Six Tips on How to Survive the London Heatwave

London has been baking in a  heatwave for weeks now, so I thought I'd share my tips on how to survive the sweltering temperatures both above the ground and in the Tube, which, it was reported this week, had temperatures of over 40C...

1. Wear comfortable clothes. Loose fitting linen or cotton is best. My favourites are Marimekko, Hobbs, Jaeger and Cos, who all make wonderful clothes which are easy to wear, but still smart enough for the office. Needless to say, I always wear flat shoes when commuting and change into something more formal at the office (although not always!) In a heatwave my 'go to' shoes are Birkenstocks or my silver K Jacques St Tropez sandals. But don't forget that pedicure; there's nothing worse than chipped nail polish or hairy tootsies...
2. Don't rush and run. I'm usually the commuter with least patience; on the street I overtake anyone ( and I mean anyone) with a pull-long suitcase and run up and down escalators on the tube. But in this heatwave, I've become the one who amblers along the tunnels, and on the bus lets everyone else go out first. (I know I should do this all the time, but...)
3. Carry a bottle of water. Even London Transport now make announcements about this, because the conditions on the Tube can be dangerous. This week The Standard (The London evening paper, free at most tube stations) reported that the temperature on the Central Line exceeded the legal limit for keeping cattle. 
4. Another way to cool down is a little fan. I carry a Spanish one which Son and Daughter-in-law gave out to the wedding guests in May. It's been invaluable when the train has suddenly stopped and the heat inside the Tube carriage has become unbearable. Plus all those around you benefit too!
5. Find a park. There's always one around the corner in London. You may have to fight for a spot during lunchtimes, but for the rest of the day, there's usually plenty of room (and some shade) for everyone. Failing that, find a terrace with a view. There's a pretty good list here.
6. Always carry an umbrella. It's London after all, so you never know when the heavens will open, plus it'll double up as a good shade when there's none provided by the venue...

   

   With Son at Alexandra Palace beer festival last weekend.
   My Marimekko Sumie dress was perfect wear for the hot day.
   As was the umbrella...Boy, it was hot!

    

My new surprise favourite shop

I'm having a strange fashion moment; I've started to enjoy wearing dresses. And not just any dresses but dresses made by the high-street fashion store, Hobbs.

Yesterday on my trip to Birmingham to see daughter,
I wore my latest Hobbs dress acquisition.

I've been a fan of Hobbs for some time, but I've mainly bought things there for weddings and other traditional occasions, where I needed to - dare I say it - dress my age.

But recently, I've started to wear their patterned jersey dresses as an everyday item. And the other day, I found myself buying an outfit from their online shop sale, which when it arrived, I loved so much, I cannot wait to wear it.

For one thing the skirt is pleated. I didn't think I could wear this style, because I've never been able to carry off pleats due to my, ahem, feminine hips. But for some reason this skirt is different. Plus, the jacket skims my waist and hips so well, that it 'contains' the fullness of the skirt. 

Chelsea skirt £98.10 (was £159.00)

Cathy jacket £152.10 (was £249.00)

In the picture above I'm also wearing flat Mary Jane style shoes from another recent favourite store, Anthropologie.

Glossed D'Orsey Flats £98

I know our newly crowned Princess Kate favours Hobbs too, but believe me this has in no way affected my sudden love of the store. For one, I am several sizes larger than she is (harumph!), and usually, if a Royal endorses a label, I run a mile.

Kate wearing a Hobbs dress this summer
Photo Grazia.co.uk 

Plus I've always seen myself much more of a jeans wearing, rock-chick type, than the traditional dress-wearing sort, but there you are, I guess we all have to grow up at some point?

Holiday packing: capsule wardrobe time

I'm hopeless at packing for a holiday. First of all I can't do it much ahead of time because the weather where we usually go (Åland Islands in Finland) is always unpredictable, and I have to wait until I have a proper reliable forecast. At least that's what I tell myself, because the real and embarrassing reason is that I can't pack until I feel in the right state of mind to do it.

'You can't base every decision on your emotions,' some wise (or not so wise) friend once told me.

Since we are leaving for our midsummer holiday in two days' time I thougth I'd start the packing with getting a few things in the Net-a-Porter sale. (Where else should one start?). But, I've just been on the phone to them and they say despatch can take up to 72 hours, so I may not get the few crucial items (Marc by Marc Jacobs handbag, Mulberry scarf and Alice by Temperley twill cotton jacket) before we go.

Panic.

Hence, this morning, though I don't feel like packing yet, I forced myself to start the process by laying out the pieces I know I'll want to take. If I could get together a 'capsule wardrobe', I could build on from that.

What do you think - am I on the right track?

Hobbs maxi dress, Castaner black wedges, blue DKNY wrap cardigan (which starred at yesterday's pigeon episode at England's Lane Books), Uniqlo cargo shorts, Citizens of Humanity white jeans, Current/Elliott cropped chinos, Rebecca Minkoff bag. And my Mac, obviously!