Let me ask you a question: Do you know where you’ll be every single weekend this summer? Sure, you might have a few weeks blocked out for a proper vacation but every single weekend seems a bit extreme, even to a precise planner like myself. And yet, as I leaf through my Smythson notebook, I see that every single weekend between May and August is booked. As it turns out, this obsessive behavior is not just a British thing: the whole of Europe spends ten months of the year planning where to escape in July and August. 

One of the main reason’s I’ve acclimatized so well to my new country is because of the way they do summer. Over here, the word holiday is a verb—and everyone is an expert at it. If you’re after a villa in Tuscany, a house in Mallorca or a room in Ibiza you better get on it in November, else you find yourself on the 9pm-on-a-Friday Easy Jet flight and sharing an Airbnb with a group of girls on a hen party. 

   

So, with my calendar (they say “diary” over here and no, it’s not a place to doodle your secret crush’s name with hearts) fully set, it’s onto my wardrobe. Here’s what I’m planning to wear, and where. 

I’ll be in the U.S. in July, so I need to be fully stocked-up on reds and nautical stripes. Fortunately I thought ahead and have already pre-ordered this striped Sea dress. (Smug? Moi? Never.) It’s perfect for hot weather and should fit the bill for everything from a clambake to an evening boat trip to the lighthouse. Add to that Solid & Striped bathing suits (any will do) and this red Miguelina skirt and that’s Nantucket dressing, nailed.

 

I’m hoping the agenda will consist solely of pool time (this is where I plan on building my base tan for the rest of summer). In my carry-on will be flirty bathing suits (totally swim-able, by the way) and a few mini dresses for evenings in town. 

Surely, this calls for some Dolce & Gabbana? It may be the obvious option, but, really, there’s no better place to strut about in a dress with lemon accents than the Amalfi coast. I’ll add in the "Zaza" from Rebecca de Ravenel because its retro vibe is exactly what I picture the original Italian sirens wearing while coasting the cobblestones with a mouthful of gelato.