This is probably my favourite time of year – the sun is shining, restaurants are spilling out onto outdoor patios and I get to tan my legs by wearing one of my go-to summer outfits. But if you’re like me, you won’t be satisfied with wearing last year’s dress. You’ll want to get those shopping shoes on and head to the high street to scout out some new summer fashions.

There’s always room in the closest for one more dress, after all. Here are some tips and tricks I use when shopping for the perfect summer dress.

 Get to know your body shape

First and foremost, it’s important to know what sort of dress is going to fit your body the best. One way to do this before you even hit the shops is to know your body shape. It’s easy to do, look in the mirror and see what proportions you have. Are your shoulders wider than your hips? Are you larger on top than on the bottom? Are you mostly straight all the way down?

There are 5 main body shape categories: athletic, pear, hourglass, apple and inverted triangle. Still confused? Here’s a quick body shape quiz you can take to find out which of these shapes you are. And don’t worry, not matter what shape you have there are going to be several perfect holiday dresses out there for you.

Learn your skin tone

Similar to knowing your body shape, it’s good to think about what colours may best compliment your skin tone. The main three skin tones are warm, cool and neutral. An easy way to figure out what skin tone you have is to look at your wrist palm up. If you can see your veins through your skin and they look blue, you have a cool skin tone. Emeralds, bright blues and deep purples will look great on you. If your veins appear green then you have a warm skin tone. The colours of the sunset, red, orange and yellow will suit you best. Lastly, if you can’t tell one way or the other about the colour of your veins you’re probably neutral. And lucky you, as most colours will look gorgeous!

Look for inspiration

Now that you know what your body type is and what colour will best suit your skin, it’s time to look for some inspiration. Who are your favourite fashion icons? Do you love Drew Barrymore’s bohemian chic look? Or are you more partial to Kim Kardashian’s curve hugging outfits? Find the celebrity whose look you’d love to wear by flicking through magazines and taking note when you see a style you particularly like. Instagram is especially useful for fashion inspiration, and there are tons of great style accounts that will give you inspiration for this year’s holiday dresses.

Get the deals

We all love a good deal. After all, no one wants to blow the bank when searching for that perfect summer dress. There’s lots of good options available even at your local high street retailer, such as this selection of dresses from Tu. There’s a huge range of summer outfits to choose from, including maxi dresses, midi dresses and colourful floral designs. Keeping an eye out in high street stores is always a great way to sport the latest trends for the fraction of the price.

Be confident

I’m sure you’ve all heard it said before – confidence is the best form of beauty. And it’s true. My most important tip for finding a summer dress is that you choose something that makes you feel comfortable and confident. Whether you go for stripes, wild prints, pale pastels, flowy or tight dresses you need to pick something that you love and that makes you feel great.

*contributed post