When you are deprived of sun and high temperatures, rained upon all year long, meaning when you live in London, there is no better place to spend Summer than Sicily. The ruins, the fields of olive trees, the local old villages, the constant sun, the food, the smell of the sea. 

And the heat is obviously not as mad as Dubai in August.  Sicily is just hot enough for you to learn to live the mediterranean lifestyle and master the art of doing nothing, il farniente. Your day will start with a dark coffee and granita (crushed fruit, preferably watermelon, with ice) on a terrace under climbing vines. Perhaps, you will take a small dip into the pool afterwards. During the hottest hours of the day, you will mostly be resting in a hammock reading some idiotic, but entertaining thriller. And your day will eventually and slowly start coming to life after 4. After a couple of hours on the beach, it's time to fetch your dinner and drive to the local fishmonger in your cinquecento. Whatever you buy it is so fresh that it was caught at sea only an hour ago. Then you will spend a fabulous hour preparing myriads of small dishes (caponata, fresh salads) sipping on a cocktail made with Chinotto (from Sicilian chinotto oranges). Finally you might allow yourself one cigarette to end your evening perfectly because what happens in Sicily stays in Sicily. What a life. La dolce vita no less.

Obviously, all of this will likely get disturbed by the kids who will want anything but stay put... But let's not ruin this picture perfect holiday schedule. Luckily, they will enjoy the beach, the pool, and doing all sorts of messy stuff outdoors.

What to wear

When you dare to come out of your shadow, wear white if you wish to survive. That does not mean you have to compromise in style. Wearing white in Summer is like wearing heels on a catwalk, both indispensable and statuesque. 

White summer style: hat from Dasmarca (around £45) / sunglasses by J.Crew (£118) / sleeveless silk top, similar from Theory (£180) / white denim skirt, similar from Current Elliott at The Outnet (£100) / Chloe dupe ankle wrap espadrilles by Marc Fisher at Nordstrom (£130) / Josephine Saddlebag in cognac by Kalamarie handbags (£650) / Hermes twilly scarf worn as a bracelet (£115)