There’s nothing like a heatwave in London. Pub gardens fit to bursting, parks transformed into one giant communal sun lounger, and your local Argos pick-up point overrun with orders for hopeless fans that will gather dust for the rest of the year.
With temperatures reaching 27°C this Friday — and spiking to 28°C next week — the first heatwave of 2026 is upon us. The only question worth asking is, what are we going to wear? Rising temperatures might be environmentally concerning, but they’re sartorially delightful.
Granted, it’s less easy to feel excited about sweating it out on the Tube than lounging around on parched grass. But the reality can be liberating rather than a sticky mess.
The most important aspect of heatwave fashion is fabrication, and the only rule to know is that natural fibres are your best friend when the mercury rises.
This is the time to turn to the cool, moisture-wicking embrace of cotton, linen and silk (or some blend of these), which are infinitely more breathable than their synthetic counterparts. A style set member who understands this better than anyone is Poppy Sexton-Wainwright, founder of the ultimate effortless London cool-girl label, Asceno. “When the temperature rises, gravitate towards light silks, crisp linens and airy silk-cottons in a palette of white and black coupled with pops of colours in earth tones of dust red, green and browns,” she says. “Fluid, unstructured silhouettes in breathable fabrics bring an effortless sense of ease.”
Nothing imparts a sense of ease quite like the ultimate heatwave piece: the breezy summer dress. This one-and-done wonder will take you from office to alfresco Cynar spritz sipping if you are lucky enough to bag a table outside. On this season’s collective heatwave dress moodboard is Daisy Edgar-Jones — specifically her recent off-duty looks at the Cannes Film Festival.
Chief among these was a crisp white dress with a structured bodice and breezy midi skirt, styled simply with black flats and a slouchy jumper tied around the shoulders.
The fact that the dress was from Mango means there should be no issue bringing a touch of La Croisette to Croydon when temperatures soar.
The high street store is full of easy linen-blend dresses, as well as lighter summery iterations of capri trousers, Bermuda shorts and balloon pants.
A 2026 alternative to the heatwave dress is the co-ord. A slouchy shirt and pair of boxer-style shorts in a matching shade or print are great for heat-induced decision fatigue. Look to WNU for lovely gingham and striped iterations, though remember to dress them up with an intentional accessory or two (a smart square-toed leather flat, a chain belt or silk scarf tied around the waist, a statement shoulder bag) to ensure you steer completely clear of pyjama territory.
Speaking of accessories, an uplifting summery addition is a great way to nod to the balmy weather without looking like you’re heading for Gatwick.
Keep the base palette neutral-ish then swap out your usual work bag for a raffia or woven leather tote from Cos or Dragon Diffusion. Or throw on what looks to be the accessory of the summer: a string of bright beads, probably resin, potentially frosted, and ideally from Completedworks’s just-launched collaboration with Net-A-Porter.
This is straight out of the Leandra Medine Cohen school of trans-seasonal dressing, as described in a recent issue of her Substack, The Cereal Aisle. “There’s a feeling of excitement and newness when the markings of a seasonal change are in progress. There is also much stimulation, which can put you at risk of combustion,” she writes.
“Keeping it simple with wardrobe bread and butter [...] while taking small risks with new expressions via accessories allow me to localise the feeling of excitement without losing the plot completely.”
Finally, there’s the matter of footwear, and the fashion gods have decreed that the hot weather shoes of the season will be formed from unexpected materials.
The rope sandal, crafted from the kind of two-tone climbing cord you’d expect to see in Mountain Warehouse, was thrust into the style spotlight courtesy of Miu Miu two summers ago. But it still feels fresh now, and jelly sandals are also still of interest — but go for a mule rather than a full shoe to avoid looking like a child while emitting the very particular rubbery stink they can emit in the city heat.
Vince’s Barcelona jelly mules in poppy red or “ganache” are among the season’s most covetable. If they sound a little too close to blister territory for you, stick to good old leather sandals. Then head for your nearest patch of grass, kick them off and crack open a cold one.
