Many women (myself included) do not suit pretty, floaty dresses. I love them on other women, but they just don’t suit me at all. The reason is, I don’t have any ‘girly’ in my clothing style.

If you take a snapshot of many high street shops at this time of year, you could easily have the mistaken belief that all there is available for us to wear in the summertime is floral midi dresses.

Happily, I’m here to tell you that this isn’t the case. If, like me, you are not a ‘pretty’ summer dress person, there are LOTS of fabulous options.

I’ve even included a dress!

Please don’t compromise your style to suit the weather. Leave the floral prints for your girly styled friend and try one of these 5 great alternative outfit combinations instead.

Your own colouring, body shape, style and scale will determine which of these works best for you but I hope this gives you some inspiration.

1. A cotton skirt and a t-shirt

If your clothing style is classic, you’ll look your best in clean lines and unfussy outfits. This cotton skirt and t-shirt combination is casual yet classy. You’ll feel feminine and comfortable. This shape of skirt works best for straighter figure types (no waist and slim hips). If you have a small waist and curvy hips choose a cotton skirt in a slight ‘A-line’ shape.

2. Tailored shorts worn with a blouse

This is a glamorous look, again without any fuss. Here the shorts are paired with a plain t-shirt for a casual look, but you could create a smarter outfit by adding a half sleeve blouse or shirt.

3. A linen shirt dress

Who says summer dresses need to be floaty and floral? A linen shirt dress will keep you just as cool.

Tie the belt around your back if you don’t want to draw attention to your middle section. This works just as well with trainers as it does with sandals.

4. Linen trousers

You’ll need to suit at least some of the ‘natural’ style for linen to work well for you. It’s one of my favourite fabrics to wear at this time of year. If your style is more classic and you can’t deal with the inevitable creasing, choose a loose leg pair of trousers in a stretch cotton fabric. I like the way these are styled with a classic Breton top. Alternatively a linen shell top (sleeveless) would look great.

5. Chinos and a slogan t-shirt

This is a lovely casual summer outfit. Its practical and fun. I’d pair this kind of outfit with trainers or chunky flat sandals. Pick a slogan t-shirt that means something to you.

I hope that’s given you some food for thought! Leave me a comment and let me know which outfit combination you’re going to try.