Stop Buying New ‘Holiday’ Clothes

Greetings Spendthrifts,

It’s been a busy and fun month since I last wrote to you. I saw Rosalía play an honest-to-God lifechanging show at the O2 on her LUX tour (hands down the most gifted artist and live performer operating today). I had a delicious little early summer holiday, more on that below. I finally! Had! A wardrobe! Built! (You may recall I’ve been looking for someone to build my dream curved door wardrobe in my bedroom for AGES now… well, patience pays, because I found someone and I’m SO happy with the final result - I’ll be doing a deep dive into the process in an upcoming newsletter).

Earlier this week I delivered a mini-lecture on the joys of summertime dressing and the art of embracing wardrobe optimism, at a breakfast co-hosted by The Gentlewoman and Missoni on the (stunninggg) Georgian Terrace at Harrods.

I wore this deep V knitted Missoni vest (which I styled back-to-front, per the 9am setting), and these (on sale!) Seventies-coded jeans, also available here - size up on those.

I’ve reproduced the lecture in full at the bottom of this newsletter as a little treat for paid subscribers - and if you’re not already a member of The Gentlewoman Club, you really should sign up! Their events are always a vibe, and full of the most interesting, dynamic, creative women in town.

And speaking of events - my friend, poet and playwright Inua Ellams, persuaded me to join the lineup for Redacted, a live-literary gathering at the London Library on June 18th as part of their 185th anniversary celebrations. I say ‘persuaded’ - I’ve never taken part in an event like this, where I (and nine other fantastic writers) will be using a passage from Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World to create poetry on the spot and was being a bit of a baby about joining… but it sounds like a refreshingly different and fun event format so - see you there?

I’ve also been remiss in including my Grazia columns in here of late, so here’s a few of the most recent ones, including my thoughts on why Michael Jackson’s legacy has managed to endure despite the many (IMO highly credible) allegations against him; whether it’ll be possible for Blake Lively to enjoy a career revival post-Baldonigate; and this week’s column, in which I consider Belle Burden’s Strangers, Lena Dunham’s Famesick, and the problem with unreliable narrators. As always, I share all my columns as and when they’re published on my Instagram, so follow along there if you’d like to read them hot off the press.

Taking Your Regular Clothes On Holiday

Today’s fashion briefing is all about demonstrating the ease with which you can adapt your regular ‘at home’ wardrobe into summer holiday-appropriate looks, an ethos I’ve mentioned a few times in this newsletter now.

I had the opportunity to put this into practice myself last month after Le Collectionist - they of the gorgeous luxury villa rentals - offered to host me and a few of my friends at one of their properties, which led to me and four pals spending a very fun and funny week at the utterly unreal Casa Duna in Comporta, Portugal (one to bookmark for large groups - it actually sleeps up to 12). Our stay was the definition of luxury from start to finish - suffice to say returning home to my housekeeper-less flat was an adjustment. In order to keep this newsletter concise I won’t go into everything we got up to in Comporta here but I have updated my AmiGo profile with the best restaurants, beaches and horse riding excursions (!) we enjoyed while we were out there (use the code OTEGHA to skip the waitlist and get access if you don’t already).

Aside from what books to pack - I took Patrick Radden Keefe’s London Falling (INCREDIBLE) and Lena Dunham’s Famesick (mixed feelings on that one, touched on my reservations in my latest Grazia column) - my main holiday consideration is, obviously, clothes.

I like to dress to match my destination, and as I kept authoritatively telling the group - despite having never been myself - Comporta is “kind of like the Hamptons of Portugal”. It’s all laidback, sunbleached coastal vibes, which in my book means classic blue or white denim, linen shirts, espadrilles, and so on. (I turned out to be right about this prediction - the other holidaymakers I clocked were giving a distinctly upmarket preppy vibe). As such, a lot of my usual ‘holiday wardrobe’ didn’t feel quite right for this vibe, but I was also determined to resist buying new stuff just for this trip* - which meant turning to my day-to-day London spring and summer wardrobe to see what could be repurposed into holiday wear.

*besides a Burberry check bikini - although given I wrote about how much I wanted one of those last summer, a full year felt like a long enough wait to justify such a wantonly frivolous purchase.

Enough preamble. Here’s how I adapted my regular wardrobe to see me through a week in Comporta.

