Fashion: Pack your bags for style and comfort

Jul 24 2008 by Emma Pinch, Liverpool Daily Post

Emma Pinch finds out how to look cool on holiday and still have room for some fabulous fashion bargains

Above left: Printed cotton dress, by John Lewis, £75; purple necklace, John Lewis, £15; tortoiseshell bangle, £10. Above right: Brown linen trousers, Fenn Wright Manson, £25; brown vest, Fenn Wright Manson, £25; brown and cream cardigan, £59; gold chain bead necklace, £12; wicker beach bag, from John Lewis, £25; tortoiseshell sunglasses, John Lewis, £15.

IT’S summer, and, yes, unfortunately, it is just as we know it. For every week of saturated skies and bracing breezes, we seem to get one day of seasonal sun.

Which is why most of us head off to happier climes for a precious week or so each year.

Above left: Fat Face coral vest, £14.50; White Stuff floral skirt, £37.50; tortoiseshell sunglasses, by John Lewis, £15. Above right: Coral vest, as before, and khaki linen shorts, by John Lewis, £24; tortoiseshell sunglasses, John Lewis, £15

And, while it’s tempting to bung everything into the suitcase bar the dishwasher, with a little forethought we can leave space for the exotic finds in the shops and markets abroad.

Personal shopper at John Lewis, Jackie Worthington, recommends planning outfits whose colours complement each other before you go and create a capsule wardrobe.

Right: Striped swimming costume, £30; orange sarong, £15; and long, chunky beaded necklace, £15, all John Lewis

“Take lots of accessories so you can dress up daytime outfits for the evening, and take perhaps one dressier outfit with you for a special night out,” she says.

“For travelling, take loose clothes with layers you can reuse when you arrive.

“You generally need more tops than bottoms, but if you take tops like vests you can easily rinse them through.” Jackie’s tip for saving space is to press underwear into the crown of any hat you’re taking so it doesn’t get squashed.

* THIS week’s fashion shoot took place at La Cubanita, an authentic Cuban restaurant and bar in Campbell Square which features live bands straight from the steamy Havana streets.

Right: Cream vest, Fat Face, £19.50; hat, John Lewis, £12

The spacious venue, which also hosts Latin dancing, offers a lunchtime menu, as well as an evening one featuring tapas and fresh salads.

Notes

Location: La Cubanita, 2, Campbell Square, Liverpool. Tel: 0151 709 5335

Model: Sarah Farrelly at Models North, Gostin House, 32 - 36 Hanover Street, Liverpool. Tel: 08702 403375

Photographer: Martin Birchall

Hair and make-up: Louise Nixon at Age Perfecting Treatments, 32-36 Hanover Street, Liverpool. Tel: 0845 869 3244

Stockist: John Lewis Liverpool One, 70 South John Street, Liverpool. Tel: 0151 709 7070

emma.pinch@dailypost.co.uk