Our Editor-in-Chief's 8 summer must-haves.

During the winter I fell into a bit of a style slump…

Okay, that’s a lie. It wasn’t so much a slump, as full on fashion paralysis. I wasn’t feeling fabulous about my post-pregnancy body, my hair was limp and dry, my skin looked… well, whatever the opposite of sun-kissed is. I began counting different shades of beige as wardrobe colour variety. Things were dire. Extremely dire.

Then two things happened simultaneously, which snapped me back to my normal clothes-and-accessories-obsessed-self. First, September brought Melbourne its first 25 degree plus day and second, the pleasant folk at the Australian Taxation Office decided to gift me a little refund. Ka-ching.

Suddenly I was excited about summer and the holiday season. Fake tan applied, legs freshly shaved and tax return in hand, I headed to the shops. And because I can’t afford to buy it all for myself, I thought I’d share some of it with all of you:

1. Sportsgirl sunglasses in Tortoiseshell.

I have a bad habit of sitting on misplacing my sunglasses and so try to avoid spending big on them. The past two summers I have experimented with coloured lenses, embellished frames and cats eye shapes. But this year I am going back to basics with classic thick tortoiseshell, dark glasses. Very Jackie Kennedy.

2. Witchery printed playsuit.

A bold, botanical-style print for those who aren’t feeling all that bold. Playsuits are really comfortable, easy to wear and this one is extremely flattering because of the tailoring and tie-up waist. Too many adults dismiss the playsuit as something for teenagers and toddlers. Show them that they’re wrong.

3. Bonds Christmas Tube Bra in ‘Paradise’.

Since having a baby, I’ve become a BONDS bra convert. Goodbye scratchy lace and materials that don’t breathe (or absorb unruly drops of breast milk). These cotton bras are lightweight and won’t leave you feeling sticky and sweaty during the summer months. Importantly though, they don’t sacrifice style for comfort. The patterns are fun – dare I say, even a little bit flirty – and the cut makes for some fabulous looking cleavage. And at this price you should probably buy more than one…

4. ASOS Floral Jacquard bandeau maxi-dress.

Wedding season is upon us and that means getting dressed up – huzzah! But one of the things that bugs me most about formalwear is you often feel overheated. As a result I tend to wear shorter skirts to summer events and this often leaves me feeling underdressed. This frock is a strapless lightweight satin, with a delicate floral print and solves this particular conundrum beautifully.

5. Seafolly ‘Block Party’ high neck bikini tank top and pant.

As a small-breasted woman, I really like this cleavage-covering, high-necked tank top. The contrast between the indigo and white makes for a classic look, especially when paired with white thongs (if you can manage to keep them clean). In my humble opinion, you cannot go past Seafolly for swimwear – they do great prints, bright colours, flattering cut and are excellent quality. Just remember to buy a size above your usual underwear if you’re shopping online.

6. Seed and Stone mint, peach and white necklace.

Summer is all about white and pastels but for a lot of us, white is an intimidating colour to wear. Women wrongly assume that their skin is too fair or their wobbly bits are too wobbly to ‘pull off’ lighter shades. It’s not true, friends! The only real enemy of white is a sparkling Christmas Shiraz. You can absolutely wear pale colours and look damn good doing it. But if you’d prefer to inch into the territory of milk-coloured fashion, then why not try adding a splash via your jewellery first.

7. Bonds Christmas Bikini in ‘Paradise’.

Life is too short to wear boring undies. And it’s also too short to wear uncomfortable undies.

Enter stage left: BONDS.

With a low-rise waistline and available in a whole range of bright, summery prints, these bikini style bottoms mean you’ll never feel like you’re wearing the same undies as your mum.

8. Slim metallic rose gold Havaianas.

Summer isn’t summer without Havaianas and I’ve become even more of an addict since they released their new slim-style. Feet aren’t the most attractive part of the human body but with metallic rose gold flip-flops? You’ll be the shiniest, trendiest lady on the sand.

What are you wearing this summer?