Summer white

White has traditionally been a colour people wear in summer. It’s often said that it’s the best choice, as white reflects the sunlight and helps to keep your body cool.

            Now scientists are saying that actually isn’t true, and white clothing doesn’t help keep the sun off any more than black clothing. However, as scientists seem to change their minds about such things every few years, it’s quite possible they will revert to the popular theory by 2018.

            In any case, I’ve believed for so long that white is cooler, I feel cooler wearing white. Such is the power of the mind. There are also so many related, cooling images, like swans gliding around in a pond. 

            I love wearing white in summer. My favourite option is a dress that has some room in the skirt, like the one shown below. This allows for air circulation. I also like to wear a simple white shirt, or T shirt, with a colourful skirt. Finished with a white hat, it’s a perfect outfit for a summer afternoon.

            Some women steer clear of white because they say it shows the dirt. That’s true, but if you stick with white cotton or silk, it’s also really easy to clean. You can spot-clean with soda water for those café spills, and soak in a good stain remover if you’ve really done some damage.

            White is universally elegant, and a touch of black seems to make it more so. Think of Audrey Hepburn in the famous racing scene in My Fair Lady (see above). She is the epitome of elegance. Although I’m not sure I’d want to carry quite that much weight around on my head!

Places of enchantment

One of the most wonderful things about travelling is the opportunity it gives you to admire architecture. I particularly love visiting parts of the world where I can see older buildings. In Australia we don’t have the castles and palaces that populate Europe – relics of a time when buildings were made to last, and beauty was more evident because artisans were cheap and plentiful.

Some time ago I was in Sevilla for a week. That beautiful Spanish city has many stunning buildings, but surely one of the most romantic has to be the Real Alcázar (also known as the Palacio Real). It is a massive compound that has developed over centuries, beginning in 1161 during the Moorish dynasty, expanded in 1364 in the Mudéjar style, after the Christian reconquest of Spain, and added to by many monarchs since. It is the oldest palace in the world that is still actively used by a Royal family.  

There is something enchanting about the spacious rooms, exquisitely decorative even without the historically illuminating tapestries. The palace gardens are magnificent, and when you walk down into the underground baths and cisterns you feel as though you have to hold your breath. If it wasn’t for all the tourists in their shorts and thongs, you could swear that you had stepped back in time.

I’m not saying that everyone should visit an ancient castle in mediaeval dress, but I always like to feel in tune with my surroundings. Now, looking back, I’m so glad I wore a romantic, white frock when I visited the Palacio Real. As well as being the coolest and most comfortable option for a very hot summer’s day, it looks nice in the photographs. Surely, in our age of frenzied selfie-taking, that should be a consideration of paramount importance?

Dressing for summer that isn't a summer

Some climates are really hard to dress for, and there can’t be many places in the world more challenging for your wardrobe choice than Melbourne in summer.

Our wonderful city is famous for its “three seasons in a day”. You can go out in the morning in a summer dress because the sun is shining, but by afternoon clouds will have come from nowhere, the temperature has plummeted and it’s cold. This is particularly noticeable in the city, where the tall buildings create wind tunnels, and the breeze cuts through clothing like a scimitar.  

If you’re like me, you’re no longer happy to suffer for fashion, so what can you wear that is going to cover all bases? Well, everyone knows about layering, but to make sure I’m never too hot or too cold, I think more carefully about fabric.

Normally, silk is my favourite material, but on a very warm day silk will encourage you to perspire freely, and it shows (eek!) so in summer I turn to cotton dresses like the ones pictured below.

Cotton definitely won’t stand up to a Melbourne evening, so if I’m going out I’ll take a light jacket or blazer. My favourite is a russet brown coat, which is actually a raincoat as well, so very useful for those sudden showers. It folds up quite small, so I can put it in a bag. But even this won’t always be enough, so my secret addition is a cashmere cardigan. Cashmere is so warm, and it’s light. You can stuff a cardigan in your handbag and pull it out only when necessary. It’s also very useful for those restaurants or theatres with over-enthusiastic air-conditioning.

The other important consideration is shoes. I generally prefer open-toed shoes in summer, like the Karen sandal, or the Annika shoe. Both of these styles will also stand up to a sudden weather change, or a shower. But if there is no chance of rain, I love to wear the Megan in pink or yellow. There is nothing like a splash of colour to make any day feel like a holiday. Bring on summer!