Wait, has it? Is that the sun? No, is it? YES! The sun has finally come out in the UK and the summer can officially begin. To kick-start the (slightly delayed) summer season, we've gathered a few hot bits of kit that you might wish to don over the next couple of months. Check out our Summer Clothing Feature for 2019.
T-Lab t-shirts
The most vital piece of clothing to own as the summer starts is the good old t-shirt. We'd never begun the month of June without buying a pretty huge stock in, and T-Lab is definitely going to be our first calling point from now on. Ethically made right here in the UK, T-Lab shirts come in a variety of colours, boasting bright and hard-wearing patterns and prints.
T-Lab were kind enough to fire a couple of their t-shirts over to us, and it's clear that the family-owned business aren't interested in 'fast fashion'. These shirts are well-made, comfortable, and seem to be able to survive for a few summers more. We especially loved the 'BBQ Star' print, but you can find music, cycling, maps, and other themes on their site, covering sizes and fits for both men and woman.
Average t-shirt price £29
Visit www.t-lab.eu
Weird Fish Murrisk Casual Shorts
Second only to the humble tee in terms of summer necessity, a decent pair of shorts are a must buy during the hotter months. We turned to friends of the site Weird Fish, as they have a pair that will not only see your gorgeous calves shown off in the best possible way, but also won't be eating into your summer cocktail money.
The Murrisk Casual Shorts from Weird Fish are made from tough-wearing cotton and feature a comfortable elasticated waistband with drawstring tie. The loose fit means you'll stay cool regardless of if you're down the beech or down the coffee shop in town. Pockets on front and rear mean they're more practical than sports shorts, but still light and airy enough to wear on the hottest of days. Navy or Olive... up to thee.
And we've said this before, but how the hell can Weird Fish charge so little for excellently made clobber? Seriously?
ONLY £20
Visit www.weirdfish.co.uk
Hey Dude T-Shirts
A new one on us, Hey Dude are currently making quite a splash in the casual garment world with a range of interesting clothing and footwear. You'll read about the latter lower down in this feature, but Hey Dude kindly bunged us one of their t-shirts to check out.
Printed and embroidered with a giant ol' DUDE, the tee is soft cotton and extremely cooling and comfortable. Whereas the T-Lab tees were all about printing, Hey Dude seem to play around more with stitching and finish, creating a detail rich shirt with off-centre inside label, frayed hem, and what they accurately call a 'deconstructed look'. Fair play.
There are several prints and colour choices, with all being unique and interesting. Check them out.
This t-shirt £25
Visit www.heydudeshoes.co.uk
Sanvt 'The Perfect T-Shirt'
This is a plain white tee. We've all got one, but this one from Portugal claims to be 'perfect'. Why? Well, Sanvt (we think the v is used like a u, like the band Chvrches, maybe?) say they've made a totally awesome plain white tee by developing the production method over 18 months and using only the finest cotton.
100% extra long staple cotton at 185gsm goes into every Perfect T-Shirt from Sanvt, creating a feel that is both luxurious and tough. They've designed it to last, and it certainly feels like it will - just beware to keep the bolognese sauce away from it, okay? Comfortable on, and certainly a statement garment, the Perfect T-Shirt isn't cheap, however. Still, if you are capable of keeping plain white items of clothing free of stains (we struggle, TBH), this could be for you.
£35
Visit sanvt.com
Kymira Sport Infrared Running Core 3.0 Leggings
Notching up the only dedicated sporty bit of clothing in this feature (can you tell we don't work-out all that much?), these leggings from Kymira are pretty special. Using a unique kind of infrared fabric, the leggings actively draw more blood to the surface of your skin, increasing oxygenation to improve your performance and speed up recovery.
Which kinda sounds like magic, but it works. Although to put them on they feel just like a pair of regular compression running leggings, the unique properties kick in when you start exercising. As well as boosting your capillaries, they help keep you cool and dry by drawing sweat away from your skin to evaporate on the surface.
These aren't cheap either, but to help improve your endurance and recovery rate, they might just be worth it.
£80
Visit www.kymirasport.com
Dagsmejan Sleepwear
You probably don't often consider pyjamas when the summer starts, but after checking out the range of clever sleepwear from Dagsmejan, you might want to. The Swedish company have formulated unique night clothing to keep your cool on hot nights, warm on cold nights, and comfortable and looking good on all nights.
We were set a set including a t-shirt and shorts combo, made from a blend of Merino wool and Tencel, which comes from eucalyptus of all places. The resulting fabric is light, soft, and remarkably breathable. We've been fortunate enough to try the set during both cold and warm nights, and it genuinely does work. Regardless of the temperature outside, your body will remain at a comfortable temperature without ever overheating.
T-shirt £69.90
Shorts £69.90
Visit www.dagsmejan.com
Hey Dude Wally Sox Airflow Ink Shoes
If you're concerned your feet might overheat this summer, check these babies out. As with their t-shirt mentioned above, Hey Dude's footwear is unique and designed for an awesome combo of comfort and style. The Wally Sox Airflow Ink are a pair of shoes that weigh about as much as a pair of traditional socks, and feature an airflow sole to keep your tired plates of meat happy.
The top side is soft and made from a tough but flexible sox fabric, and pull-tight laces make sure you can always just slip them off and on. The sole is tough but riddled with air holes, and the removable orthotic insole means you can go barefoot inside without worrying about a build-up of stinky bacteria. Great for the beach, but equally great for a bar and a sunny day out, the Hey Dude Wally Sox Airflow Ink shoes look cool and are cool. Good price, too.
£55
Visit www.heydudeshoes.co.uk
Superdry Supergami 165 Folding Sunglasses
Ending on some eye-wear, we've been sent this fascinating pair by Superdry. The Supergami 165 are mostly transparent and offer 100% UV protection to your peepers, while also being unisex in size and style. However, the most striking thing about them is that they fold up, allowing you store them safely in a much smaller amount of space.
We were sent the sunglasses from Feel Good Contacts, a leading online supplier of discount contact lenses. As well as supplying fly eye-wear like the Superdry shades, they can beat the retail price of the high street opticians for a range of contact lens makes. They've recently launched a new app to help make finding the right lenses a cinch, and with it you can ensure you aren't being ripped off each month.
If you wear glasses and don't won't to have to fork out for prescription sunglasses, getting contact lenses and a nice pair of shades is a great alternative. Check out Feel Good Contacts and their app today.
Sunglasses £45
Visit www.feelgoodcontacts.com