Organise your summer wardrobe

The Prima fashion experts advise on all your fashion needs for summer

Please could you give me some advice on organising my wardrobe. I never know what to wear and my wardrobe is always cluttered with clothes. It makes my life stressful every morning when I need to find a suitable outfit.
Mrs D Green, Liverpool

 
A good wardrobe needs staple pieces to create a foundation for every outfit. Here are our top ten essential items that every women should have in her summer wardrobe.

 

Crisp white shirt: Worn with jeans for shopping, sparkly jewels for a night out, pencil skirt for work or under a knit for the weekend, white shirts are so versatile and never age.

 

Denim jeans: Choose darker denim to give an instantly slimmer shape. Most people benefit from the boot-cut style unless you're super-slim, then skinny drainpipe jeans look ultra-cool.

 

Flip-flops: Leather flip-flops give a smarter look and they last longer than the cheaper plastic alternatives.

 

Sunglasses: Soak up the sun in big sunglasses. Apart from protecting your eyes and the delicate skin around them, you'll also look and feel very glam!

 

Bras: We need three types of bra: multi-way is perfect for all those different styles of summer tops, a smooth T-shirt bra will give a seamless silhouette under fitted clothes, and make sure you also have a pretty floral set to give you added confidence.

 

Linen trousers: Chill out in comfy easy-to-wear linen trousers – they should be on everyone's shopping list this summer.

 

Printed dress: Have at least one printed dress - it can be glammed up with metallic accessories or dressed down with a simple pair of flip-flops.

 

Camisoles: Camis are the summer wardrobe saviour – they keep your modesty under the season's love of sheer fabrics. Black, nude and white are the essential colours to have.

 

White cotton T-shirt: A handy basic to either wear on its own or layered under other tops. Remember, if you have big boobs, choose deep V-necks and small boobs round-necks.

 

Cropped jacket: A great stylish lightweight cover up for those chilly summer evenings.

 

Other top tips:

1. Make life easier by hanging all your skirts together, all your trousers together etc, then colour-coordinate them. It sounds anal but you'll thank us when it saves you lots of time every day!

 

2. Buy cheaper basics like T-shirts and vests, and save your money for luxury items like a good quality handbag or shoes.

 

3. Buy some cute wicker baskets to store scarves, belts and other bulky accessories.

 

4. Plan to buy items made from natural fibres like cotton, wool and silk. They'll cost more but will last longer.

 

5. Once you have your basic wardrobe foundation, you can add in seasonal trends, rather than splash out on a brand new wardrobe every six months.

 
6. Don't hang on to old items that clearly don't fit. Be brave and take them to the nearest charity shop.

 

 

More great summer inspiration

 

Visit the new 30 Days of Fashion & Beauty website for top tips from the experts across all of our magazines – and find out more about signing up for exclusive access to catwalk shows, beauty events and great parties.