My Summer Essentials, With Otegha Uwagba
Having joined NET-A-PORTER’s Aegean Escape on the stunning island of Kéa in Greece, London-based author OTEGHA UWAGBA shares her packing formula (spoiler: it involves her expert editing skills), the key pieces she took on the trip, and how she plans to style them in multiple ways year-round…
Embrace your summer style alter ego
“Generally, when I’m in London, I wear a lot of darker colors – navy, black, brown, khaki – even during the summer. But when I go on vacation, I like to be a little more adventurous (for me) – that means wearing a lot more color and pattern. I feel like dressing differently to how I would at home helps me get into the holiday spirit, so I’m more willing to experiment with my vacation wardrobe.”
Use vacations as an opportunity to try new looks
“I pushed myself a bit out of my comfort zone with the Rabanne crop top, especially as I ended up wearing it with low-rise jeans – but I think pairing a crop top with low-waist pants is fun in quite a ’90s way. I can see it looking really great under a structured blazer, too.”
Dress from the feet up
“I love these gold Aquazzura sandals – I’d been looking for the perfect pair of gold ‘naked sandals’ for a while. For me, that means super-delicate, almost-invisible straps. I wore them with jeans on the trip, and I think that’s how I’ll also style them back in London, with jeans or pants that just graze the tops of the shoes, so you can see a bit of the gold peeking out.”
Seek out seasonless accessories
“I’ve long been a fan of the iconic Rabanne chainmail bags, so bringing one of those with me was a no-brainer. They’re pleasingly weighty and tactile, and just really fun to wear… It’s also a year-round staple.”
Pack your beauty essentials for glowing summer skin
“I always bring lip balm – Le Labo’s is lovely; a Pat McGrath Labs mascara, and good moisturizers. I don’t wear lots of makeup when I’m on vacation – I prefer bare skin, especially if I’m somewhere hot. Layering on lots of mascara and making sure my skin is well moisturized tends to be my main beauty go-to when traveling.”
Find your packing formula
“I famously hate packing, so I tend to leave it to the absolute last minute. I’m fairly disciplined, though – I don’t pack ‘just in case’ items, as I know which pieces I realistically won’t wear when I’m on vacation. For this trip, I started by picking the key pieces that I knew I definitely wanted to wear, such as the yellow Christopher Esber shirt and the white beaded Rabanne top, and then planned around them. I also didn’t want to bring a giant suitcase, so I thought about which accompanying pieces – such as the Slvrlake jeans – were versatile enough to work with a few different items.”
Choose pieces that make you feel your most confident and beautiful
“I love a silky, chiffony fabric during the summer – something that feels nice against your skin, especially when the temperatures rise. Above all, I have to be comfortable. Anything that shows off my back or shoulders is also a big plus for me – I’ve never really been into showing off my cleavage; I find it far chicer to show off other areas.”
Experiment with print and color in the warmer months
“During the summer, I tend to incorporate a lot of yellows and oranges into my wardrobe – I think warmer colors look great against my skin tone, so I lean towards those.”