Europe & Beyond

Beachwear – Hot Summer Fashion Tips

Several months ago we ran a swimwear special aimed at the lucky people jetting off to far away destinations in search of winter sun.

Now most of Europe is basking in summer sunshine we offer a guide to beachwear – sun hats, beach clothing and accessories that are the latest in hot fashion but will offer sun protection.

Beachwear

First in the series we’ll take a look at clothing, especially sun hats for women that give full sun protection whilst making a style statement.

Sun Hats for Women

Ideally, sun hats for women should combine style and protection. This means a wide enough rim to shade your face and preferably the back of your neck. Woven Trilby, Stetson and floppy-rimmed styles are light and stylish, but some of the sun’s rays do get through so they don’t offer high protection.

If you’re heading somewhere very hot, high-tech sun protective hats will block most harmful UV rays, and some even contain ‘Cooling Crystal’ technology. Submerge the hat into water for a few minutes to activate the crystals, stitched into the front headband, and they will remain cool for several days. SafariQuip stock a good range of high-tech sun hats for women.

Beach Clothing

Ultra-confident sunseekers may be happy strutting their stuff in just their swimwear, but for the more demure, beach clothing is designed to be easy to throw on if you want to wander to a beach bar, rather than struggle to drag on a pair of sandy trousers.

Most pieces such as wraps, kaftans, sarongs and beach dresses are light and floaty, some offering more coverage than others. Choose colours or patterns that don’t clash with your swimwear and always use suncream or advanced p20 sunfliter lotion as well because some of the fabrics are quite thin and let the harmful sun rays through to your skin.

If you’re looking for higher protection, buy specialised clothing with built-in sun protection, such as the SPF50 range from Sunsibility.

More Beachwear

In the second ot his beachwear series we take a closer look at sunglasses and footwear – kitting you out in safety and style – Europe & Beyond goes from top to toe.