi dress - (c/o) Marks and Spencer
Straw bag - (c/o) Marks and Spencer
Flatform sandals - (c/o) Marks and Spencer
[Photos taken by Faith]