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I'll be honest: up until last year, it had never occurred to me to go on a sun holiday during winter. Snow holiday were for winter, and beach holidays were for summer, right? That was until I booked my honeymoon to Thailand and the Maldives in February, and realised that being hot in winter was the way forward.
When it came to picking my wardrobe for the holiday though, I quickly realised that my normal go-to brands wouldn't cut it, with their Spring/Summer offering not launching for another few months.
Now I'm lucky enough that in my job I come across some amazing fashion brands, and so I managed to curate a great holiday wardrobe thanks to the winter sun brands that serve up great summer dresses and swimwear all year round. Scroll down to find out more...
Holiday dresses & clothing
Rixo London
Best for: The London brand behind that constellation dress is fast become very fashion editor's go-to for vintage-style dresses with the most amazing prints, which are designed in-house by friends Henrietta Rix and Orlagh Mcclosky, who set up the brand in 2015. Expect vibrant colours and hand-painted patterns, and new for this season, all over ombre sequins.
Shop now: Rixo Coco dress, £304.17
Paper London Plage
Best for: Riviera-worthy palazzo trousers, impeccably cut colour-block dresses and super flattering swimwear.
Shop now: PAPER LONDON Kelly rickrack-trimmed ramie wide-leg pants, £285 at Net-A-Porter
MARCH11
Best for: Beautifully embroidered, unique pieces with styles reference to Ukrainian traditions as a nod to New York-based designer Robert Mishchenko's heritage.
Shop now: MARCH 11 Namibia embroidered dress for £1,190 from Farfecth
Caroline Constas
Best for: Those trademark off-the-shoulder tops, feminine ruffles and playful polka dots.
Shop now: CAROLINE CONSTAS Off-the-shoulder striped cotton-poplin top, £335 at Net-A-Porter
Dodo Bar Or
Best for: Dresses adorned with folkloric prints, intricate details and embellishments.
Shop now: DODO BAR OR Miranda embroidered striped cotton wrap dress, £484 at MatchesFashion.com
Lee Mathews
Best for: No one does chic resortwear as well as the Australian brands, and Lee Mathews is proof of this. Shop there for striped cotton shirts and matching trousers, gingham dresses and silk gorgette maxis. The dream.
Shop now: LEE MATHEWS Germaine square-neck cotton-gingham dress, £385 at MatchesFashion.com
Zimmerman
Best for: Sexy off-the-shoulder evening dresses in floaty fabrics, and taylored daywear.
Shop now: ZIMMERMANN Cascade ruffled polka-dot silk-georgette jumpsuit, £750 at Net-A-Porter
Alice McCall
Best for: In the designer's own words, 'alice McCALL is all about creating playful pieces (main image) that are still wearable & innately feminine. Our pieces are quirky & fun with a kick of sexiness. I want girls to feel amazing & have fun wearing my designs'. The new collection especially is all about colours and bold prints.
Buy now: Alice McCall Yoko dress, £650
Kalita
Best for: Vibrant silk maxi dresses.
Shop now: KALITA Brigitte silk-habotai maxi dress, £555 at MatchesFashion.com
Three Graces London
Best for: Luxury resortwear that is structured yet ethereal, crafted in the highest quality linen, cotton and silk. I love the romantic beach dresses in vibrant colours.
Shop now: THREE GRACES LONDON Aida ruffled cotton-voile nightdress £335 at Net-A-Porter
Cloe Cassandro
Best for: Bali-inspired silk-chiffon cover-ups that support local artisans.
Shop now: Cloe Cassandro SS18 collection
Innika Choo
Best for: Unique handcrafted smocked tops and dresses.
Shop now: Innika Choo embroidered linen top, £160 at Net-A-Porter
Swimwear & bikinis
Matteau Swim
Best for: Simple, well cut bikinis and swimsuits to flatter all shapes.
Shop now: Matteau The Ring bikini, £186 at MatchesFashion.com
Marysia Swim
Best for: Chic scallop-edges designs that are both fun and timeless.
Shop now: Marysia Antibes bikini, £280 at Net-A-Porter
Eres
Best for: The French label has been producing iconic, impeccably cut and elegant swimwear since 1998. The swimsuits are particularly flattering.
Shop now: ERES Anne-Sophie bandeau swimsuit, £475 at Net-A-Porter
ASOS
Best for: Pretty much any style of bikini and swimsuit, all year round.
Shop now: Swimsuit launching soon on ASOS
Mara Hofman
Best for: Graphic patterns and colourful clashes, which translates into her ethnic-inspired daywear too.
Shop now: MARA HOFFMAN Kia cutout printed swimsuit, £245 at Net-A-Porter
Lisa Marie Fernandez - holiday shop at harrods
Best for: Vintage-inspired one-pieces and bikinis that are flattering and total #ootd gold.
Shop now: Lisa Marie Fernandez ruffle swimsuit, £450 at Harrods
Holiday bags & shoes
Nannacay
Best for: Playful woven bags, including colourful totes and the baby roge basket bag adorned with signature pom poms.
Shop now: NANNACAY Roge pompom-embellished leather-trimmed woven raffia shoulder bag, £115 at Net-A-Porter
Rae Feathers
Best for: Personalised totes, clutch bags and slides in chic paired back tones.
Shop now: Rae Feathers monogram slides, £185
From St Xavier
Best for: This Australian brand serves up handcrafted unique designs using semi-precious stones and natural metals amongst other ethically sources materials.
Shop now: FROM ST XAVIER Zara Tassel Metal Clutch- Gold, £57 at Very Exclusive
Ancient Greek Sandals
Best for: A mix of trend-led designs and chic classic sandals that are locally handmade made too.
Shop now: Ancient Greek Sandal bow slides, £170 at Harrods
Manebi
Best for: Timeless mules with a contemporary twist.
Shop now: Hamptons mules for €100 from Manebi
Miista
Best for: Fashion-forward designs that will completely elevate your holiday wardrobe.
Shop now: Valerie Egg Stripe Sandals for £145 from Miista
Holiday jewellery
Z for Accessorize
Best for: Affordable delicate, gold or silver-plated jewellery that you can layer and mix and match.
Shop now: Z for Accessorize heart chakra friendship bracelet, £10
Annie Costello Brown
Best for: Annie Costello Brown's bold and eclectic designs are just what you need to lift a maxi dress on holiday.
Shop now: ANNIE COSTELLO BROWN Roma gold-tone earrings, £245 at Net-A-Porter
Missoma
Best for: Delicate gold jewellery which you can stack to your heart's content. Look out for blogger Lucy Williams' Roman collection, inspired by her travels.
Shop now: Lucy Williams x Missoma sun medallion necklace, £169
Links of London
Best for: Although Links of London is well known for its timeless classics, the new Serpentine collection is perfect for holidays, thanks to its pretty gemstones including pink opal, green chalcedony and blue agate.
Shop now: Serpentine 18ct rose gold vermeil and blue lace agate earrings, £160
Now that you've got the ultimate A-Z of winter sun brands, all you need to do is mix and match to create your perfect capsule wardrobe, whether you're headed to the beach or on a city break.
