Can you believe this heat? I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced anything like it in the UK before. It’s meant that I’ve been to the coast pretty-much every day this week, just to cool off with the sea breeze. It’s got me thinking about summer holidays, so I thought I’d share a post about the thrifty way to shop for summer accessories…
The thriftiness here comes from the fact that you’ll be buying timeless classics so, even though trends come and go, these summer essentials will stay in your wardrobe year-in, year-out. For this blog post I’ve combined some sandals from 5th Avenue and a shove-it-all-in backpack from Deichmann, as well as my favourite sunnies, and I’m pretty sure that I won’t need to buy anything more this summer. 
First up are the sandals. When I was shopping for a ‘timeless’ pair of summer shoes, I knew that they needed to meet a few criteria before I could invest. Firstly, they needed to be flat; I love to stroll along the promenade in the summer and there’s no way that I could enjoy a long walk in any kind of heels.
Secondly, my sandals needed to be neutral enough to go with everything in my summer wardrobe. Sure, that’s a big ask, but sticking with black, white or tan means that my shoes will never clash with an outfit. When I found these flats from 5th Avenue at just £24.99, they fulfilled the criteria even better than I could have imagined. With both tan and white straps, they would definitely work with every item of clothing I wore with them. I’m not sure they are still available to buy, but anything similar would work perfectly for your timeless summer sandals.
I can’t really stand flip-flops any more. The toe-post always leaves me with sore toes and single strap shoes just flap around everywhere. These summer flats ones have a flattering ankle strap that keeps my sandals firmly attached to my feet as I walk. They’re casual enough to wear on the beach with shorts, and smart enough to wear with a maxi dress when going out for dinner. Yes, they do everything, and that’s precisely what makes them a thrifty purchase.
I’ve been looking for a backpack for months. Even though the humble rucksack seems to have made a reappearance in high street in recent months, it’s still been tough to find one that’s big enough to fit in all my essentials, but small (and cute) enough so that I don’t look like I’m going hiking. This one from Deichmann fulfils this happy medium.
And the good news is that it isn’t one of those oversized woven bag that you’ll ever only use on the beach. The large pack section is roomy enough for a laptop (not that I’m taking my tech onto the beach) so I can use it all year round as my usual work handbag. In fact, the black faux-leather (cruelty-free, of course!) makes it classy enough to take to meetings and for everyday use. I can already tell I’ll be getting a lot of use out of my backpack this year.
In terms of being a ‘holiday essential’ there’s enough room for a couple of rolled-up towels and all your swimwear inside. The front pocket is spacious enough to hold bottles of sunscreen, make up, sunglasses and goggles. And to keep your phone and money safe, there’s a zipped inner pocket (mine is full of just-in-case plasters and insect bite cream).
Finally, my sunglasses are the same style I’ve worn for years: a slight cat-eye shape. They have the-world-looks-sunny brown lenses and rose gold arms. I’m so chuffed to have found my favourite style in a nudey blush colour, because they look really classy and not too ‘heavy’ on my pale face. 
I’m planning to take good care of my sunglasses and always put them away in a glasses pouch when I’m not wearing them. This will avoid scratches on the lenses and means I can use them year after year.
I hope that my shopping for summer essentials has helped you to decide what classic pieces you want to add to your wardrobe this year. Let me know what timeless items you can’t live without by leaving me a comment below.
Some items in this blog post have been gifted to me and the pink links indicate a gifted product, affiliate link or information source. All thoughts and opinions in this post are based on my own experience and I am not responsible for your experience 🙂
