Weekend Looks for the Summer

Words: Jabulile Dlamini-Qwesha | Styling: Robin-Jade Carolus | Photography: Bevan Davis

It’s easy to get lazy with summer style when your main priority is staying cool and comfort has reached the level of consequence where it could ruin your entire day if compromised. Slipping into shorts and a crop top starts sounding like the logical option du jour for every single time you step out. The truth: summer dressing isn’t a case of “everything revealing goes” and the concept of occasion-appropriate dressing doesn’t just fall away with winter layering. Consider getting clever with breathable fabrics and flowy silhouettes, you won’t compromise comfort and, most importantly, you’ll also not always look like you’re just taking out the trash.

So, because warm weekends were made for socialising, here’s a breakdown of where you’re likely to go and the perfect looks to go in.

Brunch

Arguably the Beyoncé of summer outings, brunch is for chuckles, champagne and pretty Instagram posts. One of the instances where you have to consider the elements the least, you can have fun with your look and get quite feminine with a cinched waist, elevated heel and bare shoulders.

Braai

Practical and comfortable, jeans and a tee are the ultimate braai style starter pack... but it’s 2017 and we’re definitely making them fashion. The cut of the season is wide-leg frayed denim, so that’s an obvious recommendation, but just to make sure you’re hitting all the marks of sophistication, ask yourself: “what else would Victoria Beckham do?” Wear a neck scarf, heels and a bold lip, of course.

Market

One thing that could easily make your time at the market unbearable is the alternative seating. Think about it: you’re probably eating as much as you can with a tall flute of demisec in hand, so the chances of you getting bloated are at an all-time high and you have to get cosy on a bench, or worse, the floor. The last thing you need is to be restricted by a waistband and button. Get into a cotton slip dress, which won’t limit you when you need to drop it low to sit, and layer it with a basic tee to protect your shoulders from the sun, in case you don’t get a spot in the shade. And, because you’re an extra fashion bae, create a print clash with animal print sunnies, get a tick for trendy kicks with the Nike Cortez and pull the everything together with a bold red lip.

Sundowners

It’s not quite a night out, but it certainly isn’t a day out either, dressing for sundowners (and tapas) is about finding a stylish middle ground between the two. And what honestly makes all of the difference here is your beauty look, the colour of the print you choose and the inches on your heels. The best way to handle this is with your hair pulled back, statement jewellery, a low key block heel and never forget the bold lip.