A Frazzled English Guide To Summer

With the current heatwave that’s the bane of all our existences, (and simultaneously our life-source), we’re having to confront the gargantuan task ahead of us – dressing for the season. When we’re in the thick of summer, we have no choice but to acknowledge it in our outfits, but, what do you do when to your core you are not built for this time of year?

Last autumn, you thought you’d cracked it! People started idolising Kate Winslet (in The Holiday), and Bridget Jones, and you felt seen. You’re a person who always looks like they’ve fallen victim to the elements, and you always misinterpret the dress code. So, when people started a revolution against the doctrine of the clean girl, and began to follow their own dogma (the frazzled English aesthetic), encapsulated by a complete inability to tame all your baby hairs into a slick back, you felt recognised. It was created by the early 2000s romcoms that we grew up on, and it introduced us to the concept of being an adult who doesn’t have it all together. For a minute there, messy was trendy, and it was like a breath of fresh air.

But the second the days started getting longer, and hot weather caused everyone to want to keep their hair out of their faces, we started to opt for a good tan and living on island time (and not the British Isles), instead.

So, what do us frazzled English people wear during the summer? We can’t just hide in our eclectically decorated flats until autumn comes back around, so we must find ways to stay true to ourselves. Even when the weather isn’t acting very English, here’s how you can still live out your romcom storyline, without the matching weather.

Replace the scarf

One thing that’s canonical to the frazzled English type is a scarf around the neck, ideally one that’s brightly coloured and quirky. In the summer, substitute the scarf for a necklace to give a similar effect, which is more weather-appropriate, because if this heat wave has taught us anything, it’s that we can’t be weather-ignorant anymore (we’ve got to actually check the forecast). Layering necklaces of different styles, lengths, and metals is an easy way to maintain the look. For the appropriate effect, they should all be from little independent shops that you’ve stumbled upon during your travels. If that’s not for you, choose a big statement necklace instead: a conversation piece – something that you sourced in an interesting way, something that your mother will comment on at the annual summer barbeque where she tries to set you up with someone you initially hate but will eventually fall for.

An obnoxious sunhat

You can also wear a massive floppy hat, and I mean massive (inconveniently so), to embrace your frazzled nature. Preferably, one that continuously falls over your eyes, causing you to lose a significant portion of your vision, that will ultimately result in you getting into a sticky, yet comedic situation with a potential love interest. The style of the hat isn’t necessarily the most important, but I’m thinking it should be like the one Rachel wears in the Friends beach episodes: somewhat stylish, functional for shade, and the butt of the joke.

Embrace the sunburn

Another way to outwardly show your inner messiness is by having a sunburn. A mild one, which probably happened when you were too distracted by the sun's beauty to remember it burns. It should still be quite apparent, and reveal that you’re not used to the sunlight, not because you’re nocturnal, but because you’re English. This is the kind of thing that you notice right before you leave your house, causing you to exclaim a stereotypical expletive like “Oh bugger!”. But you’re in a rush, which causes you to forget about it until the person you’re in love with points it out, and you have to explain your silly, absent-minded ways – what are you like!

Important to note that you shouldn’t be actively seeking this one out!

Ditch the slick back

Now, one thing which is sacrilegious to the frazzled English woman's aesthetic is any form of slick back. This look is far too put together, and is likely worn by your rival, who appears like she is perfect, until we discover she isn’t (at the end of the movie). Though a slick back is handy for those hot days where you don’t want to be aware that you have hair, it’s not part of this aesthetic’s vocabulary. Instead, you should just effortlessly throw your hair up into a perfectly tousled updo – the kind that can only be achieved when not looking into a mirror, and rushing out your house.

The essence of it

Basically, you want your clothes to be representative of your character. You want it to show that you’re fun, and that you’re slightly eclectic and eccentric, that you have layers to your personality, even when it’s too hot to layer your clothes. The summer shouldn’t have to result in you revoking the personality from your outfits, a true frazzled English woman, will be frazzled all year around!