The ultimate summer shopping guide: 50 ways to look stylish in the sun

As temperatures climb, I find your summer wardrobe really needs to pull its weight. If you’re like me, you rely on versatile go-to pieces that anchor nearly all your outfits – pieces that work beautifully for every body shape, and which offer options, whether you want to go all-out or just dip a toe in. Florals may not be groundbreaking for summer, but this season they return with a contemporary edge, and there’s something for everyone in the trend: romantic and soft, delicate rosebuds and sheer botanical prints. The contrast to the romantic side of this look is bold and graphic. If this is more your vibe, look out for punchy graphic daisies and vibrant tropical blooms.

This season’s hero skirt – the undisputed staple of the summer – is the midi floral: floaty, feminine and versatile. I like to toughen the look with a T-shirt or vest, or I slip on a plain swimsuit and cover it with an oversized shirt, the summer’s replacement cardigan. If you’re not entirely sold on full-on floral prints, ease your way in with bouquet floral drop earrings, or delicate beaded clusters, or a handwoven flower raffia bag. And finish with a flat leather sandal. Marks and Spencer’s double-buckle pair works with everything.

For more colour, I like to mix electric brights with bold deckchair stripes. And there’s plenty of choice in this season’s collections, from fun, flirty mini skirts to vibrant shorts. A personal favourite – one that’s a failsafe in heatwave conditions, and which allows you to embrace your inner bohemian – is the breezy, sheer tiered dress. If it works for Kate Moss, Sienna Miller, Zoë Kravitz and Alexa Chung – who always seem to top the best-dressed festival dressing lists by blending delicate fabrics, sheer layers, chunky boots, and statement sunglasses – it will most likely work for us.

And if none of this floats your boat? The ultimate summer fallback is luxe sportswear. Dominated by crisp whites and creams, it blends easy coastal-prep heritage with stripped-back 90s minimalism. If an all-white outfit sounds like too much laundry, hunt for colourful vintage track tops and tees on Rokit or Beyond Retro. Layer a rugby shirt or a baseball T-shirt over your floaty boho dress and complete the look with Puma Speedcat trainers. The great thing about these trends is they all allow for crossover. Mix and match. Keep what works for you. And suddenly you’ll have built a summer wardrobe.

Luxe sport: This look blends easy coastal-prep heritage with stripped-back 90s minimalism – think crisp whites and creams with vintage track tops and tees

1 Fancy button polo shirt, £95.40, Sandro

2 Knit dress, £178, Reformation x Umbro

3 Jacket, £328, Reformation x Umbro

4 Stretch movement cap, £40, Alex Eagle

5 Speedcat Go Wns trainers, £72, Zalando

6 Striped pleated tennis skirt, £215, Tory Burch (mytheresa.com)

7 Linen pleated trousers, £49.99, Zara

8 Serif logo embroidered sweatpant, £160, Sorty and Rich

9 Aitana pants, £198, Reformation x Umbro

10 Earth gem packable jacket, £158, Free People

11 Aventrail R2T trail, £100, Teva

12 Rib modal-blend long tank top, £22.99, Oysho

Stripes and brights: Mix and match electric brights with bold deckchair stripes, whether it’s through fun, flirty mini skirts, vibrant shorts, or shirts and accessories

1 Striped linen mini-dress, £285, Staud (Harvey Nichols)

2 Buttercup polo shirt £284, Mother Denim

3 Striped tote bag, £32, Accessorize

4 Cobalt linen shorts, £52, Fat Face

5 Woven pointed ballet flats, £89, Dune

6 Regatta-blue stripe shirt, £150, Wyse London

7 Striped knit scoop-neck vest, £98, Reiss

8 Bahamas striped linen shorts, £235, Cala de la Cruz (Harvey Nichols)

9 Striped knitted shorts, £29.99, Mango

10 Red boyfriend shirt, £130, With Nothing Underneath

11 Leather double-buckle flat sandal, £39, Marks and Spencers

12 Linen-rich shirred tie-detail maxi skirt, £26, Marks and Spencers

Boho-cool: Blend delicate, floaty fabrics and sheer layers with statement accessories for that bohemian, summer festival vibe

1 Rainbow gemstone necklace, £58, Astley Clarke

2 Strappy mini-dress with ruffle detail, £119, Massimo Dutti

3 Heptagonal sunglasses, £195, Me+Em

4 Barrel-leg trousers, £95, Hush

5 Leather hiker boots, £88, Jones Bootmaker

6 Quilted cropped waistcoat, £99, AllSaints

7 Paisley print headscarf, £13, Anthropologie

8 Open-back printed tiered maxi dress, £196, Lonai Studio

9 Embroidered striped skirt, £175, Wrap London

10 Parka, £95, Marks and Spencers

11 Cotton-lace maxi skirt, £375, Wiggy Kit

12 Raffia belt, £75, Sezane

13 Raffia duffle bag, £140, The White Company

14 Dark khaki cargo shorts, £27.99, New Look

15 Round-toe western boot, £130, Ariat

Florals: This season florals return with a contemporary edge, and there’s something for everyone: romantic and soft, delicate rosebuds and sheer botanical prints

1 Tiered lace maxi skirt, £199, AllSaints

2 Side-ruched floral dress, £35.99, Mango

3 Handwoven flower raffia bag, £185, Sahara London

4 Floral Bikini top £70 and bottoms, £65, Sea Folly (Selfridges)

5 Watercolour rose-print T-shirt, £49, Jigsaw

6  Beaded clip-on earrings, £255, Isabel Marant (My Theresa)

7 Wild-spice floral swimsuit, £220, Nounou

8 Floral skirt, £79, AllSaints

9 Flip-flops, £30, Havaianas

10 Ruched strappy top, £52 Mango

11 Silk and cotton-voile maxi dress, £300, Lonai Studio