Layering for hot and cool weather

Cape Town is known to have four seasons in one day! 

This means Capetonians have to be masters at the layering game, to handle and slay during the cold early mornings, warm late mornings, hot afternoons and cold evenings.

However, layering doesn’t mean you need to bulk up and look like a hulk. So, you have to be mindful of how many layers you add. Anything more than four items will risk you in adding extra centimetres to your body, with the end result looking and feeling heavy. Which defeats the purpose entirely.

There are smart ways to layer for transitional weather. It all starts with the kind of the pieces, the fabric and the colours you choose. Bright hues are trendy, hot red, neon, coral pink, faded blue, aqua green, saffron, white and of course, a variety of prints and florals. Lace, chiffon, mesh, linen and knits. 

Yes, knits! Summer knits are very different from winter knits, in that they are more breathable. This, of course, allows an opportunity for layering. We’ve summarised a list of a few of our clothing stores in Cape Town, where you can shop for summer fashion that allows you to layer well, as we’ve advised above.

Exact is one of the affordable fashion stores under The Foschini Group. It houses a diverse collection of clothes, which are updated seasonally. At Exact, you’ll find a hot red T-shirt dress that you can layer with a pleather jacket. It’s a simple and chic layering combination that works. Alternatively, you can pair up tiger prints shorts with a wrap top, lightweight gilet jacket and blocked heels. Exact has many layering options. Head over to the Canal Walk branch to get items suitable to your specific needs.

In 2016, The Foschini Group rebranded Fashion Express to The FIX, a change which catapulted this fashion brand toward success. It has now become one of the popular leading fashion stores which offer the latest trends exactly when needed. Whatever your trend of choice is, The FIX has it. 

Be it co-ords, utility, seamless, floral, checks, and denim on denim, the choices are endless. Pair up this already layered white woven blouse with these tapered tie detail pleather pants. Don’t forget to grab the coral blazer just in case you need to level up the look for a business meeting!

This proudly Capetonian store has been around since 1916, with a simple mandate, which is to make quality clothing affordable to everyone. At Ackermans, you’ll find a wide range of clothing items you can pair perfectly for transitional weather. Take the pinni dress for example, which you can layer on top of the knitted shoulder button top and pair with the cone heel. If you’re looking for a denim on denim vibe, you can go for an a-line denim skirt, layering the statement white top underneath the light wash denim gilet jacket.

Mr Price is a fashion brand that sells products that make you feel good about yourself. Mr Price puts their best foot forward with items that are on-trend. It’s an affordable fashion and accessories store which recently added beauty products into its offering. They have a lot of camis, mesh items that can up your layering game. You can stick to the utility trend with this baby pink utility dungaree, which you can pair with the white embellished poloneck.

Woolworths, affectionately known as Woolies, has been in existence since 1931 and building its brand to be an industry leader it is recognised as today. The brand believes in offering its customers quality, and relevant products. With over five clothing brands under its wing, Woolies has so much to offer. You can visit this store and up your layering game with this printed polka dot shorts, with this sequin embellished camisole and white sleeveless blazer. You can dress up the look with these ankle boots or dress it down with these platform sneakers.

The first Cotton On store opened its doors in 1991; over the years, the retailer expanded to other parts of the world. Launching in South Africa in 2011, Cotton On has become one of the leading clothing stores and consistently growing. When you visit Cotton On, you’ll find plenty of layering options, such as the double split mini skirt, paired with the cropped scoop neck cami top and layered with the oversize resort shirt. You can dress this outfit down with the summer chunky sneakers or dressed up in these heeled dress boots.

Cape Town summer can be challenging in that it can be hot now and feel cold later due to an evening summer breeze. You don’t want that breeze to have you wishing you had worn a jersey or blazer. This where layering comes in to play to help you wear more without bulking up and feeling heavy. We hope the above advice will help you to up your layering game. With that said, visit Canal Walk to get your new layering items today!