Seasonal Looks For Summer 2018: What’s Cool When It’s Hot

Summer fashion for when it’s hot, hot, hot!

With summer officially approaching (read: sweltering humidity back to make enemies with your curly hair) it’s time to pack away anything long-sleeved and make space for sundresses and bold pastels. Fashion is having a moment of playful freedom and power. Summer ’18 has no rules other than the ones you create for yourself. And with a plethora of new and updated trends available to shop now, there is no reason not to take a risk and step into this season’s styles. Here are our favourite picks of what to wear when it’s too hot to even want to get dressed!

The wrap dress is having another fashion moment and it’s not hard to see why – this silhouette is flattering on all body types and adds a fun twist to your old staple sundress this summer. DVF may have made them famous and cool, but now you can find wrap dresses in every fashion retailer and at every price point. This season; play with prints (florals being the obvious choice) but keep it short and sweet in a mini that gives your legs freedom to move, adding a tie-knot in front for a little extra cinch. It’s also a great piece to have because of its versatility: dress it up with gold jewellery and strappy heels or play it cool in sneakers.

Find them here: Floral red wrap-around mini (above) available from Cotton On, Striped wrap around flare mini available from Zalora, Ruffle wrap around mini available from Zalora, Floral yellow wrap around mini available from H&M, Asymmetrical wrap around mini available from H&M

If you’re looking for a slightly more sophisticated take on the playful wrap around mini, look no further than the mid-length button-down dress – a chic alternative that’s perfect for brunch, the beach and everything in between! Add a cheeky slit and some bold sleeves to keep it fresh and modern, and take it from day to night with some fabulous earrings and statement heels. The ease and flow of this style make it a perfect summer staple, so be prepared to have more than one on rotation.

Find them here: Pink button down maxi dress (above) available from GRANA ; floral button down available from H&M, off-the-shoulder button-down midi available from Cotton On, striped button-down midi available from Cotton On.

Designers referencing decades past is nothing new in fashion and this season we saw catwalks filled with 80s tributes; crossing both daytime and night owl aesthetics. Bruno Mars and Cardi B killed the game in their visual tribute to In Living Colour and Virgil Abloh even dedicated his Off-White show to the late Princess Diana; cementing the decade’s prevalence and cool factor this summer season. Add a mix of glam and punk to your wardrobe with key details in shape (and a scrunchie or two): think strong shoulders, straight leg jeans and (one of the most surprising summer comebacks) skorts by day, and ruched, puffed sleeves and electric hues by night. Sequins and sparkle dominate the evening looks and everything is mini mini mini.

Find them here: Sequinned halter neck dress (above) available from Zara, Levi’s Straight Leg jeans available from ASOS, Sequinned cami mini dress available from ASOS, Long sleeved silver sequin dress with shoulder pads available from ASOS, Asymmetrical sequin mini dress available from ASOS, Blue sequin and denim belted mini skirt available from Shopbop

“Dad sneakers” are here to stay and have been amped up thanks to houses like Louis Vuitton and Balenciaga giving us big and bold footwear to lust after. Sports brands have followed the trend too and Instagram is ablaze with shoes that are so bad they’re good. Pair yours with a floral mini dress for an urban edge or kick it up a notch with a pastel power suit. The bigger the better when it comes to chunky sneakers and the more alien-esque the pair the hotter the cop.

Find them here: Fenty Puma Muse Echo Satin Sneaker (above) available from Revolve, Pink Nike Air Max 95 available from ASOS,  Ash Addict chunky sneaker available from Shopbop, Fila Premium Disruptor Trainers available from ASOS.

In a season of prints that are loud and proud, and with another nod to the decade of the season, bold 80s, polka dots are a hot commodity. From swimwear to skirts and shirts, or trousers to dresses of all lengths, the circular trend is a definite for summer. Keep them big for a youthful look; or fine and monochrome for evening outfits. This is undoubtedly one of the biggest trends in fashion right now and a regular returning player in the game so don’t feel too bad indulging in a few dotty numbers this summer.