These are the khaki linen H&M trousers and satin bandeau top* (also H&M) I mentioned in last month’s newsletter, along with my trusty jelly crystal Aquazzura sandals (currently on sale and available in a few sizes on Net A Porter).

*If you’re a bigger size on your bottom half than your top half (hi!) then I’d buy that H&M top in a size up.

Here’s me answering what turned out to be a spam phone call during the ‘surprise’ horseriding excursion I organised for the gang - surprise is in quotation marks because one thing this holiday revealed is that I’m TERRIBLE at lying/general subterfuge. My pal took one for the team and brought the Traitors board game with her all the way from London, and while I could not recommend it more highly as a fun group activity, I ended up as the Traitor and was absolutely terrible at it. No poker face to speak of, zero strategy… It was a real voyage of self-discovery actually - I’d always thought I’d make a fantastic Traitor, but in reality simply could not hack it. Anyway, I digress.

Here are those H&M trousers again - you can really dress ‘em up or down so easily! - worn with this white vest top from Gap, this striped Tibi top tied around my waist (also available in navy/white), a very old pair of classic Tevas (got distracted on the Teva website and came across these which are kind of a vibe, no??) and these Linda Farrow sunnies. The black leather bumbag was a Marrakech souk purchase many moons ago, and you can find yourself a similar red bandana using Google :)

And here’s the Burberry bikini (bottoms here), which is admittedly a splurge but also - a really fun holiday wear. Farfetch have more styles and colourways available, some of which are on sale - mine’s the beige Sadie (which I think has a nice, slightly more subtle check pattern to it), though I also considered the baby pink version at one point.

Wearing it with these Gap long denim shorts (Arket also does a very similar version with more colourways, including white and beige), these Ancient Greek jelly flip flops (although honestly Ancient Greek have so many different styles of jelly sandals it’s worth taking a look around their website first before you commit) and a classic Rue de Verneuil tote that has served as both airport cabin bag and beach bag on many a holiday - I’d take advantage of the current Net A Porter sale to get one for 40% off if I were you. And here’s a bargain version from a rather unexpected source.

I think my favourite thing I wore on this holiday might actually be this lace headscarf I bought for 7€ in an Alentejo tourist shop (it wasn’t until I got home and uploaded pics to Insta that a fellow Rosalía obsessive pointed out it’s also very LUX-coded). Worn here with this Youswim bikini - I have about half a dozen Youswim bikinis and swimsuits in various cuts and colours and could not recommend them more highly. The fabric has enough hold to actually provide a decent amount of support, and the quality is excellent - can also vouch for their Poise bikini top style.

Here I am on our villa’s yoga pavilion (I know, I know) wearing said headscarf, the Ancient Greek jelly flip flops, and an old pair of Tibi Stella jeans - here’s an affordable alt for those jeans from Arket, and the money-no-object Phoebe Philo version (she has a few).

I had a look on Etsy to see if I could find you guys a similar lace headscarf, et voila! This one, this one, and this one all look like they’d fit the bill, and all come in under £15.

In case you missed it:

And you wouldn’t think a woollen vest would work in 25 degree weather but this sage green Soeur top (now on sale!) is so open at the sides it’s actually very cool, both figuratively and in a more literal sense. Make sure you wear a pretty bra underneath ‘cause it’s gonna be on show - I think I was wearing a turquoise Dora Larsen number here. Again with the white Tibi jeans, my seen-better-days Jil Sander sandals (I really need to replace mine, I’ve worn them to death), and my metallic silver Balenciaga Cagole XS.

Oh and these brown tortoiseshell Sun Buddies sunnies, which I think might be the pair of sunglasses I reach for the most (and I have… quite a few pairs to choose from). The shape and colour just seem to work with everything - I might actually need to add the black version to my collection given how often I wear my existing pair.

I bought this green Solid and Striped swimsuit yonks ago, probably nearly a decade ago now, and I’m super impressed by how well it’s held up over the years - no fading or sagging, and I’ve worn it loads. I think the solid black version is actually such a cool vibe, as is this ribbed version with white trim (it’s kinda giving Meredith from The Parent Trap, no?) I remember being drawn to this Solid and Striped style because I was looking for a really classic Baywatch style one-piece, which the low back on these achieves perfectly - and thankfully the leg isn’t cut as crotch-flashingly high as dear Pammy’s were.

