#StyleHeroes: The Summer Essentials

KHAKI STRIPE KNITTED TEE, NEUTRAL DOUBLE SIDED CAPE, STONE SARDINIA HEEL SANDALS, MINI ROSE GOLD HOOPS: c/o DOROTHY PERKINS 

Believe it or not, summer is fast approaching (I know! I swear it was Christmas yesterday...) and that means we're all looking for new ways to update our wardrobes and looking for that perfect piece to take us through the (hopefully) warmer months. Luckily, Dorothy Perkins has our backs for this. DP has created the Style Heroes Lookbook for SS16, a collection of ten key pieces for each of our wardrobes that are sure to take us right through this season. These pieces include the shirt dress, the shoe boot and, of course, the summer knit, something which is absolutely essential for summer in rainy ol' England and that's exactly what I've styled up here. 

Everyone knows what British summers are like (one word: unpredictable!) and we all know how essential a light summer knit is. That's why the wrap is absolutely perfect to see us through the summer months and it's definitely earned its title of a DP Style Hero. It's lighter than a coat meaning you won't start melting when the sun comes out but it's still cosy enough to keep your arms shielded from the chill, all whilst looking chic. Capes just give off such a classy, high end look and instantly add a little bit of luxury to a simple outfit. However, although wraps look absolutely fab for daytime outfits like this, that's not the only way they can be styled. Think outside the box and take them on holiday with you, wearing them over the top of bikinis and shorts for an easy but stylish cover-up! 

The summer knit I chose for this look is the knitted tee, a style hero for all year around and not just the summer. The beauty of this kind of tee is that it's so versatile and can easily become part of your basic wardrobe essentials, easily styled up in a whole variety of ways from the casual summer outfit like this one, to a smarter look with tailored trousers. 

A personal style hero for me is a good old stripe. I'm constantly raving about how much I love stripes and as I've mentioned before, they're BIG for SS16. Dorothy Perkins have hit the nail on the head for this season with the stripes on these style heroes and clashing the different style of stripes together means this entire look is bang on trend. The beauty of this type of outfit is that it's kind of "thrown together"; it's got that effortless chic vibe that we all want to achieve throughout summer and the Dorothy Perkins Style Heroes collections makes it so much simpler for us fashion conscious shoppers! 

I'll just give a quick mention to the shoes too - aren't they just the perfect everyday summer sandal? This heel height is my favourite because, as a bit of a shortie, it gives me a boost during the day without looking overly dressy but can easily be taken through to a night time outfit too. The different shades work perfectly together, creating a neutral, laid-back colour palette and I love it. 

Shop Style Heroes and give your wardrobe a bit of an update for SS16 and get your hands on some pieces that will see you right through this summer - we all need some new wardrobe staples right?!

Amy x