Making ready to escape the cooler temperatures for a tropical holiday?
With Winter well underway, it’s definitely time to escape the cold in favour of warmer climes. If you’re lucky enough to be headed off on holiday this Winter, you’re probably already thinking about what to take with you. With the planning of holiday outfits, comes the yearning for new items. However, one of the easiest ways to update older outfits is to mix up your styling; choose different accessories, wear alternate jewellery styles than you usually would and take the chance to experiment with your day-to-day look a little bit.
What to pack? What to wear? Which jewellery to take?
Experimenting is all very well, you say - it never feels that easy, though, when looking through our wardrobes and getting that familiar sinking feeling that; ‘I have nothing to wear…’
Here’s a brief guide to inspire and set you on a path to the best holiday this 2016. Using basics that you likely already own - plus a few gems for that ‘something new’ factor - you can mix up your outfits and try out new styling combinations. You never know, but you might discover a new favourite look that you want to bring back home for the new season ahead!
Are you...heading to Bali or Thailand?
With tropical jungle prints a la mode right now, it can be oh-so-tempting to purchase a palm-print swimsuit for by the pool or beachy jumpsuit for hopping on a moped round town. Instead, stick with your neutral basics, like denim cut offs or a patterned maxi skirt and a khaki tank, and bring the tropical to your outfit with jewellery and accessories.
Consider kaleidoscopic, multi-hued pieces influenced by tropical flowers for the evening and delicate silver shells and curved shapes on rings, pendants and stud earrings during the day. Add a wide printed silk scarf or cotton sarong to your suitcase for a flexible outfit addition that takes up almost no space, leaving plenty of room to bring back gifts and souvenirs!
Are you…heading to Japan?
Exploring the history and culture of the cities, or roaming out into the countryside, Japan demands well-tailored basics and possibly, the odd dash of something truly kawaii. Instead of splashing out on a trendy backpack to carry you through daytrips though, concentrate your designer intentions on your hands.
Invest in a fabulous manicure, either bright and colourful with cute designs on your thumbnail, or smart and sophisticated in saturated hues. Dress up your hands with statement rings in contrasting metals and semi-precious stones and nod to tradition by choosing pearls for your earrings or necklaces.
Are you...heading to the Pacific Islands?
Days of sun, sea and sand await you and you’re not planning on packing much more than a couple of bikinis, a beach towel and maybe a dress for evenings spent sipping cocktails and dancing. This is where you can go to town on accessories to amp up your outfit, customise it to your own preferences and play with styling ideas that you’d never dare to try at home.
Try one of this seasons down-to-there slash neck swimsuits and decorate it with a glittering lariat necklace; organic, wavy shapes and pendants are perfect for the easygoing island life you’ll be enjoying. Add a huge sunhat, celebrity sunglasses and a flawless manicure. Come the evening, adorn yourself with signs of the sea; seahorses, turtles and starfish make beautiful earrings in glinting gold or shimmering silver.
Are you...heading to New Zealand?
Whether surfing the sand dunes in the North, soaking up the heat of the hot pools or hiking glaciers in the South, an active holiday calls for easy-to-wear, durable clothes, with maybe something a little bit fancy to don in the evenings. Stick with hiking boots, layers and a waterproof coat for the daytime, but keep that holiday feeling alive with a few well-chosen jewellery pieces. Dark jeans and a simple silk top are special enough for the evening, especially when paired with the subtle gleam of new jewellery.
A silk scarf will help keep the cold off of your neck, while coral or calla lilly inspired earrings will be visible however many layers you’re wearing. Stick to abstract, casual shapes for evening pieces, dressing up any item of clothing with an architectural bangle or ring.
Have a wonderful time on your holiday, soak up some sunshine and vitamin D (but always remember your sunscreen!) and return refreshed and revitalised!
