The Who What Wear UK group chat pings endlessly with hot-weather dressing tips these days. The temperature shot up all of a sudden, forcing our heavier layers back into hibernation, and some of us can’t cope with the humidity or the hayfever. As fashion editors, the pressure is very real to have an array of fantastic looks lined up to remix and repeat effortlessly through the season. And like a marathon or any other daunting task, it pays to break down the entire summer into key moments or events before tackling the corresponding outfits individually. That way, there’s clarity on which timeless or trending pieces are needed to plug wardrobe gaps and maximise your overall performance.
It’s freeing to wear whatever you want in and out of the office (within reason) and our editors don’t hold back. “My main goal is to be comfortable but polished. So I quite like easy dresses, neutrals like cream, and leaning into summer trends without going too hard,” shares deputy editor Rebecca Rhys-Evans. She is always down to experiment and defines her personal style as "eclectic", whereas anything overly fussy puts junior fashion editor Imani-Nia Francis-Tsolaki right off as she hones a decidedly casual model-off-duty aesthetic. “Summer dressing to me means light and carefree. Honestly, it's just throwing lots of pieces on together and praying that they work,” Imani-Nia explains.
Selecting the best pieces to shop, from the thousands that drop every day, so you don’t have to, is a Who What Wear UK editor’s bread-and-butter. But what Rebecca and Imani-Nia are particularly adept at is cutting through the hype and building memorable outfits, and the no-nonsense pair have the same soft spot for classic styles and durability. So when Matalan's SS26 collection hit their radar, the editors applied their usual logic, with their contrasting personal style in mind. Are these pieces chic or cool? Can they withstand the heat? Which specific summer occasions would I be over or under dressed at wearing this?
Matalan’s USP of having everything under one roof bodes well when discovering the expansive SS26 womenswear collection. All of the elevated basics grouped in the high-street retailer's latest boho-tinged edit have the relaxed silhouettes and artisanal details you might expect, only at an affordable price-point that isn’t usually associated with this level of quality. “Imani-Nia and I both wore this vest top that had little frill detail on the edge that was very subtle,” notes Rebecca and there were other pieces that they were both drawn too but graciously conceded to the other. The muted colour palette is something else that both editors praise before their preferences deviate. Rebecca rated the crochet pieces so highly that she opted for one of the tops, whilst Imani-Nia revelled in the collection’s colourful stripes and broke up a co-ord.
Rebecca and Imani-Nia unearthed some unbelievable finds to create four looks below that are purpose-built to resolve some of summer’s most pressing styling dilemmas their way. If you’ve got a flight or city break booked, or you’re at work during the week and busy socialising over the weekend, they’ve curated reliable pieces with infinite styling possibilities. “I want to look like I've thought this through but not tried hard,” stresses Imani-Nia, pinpointing the energy that all of these successful outfits radiate. Keep scrolling to shop their favourites.
Style notes: Every Who What Wear UK editor has a specialist fashion category and Rebecca is our resident shorts advisor. “In the height of summer, I will wear my shorts in the office. I love jorts and quite like balloon and biker shorts too,” she says. She favours longer and voluminous short silhouettes so, while the shorter Comfort Utility Shorts (£16) that anchor her first look fit true to size, they were previously uncharted style territory. “I really like the colour and the pockets. They’re very “safari” with a comfortable drawstring waist.”
Rebecca’s shoe choice is another curveball. “Instead of dressing these shorts with flip flops, I wanted to marry the cream of these heeled sandals with the cream of the top to have that balance of colour.” The Scallop Crochet Jumper (£28) is exactly the kind of knitted boho-inspired top that excels in high summer (in the cooler European heat rather than the Caribbean) and easily nods to one of this season’s biggest trends: Broderie anglaise. “Overall, it's a simple and pared-back look that really lends well to more vivacious, fun accessories.” The Stripy Canvas Tote Bag (£22), which Rebecca could sweep her holiday and workday essentials into, is a strong case in point.
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Style notes: Hands up if you’re tracking the best airport looks as closely as we are? Homing in on the Denim Shacket (£30) first, Imani-Nia didn’t miss the opportunity to put her own cool-girl spin on this breezy aesthetic. “This look is very “me” and these pieces take you straight from the airport to the beach. Put on a bikini underneath and bag the denim jacket,” she says. More considered and hard-working than the pyjama bottoms they mimic, the extra-long length of these loose Blue Striped Trousers (£22) was a pleasant surprise for the 5’10” editor who wore them low slung on her hips. She’d usually fold over the waistband, too, for added comfort.
The key elements that aren’t blue are the slide-on-and-go Black Flip Flops (£2.50), hidden underneath the trousers, the sunglasses, and the spacious Natural Straw Shopper (£12.50). “This bag makes the look more ‘beach babe’. You could throw everything into it and be super happy that you've got everything that you need.” As far as Imani-Nia is concerned, this laid-back look is also a no-brainer for pub roasts, strolls with friends, whatever a slow Sunday entails, because, as we all know, layers are vital when pulling together winning “summer in England” outfits.
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Style notes: There are a few weekend occasions where jeans just don’t feel smart enough, say a birthday brunch but not a wedding, and this refined Brown Maxi Dress (£21) is Rebecca’s failsafe solution. “I really like the monotone thing of doing all chocolate brown. People do it a lot with white and black, and it’s a really easy way to make affordable pieces look more expensive,” she says. With the Strappy Heels (£20) and a deliberately smaller bag in the same rich chocolate as the dress, to elevate it, she used accent jewellery to inject personality and noted how timeless the final look felt.
Bohemian dressing is back and better than ever this summer. Whether you’re locked in or not, everyone can appreciate this free-flowing dress silhouette (which fits slightly oversized) and precise V-neckline. The lack of a surface pattern ensures that this minimal, cross-generational dress won’t date. “You could wear this on holiday to dinner in the evening, or even to work. I would wear this dress with flats and a little jacket too,” Rebecca adds, underlining that this versatile outfit can be restyled time and time again to maximise its incredible cost-per-wear ratio.
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Style notes: Imani-Nia admits that even though she already has a lightweight black skirt in her summer workwear rotation, she instantly gravitated towards the Black Poplin Maxi Skirt (£20). Polished pieces like this show you mean business in corporate and creative environments, and seamlessly dress-code-switch for drinks straight afterwards, so they are always worth upgrading and backing up. “You can add interest through a belt and positioning this one asymmetrically on my hip looks cooler,” she says. The long and voluminous nature of this skirt also welcomes a little proportion play, and Imani-Nia’s trick is to experiment with how she tucks her top in.
After testing out a few styles, the editor slanted and half-tucked this crinkled top (£13) to expertly frame the Black Tie Belt (£7). “I've got deceptively big boobs, and I don't like it when tops cling and over accentuate them, but this one skimmed over my bust quite nicely,” she notes. The only element that pulled the editor firmly out of her comfort zone was Brown Snake Pointed Heels (£20). “I typically wear loafers, or trainers and I'm just branching into ballet flats. But these pointed slingbacks inject texture and elegance.”
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