My shorts are the best kind of vintage piece - free, because I pinched them from my mum. I actually tried to find the photo I’ve seen of her wearing them when she was my age but it eludes me - will share if it surfaces. Sunglasses are Linda Farrow, as before.

Also worn lots on this trip but not pictured: the off-white Soeur jazz shoes I wrote about having my eye on in my April newsletter (in the biz we call this conversion); a pair of cream Castañer espadrille wedges (the trick to avoid looking too ‘Kate Middleton at a village fete’ is to only ever buy very low, practically flat wedge espadrilles, and only in cream or black - no colours); and this Gap linen shirt which is very quickly becoming a summer wardrobe staple, and was a great poolside and beach cover up while I was away.

Rounding off this section with a GIF I made that sums up my holiday vibe (here’s that Tibi striped top again):

And now, here are (variations of!) those same holiday outfits and pieces worn at home in London.

Having a picnic in the park and yes, I brought proper glassware with me (that gorgeous cocktail shaker was a housewarming gift from a friend, but if I remember correctly is this one from Soho Home). The basket bag I bought in Marrakech years ago - didn’t take it to Comporta with me but have taken it on holidays in the past. I really like that it’s got a structured shape - here’s yours. And the swimming costume worn as a body is this Youswim one (told you I have loads of them). FYI: wearing a swimming costume as a top is my ultimate heatwave hack - far less hot and sweaty than a regular top, I guess because swimwear is designed to absorb moisture/keep you cool? And of course, my pilfered shorts from before.

I bought this vintage floral shirt from the Brick Lane Beyond Retro (RIP) for an Eighties themed NYE party circa 2014 - at the time I thought it would be a one and done situation, but after I removed the shoulder pads it ended up becoming one of my most enduring summer staples, torn button hole and all. Wearing it with the Gap shorts from before, and these square-toe Tibi sandals (which also come in a bunch of other fruity colours).

And here’s the two-tone Mango bag sitting on the floor in the background (which I think would make a great work bag), and those Bottega Veneta pumps in green croc (my butterscotch colourway are long sold out sadly). A note on those Bottegas actually - I managed to snag mine on sale and they’ve very quickly shown themselves to be the perfect ‘in-between’ shoe - smart enough to work for even a very dressy event, but chill enough to work for daytime wear also. Plus they have a 75mm heel (i.e. COMFORTABLE), all of which is to say - if you’re in the market to invest in a versatile pair of shoes you can wear at all manner of occasions, you could do a lot worse - and probably not much better! - than these ones.

This fun and flirty Mango skirt + New Balance baby tee is actually a holiday look I wore when we went out for dinner one night in Comporta. We’d all agreed to ‘dress up’ but then I got back to my room and realised I hadn’t packed anything particularly dressy so just sort of cobbled this look together, hoping the embellishment on my sandals and metallic silver bag added enough pizzazz to pass for at least moderately dressy. That said I liked it enough that I recreated it back in London for drinks one evening during that glorious heatwave we had over the May bank holiday. (The empty bedroom behind me was because I’d just cleared it out ahead of my wardrobe build commencing!!)

And finally, the same New Balance baby tee, worn with an old pair of Raey trousers (RIP Raey but also - have you heard the good news?!) and my Nomasei loafers to go see Rosalía. I think I might add a few more slogan-y baby tees to my summer wardrobe actually, starting with this blue Climax Books tee once they’ve restocked my size. (The pinstripe blazer in the background comes with these matching suit trousers).

So as you can see, your holiday and ‘regular’ wardrobe is probably far more interchangeable than you’d realised. I’m hoping to go away again later this summer (just need to decide on where - tips welcome!) and I know many of these looks will make a repeat appearance on said holiday, as well as here in London (if we get a summer that is).

Share

The Art of Wardrobe Optimism

As delivered to The Gentlewoman Club on 9th June 2026.

Summer in Britain is one of our most precious commodities, one that demands we seize it with both hands. Famously capricious and often late, it is the Hollywood diva of seasons – highly temperamental, but so majestic once it finally does take the stage that all is quickly forgiven.

That unpredictability lends an urgency to this season that feels uniquely British – I’m not sure summer invites quite the same level of hysteria anywhere else in the world as it does here. Brits, famously preoccupied with the weather, are even more obsessed with summer.

Read more