I genuinely dislike Summer. The stiflingly hot heat, the realization that my post-Christmas diet was a complete failure, and the lack of clothes that achieve more than survival.

It’s so much easier to dress for the Fall or Winter as you can wrap up, use layers, and wear jeans pretty much all the time. However, in the hot months, I feel like I haven’t bothered when I wear any old t-shirt and a random pair of shorts that I didn’t know I had.

One of my favourite things to do is to go into a clothes store when it’s quiet, and when the assistant asks if I need any help, I ask him/her to help me pick some clothes for the season. I tell them that all my clothes look the same, so I need some expert advice. They work with clothes all the time and know if something looks good or not.

Today, I went to my local Lucky Brand jeans, a company that I discovered while living in Kansas City, Missouri, but love that they have here in Canada. Nicole, the awesome assistant chose a few pieces, including some 410 Athletic Slim Jeans (1). They’re made of 97% cotton and 3% spandex, which keeps them cool and feel like I’m wearing workout gear. Nicole also suggested I get this Aztec design short sleeved shirt (2) It’s light, airy, looks good enough to wear to the office or with shorts.

Another all-time favourite brand is Ben Sherman, a company from my native UK, that have an impressive following here in Canada. I wear my navy blue slim stretch chino shorts (3) almost every day, especially when I get home after a hot bus ride and feel like my legs are on fire. I also love my short sleeve Graduated Gingham shirt (4). It’s another example of being simple, easy to wear and cool enough to wear throughout the summer.

Another brand, that now I think of it, has been with me since my childhood, is Barbour. We always got the wax jackets and they’d last until me and my brother grew out of them. Then they’d be passed on to a friend or neighbour. I have a sweater from Altitude-Sports.com which is probably one of the softest things I own. I know the summer isn’t usually a time for warm clothes, but we’ve had a couple of chilly mornings here where I’ve had to wrap up before the sun makes everything awful.

Another shirt, which also came from Altitude-Sports.com is my Lacoste slim fit shirt in Salt n Pepper (5) and is now on sale!

I don’t know about you, but my feet always seem to get super hot, especially when they’re in the direct sunlight. Although I’m mainly in the same leather boots that I wear every day, no matter the season, I’m going to pick up a pair of lightweight sneakers like the Lenox sneakers from TOMS(6). Aside from being really nice looking, light, and comfortable, for every sale, TOMS gives a pair of shoes to a child in need.

Do you have any go-to summer fashion styles or are you all about surviving the hot months?