In a heat wave situation easy-to-wear lightweight dresses - preferably with ventilation - are required. This means anything of the cut-out, crochet, gauze or lace variety will work.
For a fast fashion fix head to Topshop,River Island, H&M or Warehouse. These brands have strap, maxi, tunic, cami, racer-back, shirt-dress, tiered styles to see you through in heat in style.
For something casual (fit for the weekend, any festival line up, the beach and your summer holiday) then a basic cotton tunic style is a winner.
The black style above is £26 from Topshop and can be paired with an ugly flat shoe and some statement bling.
If you can get away with a print maxi in the office, do it. River Island has a great choice, and if you're not working to a budget then Net-a-Porter's designer line up won't disappoint - check out the Diane von Furstenberg print maxi in our gallery below.
Ladies who can't do the maxi trend, shop for something shorter (bare legs and bare shoulders means maximum tanning potential) and opt for smock, t-shirt dress or halter styles and avoid anything too clingy.
Take a look through this edit for some shopping inspiration to keep your cool all heat wave long.
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