We’ve got your beach cover-ups covered!
It’s been a long day. There are still emails to reply to and press releases to write. The spring sun might be slowly starting to smile on us but it still feels out of reach, teasing you with its potential as you glance up at the sky from behind the office windows. Realistically, the only stunning sunset scene you’re going to see today is the one on your Google Mail background. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and let the warmth wash over you…
You’re in Marrakech, or Malta, or Mustique. There’s streaming sun and soft sand, and, filling your days with kayaking and cocktails, your only care in the world is what cover up to wear as you swan around your tropical paradise. And you don’t even have to worry about that, because this summer, Lotty B has got our cover ups covered.
‘I am so lucky living on Mustique to be surrounded by so much beauty’, designer Lotty Bunbury tells us. ‘From diving for sand dollars to watching the colourful fishing boats coming in I never have to look very far for inspiration’. In an age where technology generally dominates printed designs, Lotty prides herself on still hand painting each and every print. Despite the beautiful print work having purely aesthetic considerations, Lotty is also extremely mindful of both the cut of the garments and their practicality: ‘they must be easy to wear on the beach and feel cool in the heat!’
Although Lotty is in the process of expanding her line to include pieces that can be worn anywhere, her collection is predominantly designed with the beach holiday in mind. So, as long as you worship the sun, she’ll have your cover up dilemmas covered. But with so many options – kaftans, sarongs, dresses – how do we decide what kind of woman we are on holiday? ‘It’s all about what a woman feels comfortable wearing’, Lotty explains. ‘Some women feel their most beautiful in a floaty chiffon kaftan, others prefer the more tailored feel of a shirt dress or the versatility of a sarong’.
With that in mind, Lotty, evidently a beach holiday aficionado, talked us through how to style cover ups up or down for both lazy days on the beach or busy days exploring new surroundings. Mustique, a private island in the West Indies, is just bursting with colour. For an effortlessly glamorous look that’ll see you glowing in the setting sun, pack a lichen leaves chiffon kaftan with nothing more than a bikini and a delicate anklet to adorn bare feet. In Barbados, Lotty suggests a grey shell print halterneck dress, paired with a tantalising gold Ashiana London pendant necklace. For more of a lively, surfer-girl vibe at Byron Bay, opt for Lotty B’s short charmeuse kaftan in vibrant pink pelican.
For those who love to explore, making the most of every hour of sunlight, Lotty suggests a kaftan top in silk with a pair of white skinny jeans in Dubai, and a ¾ length turquoise chiffon kaftan on the French Riviera: ‘the chiffon covers your bikini just enough for lunch on La Plage Pampelonne’.
If you’re spending the summer cruising round Croatia on a yacht, just imagine how dazzling you’d look reclining on the top deck in a blue pelican print sarong, or if wandering the streets of Marrakech is more your style, pair strappy gold sandals with a shirt dress to keep cool in the midday heat.
…now open your eyes. If that doesn’t make you dash out to book your dream vacation, we don’t know what will.