Find them here: V-neck polka dot mini (above) available from H&M, Olive green polka dot Bermuda shorts available from Zara, Polka dot halter dress available from Zara, Polka dot trousers and camisole set available from Zara, Mercy polka dot cut out mini dress available from Revolve, Polka dot denim shorts available from Cotton On.

If you thought tartan was reserved for grungy teenagers in winter, think again. This summer sees a fresh spin on plaid with houses like Victoria Beckham and Burberry sending the checks down their SS’18 runways, an acknowledgement that clothes should be versatile and wearable throughout the year. Wear your lines in soft colours across tailored shorts or feminine blouses, or better yet, go big with a gingham set in two different colours to keep it cool for summer.

Find them here: Gingham dress (above) available from Shopbop, colour-block front-tie Gingham mini dress (Petite) available from ASOS, Embroidered Gingham Bermuda shorts (part of set) available from Zara, Embroidered Gingham mini dress available from Zara, Bow detail checked mini dress available from Zara, Red Gingham midi sundress available from ASOS.

The spring/summer runways are always bursting with pops of colour but this season heralds bold shades worn in blocks, negating those old rules your mom used to give you (yes, you can wear pink and red together). Yellow was a definite front-runner, with shades of sunshine dominating the hues of the season. We all know that Hong Kong summers don’t always mean blue skies and sunshine, so throwing on a vibrant colour set goes a long way in evoking that feeling you just don’t get in a typhoon.

Find them here: Yellow peplum suit (above) available from Zara, yellow cut-out dress from Zaful,  two-tone pleated midi skirt available Shopbop, green tailored suit available from ASOS, yellow bell-sleeve cotton dress available from H&M

Maintaining the rule-less energy of this season’s trends, in contrast to the popularity of bright hues comes another colour craze: bold pastels. Yes, that is correct, bold pastels. Sorbet and sherbet have been in the inspirational colour palettes for a while now, but this season’s take is to wear them as one and in strong silhouettes (hello head-to-toe pastel suits); with lilac being the most coveted shade for summer.

Find them here: Pink pleated skirt (above) available from H&M, lilac satin crossover blouse and trousers available from Zara, mint double pleat wide leg trouser available from ASOS, lavender denim shorts available from Shopbop, peach satin tailored suit (petite) available from ASOS.

Fashion should always be fun and expressive and this season, texture and fabric manipulation is a key trend to try. Coming in hot from last season’s tassel earring micro-trend, the look now is seen in the feathery footsteps of Loewe, Saint Laurent and Maison Margiela. Now’s the time to let your clothes do all the talking. And swinging. And flapping. Fringe and feathers are great elements to update simple pieces like basic tees or slip dresses, but remember to keep it to one statement piece for the best impact.

Find them here: White feather mini skirt (above) available from Revolve, fringe dress available at Mango, multi-coloured trim dress available from Zara, silver sequin fringe mini dress available from ASOS, ivory fringe midi skirt available from Shopbop, fringe T-shirt available from Shopbop, fringe sliders available from Shopbop, 

With a growing move towards sustainability and natural fabrics, this season your Bali basket bag has some new friends such as woven sandals and larger-than-life straw hats. Accessories are the go-to here and are an easy way to update your summer style, especially when paired with linen pieces in natural shades. It’s easy and light and a far cry from the strong statements, bold prints and crazy colours of the season, but is a key player in the style stakes this summer. Note the difference in silhouettes, mixed textures and new colours of woven magic in this season’s take on the beach classic.

Find them here: Woven sliders available (above) from Shopbop, woven strappy heels available from Shopbop, raffia cap with bow detail available from Zara, Belt with raffia buckle detail available from Zara, two-tone raffia belt available from Zara, round black straw bag available from Zara, raffia basket bag available from Zara, striped mini straw shopper available from ASOS, Brixton Straw Visor available from ASOS.